Martha Miller, Portrait of Annie
First, a little bit about me. I live in Maine, as you know. My sisters taught me to read before I went to kindergarten and I have been reading ever since. The books I read when I was a teenager had a profound effect on me – they were like secret worlds far away from school and my family and the place I lived. I still love to read poetry and stories especially and to me those poems and stories are passports to another world – better than movies even – because I can imagine everything that happens, which makes it even more potent. I am drawn to writing that engages elements of fantasy and ambiguity, because I think there are many extraordinary parts of the ordinary world we live in. These magical parts of the world exist everywhere and reading and writing helps me to notice them and adds richness and depth to my life. I think nature, poetry, stories, art and music are powerful spiritual treasures that help us to realize how amazing life is, no matter how bleak it may seem at times.
Where did Graywolf come from?
In the story, it says Graywolf is English. It also says, “He was born, perhaps, from a fairy tale. As if the wish became so strong it emerged into reality, fully clothed, gentle, fur-clad and unmasked.” Perhaps he truly is an ancient spirit from England who is immortal and lives with human companions as their “spirit guide.” Perhaps the narrator, when she was small, wished for a special companion so deeply or believed in a story so completely that he became real. Perhaps he came from her imagination. He is real to me and I like the fact that even though I wrote the story, I am not certain exactly where he came from – that is part of the mystery. Because I don’t know, the reader doesn’t know either, although each reader might have their own theory, and that is part of the story.
Do you think of the story as taking place in the present, or some different time?
I think of it taking place in the present. It does have elements perhaps of fairy tales or an older romantic era, but I find those elements apparent in the modern world all the time. The present to me is a constant mingling of the past and the future and this story to me is set in a modern time despite its otherworldly aspects.
Why did you pick a wolf?
When the original idea about an imaginary friend popped into my mind and the instant I thought about writing a story about it I visualized a young woman with an imaginary wolf friend named Graywolf. A wolf to me has traits that I would like in an imaginary friend: mystery, a bit of wildness, a softness, a quiet confidence and wisdom. If the imaginary friend had been a rabbit it would have been a totally different story and that would be fun to write as well, to see what kind of person would have a rabbit as an imaginary friend and how that would turn out. I think my best stories aren’t always planned out – I don’t always know what will happen either, and as I write, the characters themselves help to determine how the story evolves.
I really like the setting of the story. Is it set in Maine?
The story isn’t technically set in a specific place, though I did use a lot of Portland, Maine in visualizing the scenes, so I guess you could say it is set in Portland. Portland is an interesting smallish city next to the ocean with lots of art and cafes, four seasons and old brick buildings that give it an aura of history and romance. You should all try to visit it someday.
Did you ever experience anything similar to the narrator's experience of an imaginary friend?
When I was a child I had a very powerful imagination and considered stories and toys as “real.” I don’t remember a specific imaginary friend, but I thought my dolls and toys were friends and they all had personalities. I have also always loved animals and have had many cat and dog friends who loved me unconditionally and vice versa. These too were like imaginary friends even though they were real.
What inspired the creation of Graywolf?
I think mainly the inspiration was my deep love for animals and how much I learn and receive from them. Although they don’t dress and speak and walk and talk like Graywolf, they communicate in other ways. I was thinking of the nature of an ideal friendship and how cool it would be to have an imaginary friend that you never outgrew, that stayed with you and remained real past childhood.
Why did those 3 particular people see Graywolf as well?
Sometimes it’s interesting to me how a few people can experience the same phenomena that other people may not be attuned to. I think these three people can see Graywolf because, like the narrator, they are able to connect to a different reality beyond the “ordinary, practical” one that operates the world. I think there is no one reality – we each create our own – and sometimes, if we are lucky, we meet other like-minded people who are open to different realms.
Thank you for reading my story!
Annie Seikonia September 26, 2010
