Los Alamos Author Jessica Bryant Klagmann
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
True story: a radio tower in New Brunswick once broadcasted messages through people’s home appliances. This unexplained phenomenon became the basis of Los Alamos author Jessica Bryant Klagmann’s debut novel, “This Impossible Brightness”.
She explained she had an idea to write a character who is introverted and timid but wanted to make a difference in the world. After learning about this radio tower and its phantom broadcasting, Klagmann wondered how these broadcasts might be even more fantastical, and why they might be meaningful to someone like this character.
“I had the idea that they were echo broadcasts from the past,” she said. “For someone who is dealing with grief and memory, that kind of magical element fit perfectly in my story. Everything just came together as I was writing.”
The radio tower isn’t the only surreal thing in the book; according to its synopsis, the story begins in 2026 and spans decades, as the North Atlantic coast is being swallowed by rising sea levels. In a small coastal town called Violette, a newcomer, Alma Hughes, moves in to heal from a tragic loss. However, in addition to her own sorrows, she is soon dealing with the mysteries of this small town.
Jessica Bryant Klagmann’s debut novel, ‘Impossible Brightness’
Klagmann’s book, published by Lake Union Publishing, will be released Feb. 1 wherever books are sold, including Samizdat Book Store and Teahouse, 174 Central Park Square.
To officially celebrate the launch of her book, Klagmann is hosting a book reading, signing and question and answer session at 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at Fuller Lodge. Refreshments will be served.
The story is complete fiction, but Klagmann said she was interested in writing about human’s impact on the planet. She explained she isn’t preaching anything but a swiftly changing environment becomes the backdrop of her novel.
The biggest theme of the book is finding lightness amidst grief, Klagmann said.
“Ultimately, it is a very human story, a woman is grieving and finds hope. The human impact on the planet plays a big role in the story,” she said.
A few features of Klagmann’s own life bled into her novel. For instance, she grew up in New Hampshire and spent summers in Nova Scotia, swimming and kayaking in the Atlantic Ocean. She has written published non-fiction essays and short stories about the natural world.
She added she moved to Alaska to attend graduate school before she and her husband moved to Santa Fe to look for work as environmental writers. They eventually became employees at Los Alamos National Laboratory and moved to Los Alamos in 2015. Klagmann said she has been a writer for most of her life. She said she went to college to initially get a degree in visual arts but after taking a course in creative writing, she decided to change her major.
In her fiction and non-fiction work, Klagmann said she explores nature themes.
“I explore the idea of grief, loss and finding hope in difficult times in the natural world … it can be a place of healing,” she said.
When she started writing her novel, “I found I could go much deeper into those themes,” Klagmann said.
She started work on “This Impossible Brightness” in 2019 and said the story evolved a lot.
The whole process of writing and attempting to get a book published was eye opening, Klagmann said.
Despite having published work before, “I never tried anything novel length … I found out how expansive a story can become … it is eye-opening for sure. And the publishing process feels like a long journey. I sent out a lot of short stories and essays. There are rejections to deal with at every step of way and you have to learn about yourself as well (especially) your ability to persevere and remain true to yourself and true to your art.”
The one thing Klagmann said she learned through this process is to keep pushing to get your work out there. This, she added, is hard to do.
Still, “It’s not just about pushing but finding a way to adapt,” she said. “You receive a lot of rejection letters that have suggestions and reasons for the rejections.”
Klagmann said when she received her own rejection letters, “I took what I wanted to take and left what I wanted to leave.”
“Keep pushing, but don’t be afraid to grow in ways that keep you excited about your art,” she added.
To end this whole journey with a published novel feels pretty good, Klagmann said.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “…while it is fun and exciting it also feels kind of satisfying to know that others believe in the work as much as I do.”
This one journey may have concluded but Klagmann is already embarking on another with her next novel, which is scheduled to be published in 2025. This one is set in Alaska.
Even with one published book under her belt, Klagmann said the process isn’t any easier.
“It’s just as hard,” she said. “I tried to do an outline … but things always change so much. There are lots of revisions.”
Klagmann has published work in Whitefish Review and Terrain.org. To read more, visit her website at www.thehillsdranktheriver.com.
