An Interview with Lawrence Bub

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Lawrence Bub immigrated to the US as a child. His family settled in Denver, Colorado, where he still resides. Despite stints as an undergraduate at Harvard University and as a radiology resident and fellow at the University of Washington, he remains a Colorado kid at heart. An avid skier, hiker, and mountain biker, the mountains are his happy place. Returning to his love of writing later in life, Lawrence discovered that our stories, like old friends, pick up right where we left off.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The book’s title comes from two places, one of which probably led to the other. First, Paul Simon’s 1983 song and album, Hearts and Bones, with one of the most original first lines of all time, “One and one-half wandering Jews free to wander wherever they choose,” referring to himself and his then-partner, Carrie Fisher, who was half-Jewish, road tripping through the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado. It’s an amazing song. Check it out!

And second, the Indigo Girls’ lyric, “Hearts and bones from days of youth,” from their song Secure Yourself, which appears on their self-titled 1989 album mentioned in the book. I’m guessing the Indigo Girls’ “hearts and bones” is a reference to Paul Simon’s song – how could it not be? Both describe tumultuous and formative relationships like the one around which the novel is built.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I admire so many writers, but perhaps the one who spoke to me most was Raymond Carver, aptly described as the American Chekhov. His stories are deceptively simple, yet intricately constructed jewel boxes of complex emotions and unspoken desperation. He uses dialogue and strange word repetition to create a specific kind of rhythm and pace. His stories are the poetry of the mundane. Everyday situations and characters elevated to the level of high art. I continue to learn from Carver, and he still inspires me.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Unless you’re writing a diary, it’s meaningful to have a book out there in the world. It takes embracing a kind of vulnerability that most of us don’t face every day. Putting your ideas and words and art into the world is scary. For me, facing these fears and receiving positive feedback from complete strangers has been incredibly rewarding.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

The Indigo Girls’ self-titled album from 1989. It was playing in my head when I wrote the book.

Music is a big part of Hearts and Bones. In it, there is a story about a choir director who loses nearly all her memory due to encephalitis. All she can remember is her husband’s name and the words to her favorite songs. This anecdote comes from an actual case study, though it is fictionalized in the book. The authors theorize that love and music reside in so many different parts of the brain that even when all else is lost, love and music remain.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I have a Substack called The Subclinical: a doctor’s notes on the undercurrents of life.

I post about a wide variety of subjects, usually involving the intersection of art and science, frequently with references to a particular poem, song, etc.

I’m always working on other books, too.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Atmosphere has been a pleasure to work with. Everyone has been incredibly responsive, kind, smart, creative, fun, etc. etc. Publishing a book with Atmosphere has been a wonderful experience!

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