An Interview with Kate Laack

Kate Laack is a high school English teacher, theater director, and author. She earned degrees in English and secondary education from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, where she got her start in publishing with the university newspaper. Her freelance work has appeared on Thought Catalog, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Comedy Show Show, and elsewhere. Kate lives in Pine Island, Minnesota, with her husband Josh and their rescue dog Oakley in a home they built themselves. She is a classically trained pianist, has run four marathons, and still uses a paper planner.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

My first two books were emotional, relationship-based, women’s fiction. And I loved them, but there were parts that were hard and heavy to write. I got the idea for the third book, and it just felt fun. The premise of a ‘whodunit,’ but told through the modern lens. Let’s be honest, if most of us stumbled upon a mystery in our own lives, we wouldn’t actually know what to do. So, I liked the idea of the mystery, but with the modern twists of still going to work, internet and social media stalking, and the reality that the outcome might never become clear.

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

Two major themes that run through the book are writing and authorship, so I wanted a title that spoke to that, and a Shakespeare quote is as classically literary as it comes. But there’s also a deeper meaning. The heart of the mystery is who stole Jordan Marlowe’s manuscript, and how they turned it into a best seller when she didn’t/couldn’t. There’s a real question of ‘what’s in a name?’ and what it means, and who gets credit.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I like to say that I’ll read anything once. I jump between genres and authors pretty easily. Most recently I’ve been reading Dave Eggers, Kristin Hannah, and Emily Giffin.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I teach high school English and theater, but before that I wanted to be a lawyer. I changed my major my junior year of college and never ended up pursuing law school. But, for my second novel, I took an LSAT prep course as part of my research and scored in the ninety-third percentile.

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

My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. K, was the first person who ever told me I was good at writing. I always liked telling stories, but she’s the one who really planted the seed that it was something I should nurture and eventually pursue. I’m drawn to stories that have a real human element, something that reveals something about our shared humanity. I think I’m motivated and inspired by books that I finish and instantly want to discuss with someone. Those are the kinds of stories I try to write … conversation starters!

Where is your favorite place to write?

Wherever I feel inspired in the moment! My first novel I wrote almost exclusively at the kitchen counter. I now find those stools very uncomfortable, and I have an office where I can hole up to write and edit.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

By Any Other Name is a love letter to writing, creativity, and authorship. I hope readers come away with a better understanding of the whole creative writing process. Moreover, I hope it sparks conversations about the value of that process, especially in an increasingly AI-saturated world.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.