An Interview with Cynthia Stock

Cynthia Stock retired from Critical Care Nursing after over forty years at the bedside. Her career covered the early years of the AIDs epidemic, saw major advances in critical care technology, and facilitated the progress in care for cardiac patients who ultimately survived with transplants or device implantation. Throughout her career, Cynthia pursued creative writing through various institutions and mentors. The Final Harvest of Judah Woodbine, a story about the polio epidemic in America, explores the consequences of PTSD on a survivor who accidentally kills his wife. Her short works have appeared in Intima, Susurrus, UDS Kaleidoscope, Memoryhouse, Lunch Ticket, Shark Reef, and others.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

When l started the Stories for Eir project, I sought to purge myself of the grief of so many people I lost over the years, both through death and by having to say “good-bye” when patients got better. In ICU, long-term patients became family. Patients with chronic cardiac conditions entered the ICU more than once. Some waited weeks for transplantation. Bonding and a rare kind of intimacy was inevitable. The more stories I wrote, I realized what a rewarding, life-altering career I had. It became a project of reflection and celebration.

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

Once I chose the direction of my stories, once I realized my career was touched by a higher power of sorts, I began looking for a clue. While searching the internet, I discovered Eir, the Norse goddess of healing. Who better to honor with my work?

Describe your dream book cover.

A graphic of Eir would be at the center of the cover. She would be surrounded by humans in various states of need and caregivers in various stages of administering care.

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

“Both Sides Now.” “Fire and Rain.” “I Will Survive.” “What About Us?” “Remedy.”

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

I reread Man’s Search for Meaning and Night. I read When Breath Becomes Air. I found joy and comfort in James, Beautiful Creatures, and The Grapes of Wrath.

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

I started working as a counselor at a swim camp when I was fifteen. Having been a competitive swimmer, I found it essential that every child learned to become comfortable in the water, to swim, and to know the otherworldliness of water. I did a short stint for a malpractice attorney as a forensic nurse investigator, but I missed the bedside.

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

I have written stories since I was in elementary school. In fifth or sixth grade, my best friend and I wrote a Thanksgiving story about a stolen bracelet found in a frozen turkey. Diaries became my writing outlet until I realized writing was something I wanted to pursue. I believe my dad’s love of books triggered my need to write. He helped me learn to read using the Golden Book version of The Wizard of Oz and deliberately making mistakes so I would catch them.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My workspace is a corner desk constantly in a state of clutter. I shut myself in my room and once my fingers hit the keys, I am gone. Everything else fades away.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

Sometimes I tell myself, “You should have started sooner. Writing should have been your first career.” Then I think of all the human connections I would have missed. I met my husband caring for his son. The best advice I’d give now? “Do what you love. Never quit. Your story comes alive as soon as one person has read it.”

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

I want readers to realize and remember humans are vulnerable creatures who demonstrate courage and grace at the most devastating times.

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