Twin Bred by Karen Wyle (2)

Karen Wyle has graciously agreed to allow us a glimpse into her book, Twin-Bred.Actually she has shared three character interviews with me to post here. This is the second in the series; the last one will be coming soon.

A little background on Twin-Bred

 Can interspecies diplomacy begin in the womb?  After seventy years on Tofarn, the human colonists and the native Tofa still know very little about each other.  Misunderstanding breed conflict, and the conflicts are escalating.  Scientist Mara Cadell’s radical proposal: that host mothers of either species carry fraternal twins, human and Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species.  Mara lost her own twin, Levi, in utero, but she has secretly kept him alive in her mind as companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas.  Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee.  Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?

Character Interview with Levi

Introductory Note: this would be, to say the least, a difficult interview to arrange. "Levi Thomas" was the name that would have belonged to Mara Cadell's fraternal twin, had he survived to be born. He died shortly before that point. Mara, emotionally traumatized by that loss, coped by keeping Levi alive in her mind as a companion. (The traumatic nature of her loss is based on reports from many twin survivors.)

Q. I'll start with the question many readers would particularly like to ask you: are you purely a creature of Mara's imagination, or do you have some independent reality?

A. Wouldn't you like to know?

I could tell you to ask Mara -- not that she's in a particularly good position to answer that question -- but of course, she doesn't like to talk about me. She'd be quite perturbed that you even know of my existence (if that's what we call it for purposes of discussion).

Q. Do you agree with Mara that it would harm her career, and/or endanger the Twin-Bred project, if people on Tofarn found out about you?

A. Definitely. I've told her as much. You must understand, Mara is not the easiest person to get along with. She's prickly and doesn't suffer fools gladly. And she has a very low tolerance for organizational politics. All of which means that only her exceptional scientific ability induces people to put up with her. There are many who would like to be shut of her if they had a good enough excuse. Delusions of twin-hood? Good enough.

Q. Do you think Mara would be better off without you?

A. Allow me a small sigh. . . . Mara would be better off if I had lived. And it's possible she'd be better off if I had never existed. I'm not sure "better to have loved and lost" applies in these circumstances, if it ever does. . . .  But there we were, twins. There's no getting around that starting point. And she's tenacious, in love as in other things. It wasn't in her nature to simply move on. All things considered, I think she's better off isolated and secretive than seriously depressed. And of course, I'm good company.

Q. Do you think it's made things easier or harder for Mara, being surrounded by twins?

A. Both. But on the whole, I think it's been more healing than otherwise. All around her, she sees humans and Tofa, most of whom would never have had a twin if not for her. You could say that she's ensured I didn't die in vain. Though I doubt she's thought if it in those terms.

Q. Do you play any part in Mara's artwork -- her drawing and cartooning?

A. Not directly. I don't think I would have been that visual. I'm more about the words. We often talk about her drawings. Sometimes I lack the context to understand them, and she explains. And her cartoons show a sense of humor that she doesn't normally indulge. That side of her, that hidden mischief, is where she and I are most alike.

http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bred-ebook/dp/B005VDVHQ2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332721024&sr=8-2 

Twin-Bred by Karen Wyle

Karen Wyle has graciously agreed to allow us a glimpse into her book, Twin-Bred. Actually she has shared three character interviews with me to post here. This is the first in the series; the other two will be coming soon.

A little background on Twin-Bred

 Can interspecies diplomacy begin in the womb?  After seventy years on Tofarn, the human colonists and the native Tofa still know very little about each other.  Misunderstanding breed conflict, and the conflicts are escalating.  Scientist Mara Cadell’s radical proposal: that host mothers of either species carry fraternal twins, human and Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species.  Mara lost her own twin, Levi, in utero, but she has secretly kept him alive in her mind as companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas.  Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee.  Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?

 Mara Cadell took some time out of her busy schedule to visit with us today:
[Introductory Note: Mara has a secret to keep, and her answers to these questions reflect that. The secret: that her fraternal twin brother, Levi, died shortly before birth, and that she has dealt with the trauma of that loss by keeping him alive in her mind as a companion.]
　
Q. When did you first conceive of the Twin-Bred project?
A. In one sense, the idea first occurred to me when I was quite young -- a child, in fact. I believe I was seven years old. I was -- I was aware of the deep bond between twins, and I thought what a shame it was that humans and Tofa couldn't be twins, so they'd get along better. It was several years later that I learned about host mothers who carry fetuses for other women. I immediately recalled my earlier fancy, and wondered if the physical obstacles to cross-species implantation and so on could be overcome.

Q. Do you regard the Twin-Bred -- emotionally speaking -- as your children?
A. Not really. The relationship isn't that -- personal. I don't hover and worry over every little bump and bruise, or concern myself with fusses and tantrums. The ones whose host mothers have left would be much more likely to go to one of the nurses, possibly Chief Nurse Gaho, for something close to maternal attention. I think my feelings are more like those of a teacher who takes pride in her students' progress and achievements.
Although I am quite protective of the Twin-Bred's safety and well-being. You might say intensely protective.

Q. The official name of the Twin-Bred project is the Long-Term Emissary Viviparous Initiative, or LEVI. Is it a coincidence that those initials spell a name? Is the project named after someone in particular?
A. That's a personal matter. Next question?

Q. Would it be accurate to say that LEVI would never have gotten off the ground without funding and support from the governing Council?
A. Certainly. I'm no fundraiser. I have no particular gift for stroking egos and such. I suppose that if I'd happened to know someone both wealthy and interested, we could have managed with private funding. Most likely, we would still have had the same problems -- excuse me, occasional issues -- about the time frame in which results could be expected, and exactly what return on investment we could produce. Although we would have had personal continuity, instead of the turnover we've naturally seen on the Council over time.

Q. I understand you're an artist. What are your favorite subjects?
A. I don't usually call myself an artist. I like to sketch. I've done a little painting, but I rarely have time for it. My cartoons tend to be about things that annoy me. It helps me keep my temper.

Q. I see you have a cartoon on your desk. May I take a closer look?
A. (pause) Yes. Of course.

Q. This cartoon shows a woman sitting up in bed. It's you, isn't it? And she's holding a pillow at arm's length, and the pillow is sticking out its tongue at her. And one of the moons, the larger one, is showing through the window -- but it's making a really nasty face.
A. I don't always sleep well. And on occasion my dreams can be less than pleasant. Now I don't wish to be rude, but I really do have a great deal to do, and I'd best get back to it. Thank you for stopping by. I'll have someone give you a tour of the facility on your way out. It's worth seeing. 

My thanks to Mara and Karen for sharing this very interesting insight into Twin-Bred.

 

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