As my new novel is now making its way into the world, the literary journal Midwestern Gothic recently published an interview with me about the writing process and some of my thoughts about the book. Some of the topics we covered included the nature of nostalgia, how to write about trauma, race, the #MeToo movement, and faith. One interesting point that we discussed was the idea of sympathy, particularly for characters that at first may not seem so worthy of it. It’s interesting how often writers will talk about this point. Author Breena Clarke describes the tactic of “radical empathy,” while George Saunders says revision means “asking myself what could I know about these characters that would enable me to love them more.” I think that spirit is not only useful for writers but for all of us these days, particularly in our online lives. The next time you feel the urge to call out someone online, maybe try Clarke’s tactic and ask Saunders’s question. What could I know about someone that would enable me to love that person more?