CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS!

To complete Marcella’s Wake, my second novel, I need to research multiple settings, time periods, professions, and identities. Marcella’s Wake, based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” is a multi-generational novel about Marcie Dunbar’s journey to unlock the mystery of her great grandmother, Marcella, after she discovers that her grandmother, a marine naturalist working in Provincetown, was institutionalized for having a secret female-lover. Though they lived almost a century apart, Marcie finds striking similarities between herself and Marcella, causing her to question the direction of her future.

As a historical fiction writer, the more I learn, the more compelling the story will be. From 2021-2022, I will be researching mermaid folklore; the settings of coastal California and coastal Massachusetts; whales, seals, and other sea creatures; octopus camouflaging; the treatment of LGBTQ peoples from 1900-2000s; art colonies in Provincetown; the institutionalization of women in the U.S.; and the history of Provincetown and Nantucket Island. Additionally, I will be shadowing marine naturalists and marine biologists on both coasts. To accomplish this, I will be traveling to San Diego, CA, on July 27th-28th, and Provincetown/Woods Hole, MA, from August 11th – August 16^th.

To prepare for my trips, I am searching for people who might be interested in being interviewed, either when I am in town, or on Zoom. If you have knowledge in any of these areas, please reach out to me on my contacts page here: https://trishacowen.com/contact/

I am particularly interested in interviewing a specialist in mermaid folklore, and lesbian-identified women aged fifty and above. As a lesbian in my 30s, I would like to learn what it is/was like for women from previous generations. I am also interested in interviewing marine biologists or marine naturalists at any stage of their career.