Feral Child, Fabulous Speaker

Ruby, author of novels for teens, children, and adults alike, with several published poems on the side, was Chatham Hall’s 2023 Writer in Residence. Her brief stay at Chatham Hall involved talks with Dr. Edmonds’s classes, dinner with the Iris editors, a stunning hour-long address to the school followed by a book-signing, and lunch with me and the Columns staff. 

Dressed in colorful patterns with just as vibrant red hair, Ruby’s presence drew me in from the very start. Charismatic and spunky, Ruby was full of excitement to arrive on campus, and her address contained personal stories; witty remarks; and wild, passionate gestures. All of this came together to form the image of a vibrant woman, full of passion and, to the delight of Dr. E, joie de vivre. Her keynote started on a note of humor—”Feral Child” appeared on the screen behind her, superimposed over an image of a leafy forest. This induced small laughs from the crowd, and a handful of “Huh?”s before she began to explain. 

Ruby introduced herself as a so-called “Feral Child,” and her story-loving adolescence was clear in the way she spoke. As she recounted tales of daydreaming and childhood fascination with books and tall tales, I was struck by the way she spun her own life story into something of a fairytale. It is rare to find someone with a gift for talking about herself in a way that does not at all feel like a person talking about herself, and Laura Ruby is blessed in that regard. Ghost stories and faceless figures on the side of the road intermingled with exuberant bee tangents and poignant comments on feminism, family, and insecurity ended in an excerpt from a yet-to-be-released novel that she’s been working on. 

When met with questions and requests for any sort of professional or personal advice she had to offer, Ruby would take a few seconds to think while the crowd held their breath. Humor mixed with true advice proved to be her forte. When questioned about her writing process, she let out a laugh, then told us that perhaps her route was not one to be followed—for her, writing involves destruction, quite literally. After writing notes upon notes and building up an initial draft, it would not be out of the ordinary for Ruby to take a pair of scissors to her work and physically cut it up, rearranging it however she saw fit. “Stop and start and repeat” was her mantra, encouraging prospective writers to write what they love—to “find your community…Nobody can tell [your stories] like you do, and there are people who need to hear them. Who are desperate for them.”

Certainly this applies to Ruby’s own work—she was very vulnerable about her struggles finding what stories she was meant to tell, and her passion for fantasy was not always met with open arms, especially from audiences looking for more “adult” writing. This uncertainty led to Ruby stepping back from writing to teach classes and fantasy writing workshops, saying that “If I had nothing more to say, I might be able to help other writers figure out what they wanted to say.” Thankfully, she found inspiration just as she inspired others. 

Bone Gap and Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All are two brilliant young adult novels that she recently published, with Thirteen Doorways being over a decade in the making. Fantasy elements combine with poignant commentary on feminism and narratives close to her own heart—Thirteen Doorways was inspired by the life story of Ruby’s own mother-in-law, who grew up in a Chicago orphanage just as one of the main characters, Frankie, did. Ruby’s own emotions and passions pour into her writing alongside her familial ties. Though she does not write directly about herself, she describes each character as an aspect of her—she pushes each one in different ways, perhaps taking her anger as a base for one character, her passions or heartaches for another. Once this is established, she imagines herself in the scenarios her characters are in, and extrapolates her own reactions, grounding her writing in her own reality. 

I, for one, am grateful that Ruby found her inspiration once more. Her keynote and my subsequent conversations with her reignited my own curiosity and passion for writing, and the advice she gave struck a resounding chord. Ruby reminded us of the importance of being a reader, of engaging with others, of forming meaningful connections through the art of creativity and storytelling. “Stories are a shared experience,” she told us. “My stories are not complete without the readers, and the connection is what makes it magical.”

We have a new novel and a poetry collection to look forward to in the future, and in the meantime, check out Bone Gap and Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All when you get a chance. More importantly—engage in your passions. Tell your story. Make the most of what you care about—more than that, make the most of those who care about you. In the words of Ms. Ruby, from the yet-to-be-released Sweetwater:

“Time is what we make it. Not a line, but a sea. Dive in.”