Flamenco and the Sitting Cat: a video intro to my novel by da-AL

“Flamenco & the Sitting Cat” is a twelve-part serialized adult general fiction literary novel I’m writing. The transcript of this video about “Flamenco & the Sitting Cat” is underneath it. Its sequel is, “Tango & the Sitting Cat.”

Among the events that inspired me to write it is how, when I was growing up, my mom often supported the family. Given that between my parents and me, we were from three different countries, my earliest memories have to do with questioning how gender and culture shape us.

By the time I turned forty, I had won a number of journalism honors. Among them was an Emmy nomination and then an Emmy award for documentaries that I produced on social issues. That year that I turned forty, I married a wonderful man who added yet another country to my family’s mix.

I regard my life as a series of ongoing ‘coming of ages.’ Not just the traditional one of when I was eighteen and left my parents’ apartment to live on my own and support myself. This got me to wondering, ‘what if there was a 40-year-old-virgin-woman, not in terms of sex, but as far as trusting straight men and the institution of marriage?’

I love challenges, so I decided to learn to write fiction. The protagonist would have to be the most difficult to depict; a woman who is neither young nor old. The supporting characters would have to be an intercultural mix of personalities as multidimensional and confusing as people are in real life.

The twelve installments of “Flamenco and the Sitting Cat” comprise a sort of anti-novel that illustrates the need for tolerance and that happiness is available to any of us — during any of our coming of ages!

As the story unfolds over these posts, I’d love to know what you think about the novel’s content and unfolding. Any first-hand experience with successfully promoting literary fiction for adults would be welcome too.