BackStory: Five Questions with Diane Gottlieb

Broken string of beads

BackStory: Five Questions with Diane Gottlieb
Author of From Here to Eternity

What inspired you to write ‘From Here to Eternity’?

My mother-in-law is 98 years old! She lived with us until she needed memory care, and now she is in a lovely facility—and strings lots of beads. I often think about what it must be like to lose your faculties while holding on to some of the more difficult memories.

What, if anything, do you have in common with your main character?

She’s feisty, reflective, and funny—all things I sometimes am and always aspire to be.

What do you like most about writing flash?

I LOVE getting to the point quickly and seeing how much I can pack into few words. I am in awe of writers who do that well!

What is your favourite part of the writing process?

My favorite part of the writing process is revision. (I know, I’m nuts!) I love struggling to find the exact word, fix that pesky sentence. I also love cutting—getting rid of the excess and tightening a piece, getting it to its best—or at least the best I can get it to.

If you could have three historical figures over for dinner, who would they be?

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Joan Rivers, and Dr. Ruth.


Diane Gottlieb’s writing appears or is forthcoming in River TeethHuffPost PersonalSmokeLong QuarterlyBarrelhouse, The Rumpus, Hippocampus, and 100-Word Story, among other literary journals and anthologies. She is the Prose/CNF Editor of Emerge Literary Journal. You can find her at https://dianegottlieb.com and on FB, IG, and Twitter @DianeGotAuthor.

Photo by RAJESH misra via Public Domain PIctures (CC0 Public Domain).