Solving Life’s Puzzles With Author Emma Stevens

In keeping with spring’s spirit of renewal, I interviewed author Emma Stevens whose book, The Gathering Place, I found to be poignant and courageous. In this memoir, Emma reveals the traumas she experienced from trying to be “a good adoptee.” She shares how she transcended this debilitating mindset; she details the bold measures she used to solve the mystery of her origins; and, how she put the pieces of her life back together. 

How would you describe the story you tell in The Gathering Place?

Fantastical in one sense but authentically relevant in another. Through my words and experiences, I invite the reader to be open to letting their own unconscious thoughts surface so they may discover, and hopefully uncover, new things about their own lives.

What was your route to publication? 

I decided to self-publish through Amazon. On September 29, 2021, The Gathering Place was made available in paperback and kindle. Followed by an Audible recording where I am the narrator of my story. It was made available on December 6, 2021. 

What prompted/inspired you to write this book?

I’ve been living my story for years and it was time to not only put it down on paper, but to find a way to tell it where the reader would hopefully be taken on their own journey of self-reflection. Many times in the past I’ve been able to put the facts of my story on paper, but the story lacked an interesting framework or structure in which to tell it. 

The idea of how to tell my story happened because of being asked by my counselor to visualize a safe place during our EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) sessions. About that same time, I had stumbled upon a photo that spoke to me. It showed a grassy hill and a big, old oak tree. Looking at this picture evoked in me a feeling of peacefulness and hopefulness. I called it “The Gathering Place.” 

The best part of the picture was that the tree had a simple rope and wood-seated swing attached to its branches. This picture not only became my preferred “safe” place during my EMDR therapy sessions, but it also became the cover of my book. The big, old oak tree represents stability, love, loyalty, courage, perseverance, and much more. The swing is symbolic for a magical portal. A portal leading to a space where it’s possible to suspend and question everything we think to be true. It also offers and encourages us to transform–if we are brave enough to be curious.

What can you share about some of the main themes of the book?

When I found the framework to use to tell my story, I began visualizing being under the big, old oak tree. In my mind’s eye I could see the different parts of myself showing up at different ages, having different names – but they all represented parts of myself. It was very therapeutic to write since it forced me to bring a welcomeness and awareness of each part. Bringing up unresolved trauma and grief from the past was painful, but it was also absolutely cathartic. 

I had fun writing the book. Symbolism is woven through the story in many ways. The most obvious one is that the big, old oak tree represents safety and security. “Placing the palm of my hand on the rough, thick bark, I felt the warmth of the sun still there. I breathed in deep and closed my eyes and imagined my feet being as firmly planted on the ground as the tree’s roots were reaching deep into the earth. I could feel how the trunk was the heart and soul of this tree. And in another way, the skin and bones. My heart felt an openness with a sense of belonging to this place that felt so familiar.” As an adoptee, this image also evokes in me a deep sense of longing for home. A safe place to land. And to be connected in a way that I was severed from since I lost my birth parents, and my lineage, at birth.

I’ll mention a fun symbolic reference in the book which is how I arrived at the pseudonym name of Emma Stevens. Emma is the first name of the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had the pleasure of practicing with. She not only teaches a solid class moving through traditional yoga poses, but she guides and invites her students to think introspectively about their lives both on and off the mat. The last name of Stevens was borrowed from my favorite character, Samantha Stevens, of the Bewitched television show from the 1960’s. And there you go. Emma Stevens.

Were there characters, scenes, or chapters that were difficult to write? 

One chapter gave me more pause than any other. It was the chapter where “The Guest of Honor” unexpectedly arrives. I wanted it to be impactful and believable. I meditated on it to see what would surface from my thoughts, emotions, and my heart. I also asked for help from my writing coach, and she gave me an idea that I used helping to make this guest seem more real. While I ask the reader to use their imaginations to get a picture in their minds of the encounter that takes place, I felt that Emma’s time with the guest of honor was engaging, rich, and powerful. One reason is that this guest is the only one Emma has no conscious memory of. The other guests she remembers since they’re her lived experience. But she gains “an ineffable gift” that she could get from no one other than her guest of honor. 

Writing this conversation was both emotional and healing. Putting the words onto paper helped it seem real in my soul. Had I never tried to put language to this original wound of mine, my primal wound, I may have never found both the beauty and the sorrow it represents. I’m very grateful for having written The Gathering Place.

More about the author:

As a U.S. domestic adoptee, Emma believes strongly in adoptees finding their voice and discovering their truth to have a solid sense of self and to reclaim their identities. The Gathering Place is Emma Stevens’ first book. She has an undergraduate degree in journalism and has completed master’s level course work in psychology, specializing in Marriage, Family, and Child counseling. She has two adult children and two cat children who she adores. 

Connect with Emma Stevens:

FB & Instagram: @emmastevensthegatheringplace

Twitter: @emmastevensTGP

TikTok: @emmastevenstgp

Email: emmastevens99@yahoo.com

Don’t miss a blog post!

Receive my blog posts directly to your inbox.

Available on Amazon!