I’m Booked: Alice Elliott Dark
Written by Ally Abruscato, Graphic by Anna Porter
“Fellowship Point” by Alice Elliott Dark was my favorite book of 2022 for its beautiful portrayal of female friendship, intricately detailed sense of place and overall gorgeous storytelling. I had an absolute blast speaking with Dark about one of my favorite books of all time and her journey as a writer.
One of my favorite things about “Fellowship Point” was the setting. Considering that the book is named after the fictional location in Maine, it’s clear that it was important from the beginning. Dark admitted that “Setting to me is the big draw in writing.” She loves writing about places that mean something and found it quite fun to write about such a meaningful, made-up place. Setting creates an “Opportunity for an author to have another character that is not human.” The other characters in “Fellowship Point” came to Dark randomly. After staring out a window for five hours, one character popped into Dark’s head. From there, each of the characters came out of each other. Dark always had a strong desire to develop an imagination, and now it truly helps her process. Dark noticed that “Imagination does so much work for you if you can tap into it.”
One of the most powerful tools a writer can have is an imagination. Dark suggests that everyone in a creative slump notices what they think about when they are bored in class. Those thoughts and ideas can be the spark for countless creative endeavors. Similarly, it is important to pay attention to the thoughts that might seem like throwaway thoughts. Hidden in there might be the idea for a book. To Dark, “Writing is waiting. That’s the whole of it. If you sit in your chair and do not do anything else for long enough, the answer will come. You do have to be in your chair, though, ready to write it down.”
Although Dark relies heavily on her imagination, she does find herself taking some inspiration from her own life. Asked to describe it in three words, Dark said that “Fellowship Point” is about “cool old ladies.” To add a bit more context, the book describes two longtime female friends as they figure out what to do with the land they own as they grow older. The hardest part of writing this story was “Figuring out the plot.” Dark had the characters fleshed out early on and was writing pages and pages before she even knew what the plot would entail. After visiting a friend and finding out about the land donated to the University of California by women, Dark started doing more research into female land ownership. She found that a lot of National Parks had been donated by women donors. Until recently, women weren’t allowed much say in what could happen with land. After becoming fascinated by this idea, Dark wanted to explore it further in “Fellowship Point.” The female friendship portion came in part from Dark’s own life as well. Since she attended an all-girls school for many years, Dark grew up around women. She found that she had school friends that she felt so intimately connected with even after they spent years apart. It is a beautiful thing when there is no need to tell a friend stories from childhood because they were there for it and remember the same details.
To any who have yet to read “Fellowship Point,” I highly recommend picking it up as soon as possible. Dark is currently working on a sequel to her previous book, “In the Gloaming.” I am so thankful for the opportunity to speak with Dark and cannot wait to see all of the great work she continues to produce.
I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
