There are two special guests in the spotlight today, co-authors Marlena Fiol & Ed O’Connor to chat about their new narrative non-fiction, Called.
Bios:
Marlena Fiol, PhD and Ed O’Connor, PhD are globally recognized authors, scholars, and speakers. They are spiritual seekers whose writing explores the depths of who we are and what’s possible in our lives. They have devoted themselves to supporting others in identifying and removing the barriers to realizing their dreams. They consider every blog, essay, video, book or workshop an opportunity to share their insights with others, as well as learn more about their own transformational journey.
Marlena is the author of the memoir Nothing Bad Between Us: A Mennonite Missionary’s Daughter Finds Healing in Her Brokenness and, together with Ed O’Connor, the true saga CALLED.
Welcome, Marlena, welcome, Ed. Please tell us about your current release.
A handsome physician. A devout Mennonite nurse. And an Argentinian activist. Welcome to CALLED…
Set against the backdrop of World War II, Nazi uprisings, political unrest in Argentina and Paraguay, and the scourge of leprosy left untreated, Dr. John and Clara Schmidt are called to a life of service in their fight against poverty, stigma, and social injustice.
But at what cost?
Based on true events that span six decades, CALLED is an uplifting and inspirational story of courageous adventure and heroism that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit persevering in the face of fear and rebellious subversion.
CALLED is an expansive saga that brings to life the extraordinary contributions of two medical pioneers in the wilds of Paraguay. In their fierce determination to save floundering communities, and to battle the stigma and shame of leprosy, John and Clara faced intractable opposition from many fronts: a medical community that rejected their unorthodox and revolutionary practices, governments that threatened imprisonment, and neighboring villagers who vowed to kill them.
What inspired you to write this book?
We set out to honor two remarkable medical pioneers, and to publicize their many contributions in the wilds of Paraguay, South America. Much has been written about John and Clara Schmidt in specialized medical and Mennonite outlets, and our purpose was to bring their well documented story to the general public. We’ve also been able to add depth and nuance to what has been written about them, by delving into their inner journey, which we drew from their extensive personal writing in diaries, letters, and memoirs.
Excerpt from Called:
On October 30, Clara’s 29th birthday, they began the boat journey up the Paraguay River. Swarms of huge mosquitos were thick on their faces, arms, legs, and ankles. Clara wore a pair of John’s pajamas under her slacks and stuffed a newspaper between her two pairs of socks, but the mosquitos still found their way up her legs. They continued by narrow gauge railway to Km. 145, and then by oxcart through the Menno colony, finally arriving in Filadelfia on November 9.
With some trepidation, Clara stepped into the broken-down shack, the Dokta Haus, which was to be their first home. She took in the mud floor, the two single beds made from roughly hewn lumber with straw-filled sacks for mattresses, a wardrobe, and a small table with two chairs. Against the wall hung a can with a nail in the bottom, which when pushed up, released water into a washbasin underneath. Even on her father’s humble farm in Kansas, she had never seen anything this primitive.
“My back hurts.” Clara wiped perspiration from her forehead. “I need to lie down.”
“We can’t,” John said gruffly, pointing to the open doorway. “Don’t you see that there’s work to do?”
She walked to the door and looked out. They’d just arrived, and already the horse-drawn wagons were lining up with patients coming to see the doctor. Since Schwester Maria left when John did, the hospital had shut down, and the colony had been without medical care for the entire nine months John was gone.
“John, we’ve just traveled by train and plane, then by boat, then by train again and then by buggy. I don’t even know what month it is. I stink. I’m exhausted. My back aches. And I feel nauseous. I need to lie down.” She dropped heavily onto the bed and felt the coarse straw poking up out of the sacks.
“I have no other nurse,” he said, pulling her up off the bed. “Moak die wajch!”
What exciting story are you working on next?
The running title of our next book is Healing the Wound – One Layer at a Time.
Dr. John Schmidt was a celebrated hero whose many contributions included revolutionizing how leprosy is treated on the planet today. He was also an archetypal tragic hero who failed to acknowledge the fear and insecurity that drove much of what he accomplished. Our last book, CALLED, is the true story of Dr. Schmidt’s heroism, with traces of his inner turmoil. Our next book, Healing the Wound, peels back the layers of that inner struggle.
In Healing the Wound, Dr. Schmidt reflects back on his life, recounting gripping tales of adventure and discovery. In the process, he gradually exposes his inner wounds to himself and to the reader. Each of the four parts of the book ends with a brief inspirational commentary by a spiritual psychologist, revealing the pervasiveness of struggles similar to Dr. John’s in our world today.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
We cannot remember a time when we were not writers!
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday look like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
We are full-time authors, which entails so much more than writing in today’s publishing world. For example, we have a YouTube channel, Becoming Who We Truly Are, and we are active on numerous social media platforms.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
We have published essays, articles, and books as co-authors and we have been married to each other for decades. Our process is highly collaborative, which invariably involves noisy arguments until we are both pleased with the outcome of any given writing project.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Marlena: A doctor who saves the world, like my father Dr. John Schmidt, the protagonist of our last two books.
Ed: Something other than being in the electrical contracting business with my father.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you for the lovely questions. It’s good to be here, Lisa!
Links:
Website | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Marlene on Medium
Thanks for being here today!