About the Author...

Josée Clerens, a native of Belgium, lives in New York City with her husband, John, and their Australian Terrier, Sparky. Ms. Clerens has published many short stories and pieces. She was a regular contributor to A Just God, a New York literary monthly, and worked as an American correspondent for two European news weeklies. Buying Louisiana is her first novel. 

Alfred Hollander interviews the author of Buying Louisiana  

Alfred Hollander: Ms. Clerens, I see you were born in Belgium.

Josée Clerens: Yes.

AH: And live in New York City

JC: Correct.

AH: Are you now a citizen of the United States?

JC: Yes.

AH: And when did you become a citizen?

JC: Oh, I don’t remember. 1980? 1983? I would have to go look at my naturalization papers.

AH: Then English isn’t your native tongue. Did you find it difficult learning to write in English?

JC: Yes. Because the correct words—the words that fit, the right words—always came into my head in Flemish first.

AH: Flemish—that’s your native language?

JC: Right. Netherlandish. In English it seemed like it was always wrong.

AH: But then, when you look at your writing in the book it doesn’t seem like you had any trouble at all.

JC: That was long after.

AH: I see. In other words, when you started writing this book you were already comfortable with writing in English.

JC: Oh, yes.

AH: And how did you come to write Buying Louisiana? What got you interested in the Louisiana Purchase of all things?...

 READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW. . .