July 2, 2024

JULIETA RODRIGUES: Beyond the Bukubuk Tree is a story we've discussed before, inspired by your uncle you suspected was homosexual. You explore emotional truths in your novel. Can you discuss the value of exposing those truths for both the writer and the reader?

 

LORETTA GOLDBERG: Absolutely. I wanted to convey two emotional truths: the beauty of Rabaul, which has a quality of enchantment as it nestles between active volcanoes and lush green flora, and the conflict between love and tradition during wartime. My intuitive sense of my uncle's unresolved struggles inspired the character of Jake and his relationship with another man. While I never met my uncle, family anecdotes suggest that he was conflicted about his sexuality. His family were orthodox Jews. I felt a deep connection to his unspoken pain. Sharing this truth in fiction allows readers to connect with characters on a deeper level.
 
JR: You explore the theme of Jewish values conflicting with desires. Why did you choose to release the novel during Pride Month?

LG: Jake's struggle with his identity felt like a natural fit for the story. It's a historical fact that the Australian Army in mainland New Guinea investigated reports of male-male intimacy between its soldiers. It tightened rules against "unnatural practices" two years after Jake's service. Gay soldiers gave their full capabilities to their country like any other soldier. Like Alan Turing. Release during Pride Month feels appropriate as a tribute to diverse identities.
 
JR: You write about the under-resourced Lark Force. What did your uncle experience during this time?
LG: The Lark Force story is a well-known Australian tragedy. I wanted to bring it to a wider audience. Their abandonment by the Australian government must have been devastating for the soldiers when they grasped, at their moment of peril, that there never had been a plan to reinforce or rescue them. No Dunkirk for them. I wanted to use fiction to bring that moment of revelation to life.  How would my uncle have felt? Military records show that he was the last of Lark Force's four doctors retreating. Jake's journey mirrors that reality, and there's a vignette exploring his feelings.

 

JR: The best writers expose truths, perhaps because they cultivate it in their own lives. Can you elaborate on this point?
LG: I think we present varied faces of ourselves in public to function within social norms. A 98-year-old retired nurse friend of mine once told me that she can spot a person who's never had to work for a living by their personality, that they never had to smooth off the spikes in their reactions to other people to keep a job. I know what she means. But it's critical to be honest with yourself. I don't think you can hide who you are in writing fiction. Bits of you sneak into your characters, especially through the limitations of their emotional and spiritual range. I had a few 'ouches' at sides of me I exposed in my first novel.

 

JR: Why are the sex scenes in Beyond the Bukubuk Tree more explicit than in your first novel?
LG: The role of sex was different in each story. In the 16th century, people identified themselves by social class, religion and occupation. Today, sexuality is a bigger part of personal identity. For Jake and Wip, physical intimacy deepens their bond. The details of their different histories matter.

 

JR: Jake dies at the novel's end. Were you worried about upsetting readers?
LG: War is brutal. While some readers might prefer a happy ending in war fiction, I felt a more realistic portrayal was crucial. Hopefully, Jake's character will stay with readers especially because of his tragic fate. Your favorite people don't always come back from war. That's the point.

 

JR: Do you consider Beyond the Bukubuk Tree better than your first novel?
LG: It's not for me to say which is better. Beyond is shorter and explores a familiar historical period. I hope my writing has improved, but that's for readers to decide. I did take more risks in Beyond, like including a Tolai character's perspective on a war between white and Japanese colonists.

 

JR: Thank you, Loretta, for sharing your thoughts with us!
LG: Thank you for having me and for such thoughtful questions.
 
Universal buy link. https://mybook.to/bukubuk

 

Paperback available through any good bookstore.

 

ISBN 978-84-122325-8-5

 

ASIN B0D4MH8D63

 

https://lorettagoldberg.com

 

Facebook.com/LorettaGoldbergAuthor

 

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