Bookpleasures.com is delighted to welcome as our guest Catherine Butterfield, a versatile writer who began her career on stage before making her mark as a playwright, television writer, and now novelist. 

Catherine was born in Manhattan and raised in Minnesota and Massachusetts. She spent her childhood with her nose in books by J.D. Salinger and Jane Austen and was devastated by the diary of Anne Frank—early influences that perhaps sparked her talent for capturing authentic human relationships. 

She has written award-winning plays performed internationally, created content for popular TV shows like Ghost Whisperer and Grimm, and during the pandemic collaborated with her husband Ron West on nearly 70 short films called Life During Lockdown.

Now living in Santa Monica (and mother to actress Audrey Corsa), she brings all her life experiences to bear in her upcoming novel Manhattan Triptych, which follows three women whose friendship endures through decades of personal and historical upheavals in New York City. 

Norm: Good day Catherine and thanks for taking part in our interview.

Catherine: My pleasure!

Norm: You began your career as an actress, then became a playwright, then a TV writer/producer, and now a novelist. How has each phase of your creative journey prepared you specifically for writing Manhattan Triptych? 

In what ways does writing fiction allow you to explore territory that theater or television wouldn't?

Catherine: Having been an actress in about seventy plays in regional theatre, I developed a sense of how an effective story plays out -  the initiating action, the repercussions, the further complications and finally how to resolve in a satisfying way. I was always keenly aware when in a play that wasn't accomplishing that task, but I was fortunate to be able to do quite a few of the masters - Shakespeare, Moliere, Chekhov, Ibsen, Shaw, Albee. 

Their innate genius for storytelling was inspirational. I took that knowledge with me when I started writing plays myself, and adapted the skill when writing for television, which is a different animal in some ways. 

This latest chapter of my life, where I have tried my hand at novel writing, feels like a natural extension of all that has gone before. The thing I most enjoy about the novel, which you can't explore as acutely with theatre and TV, is the inner psychology of the characters. 

Norm: Why did you choose "Manhattan Triptych" as your title? Beyond simply referring to three women, what does the "triptych" concept bring to the novel's structure or themes?

Did the title come to you early in the writing process, or did it emerge only after you had a clearer sense of the story's shape?

Catherine: My working title for the novel was "Searching for Orla," which I knew I would never use because there are so many "Searching for" books and because I am weary of titles that consist of "Gerund-Noun." 

Manhattan is where the bulk of the story takes place, although the girls travel to Italy and two of them finally move to different parts of the country. 

The "triptych" idea came to me late, when I was contemplating how the book cover should look. 

Initially, I was drawn to the idea of the women in a three panel triptych, but then I realized that one of them would have to be in the larger middle panel, suggesting she was the most important character, so I jettisoned it. I kept the triptych idea for a sequence in Italy, when one of the characters remarks how similar the girls are to a Botticelli painting. It turned out not to be a triptych, however. 

Maybe I just like the word -- triptych! (Trip-tick) It's fun to say.  

Norm: You've mentioned that your first novel The Serpent and the Rose was inspired by your time at an artist's retreat in France. 

What inspired you to shift from historical fiction about 16th century French royalty to a contemporary story about three actresses' friendship?

Was there something about your own early career as an actress in regional theaters (Seattle Rep, Pittsburgh Public, etc.) that particularly informed the summer stock setting of Manhattan Triptych?

Catherine: When I went to Nérac, France, I felt that I was absolutely possessed by the story of this woman I had never heard of but discovered there, about whom Shakespeare had written Love's Labours Lost -- Who knew? 

Being somewhat steeped in classical literature and theatre, it felt natural to project myself back in time to write that story. But I never thought, "I'm a historical fiction writer now," because I was aware that lightning might strike somewhere entirely different in the future - which it did. 

And yes, my work in regional theatre informed a great portion of the early part of Manhattan Triptych.  Most of the New York theatre stories were either experienced by me or someone I knew. 

Norm: Your novel employs a non-linear narrative that "travels back and forth in time much the way memory does." 

As someone who has written both plays (which often follow more linear structures) and novels, what challenges did this fragmented, memory-driven structure present?

Have you found your playwriting background to be an asset or a limitation when constructing these complex temporal shifts in your fiction?

Catherine: I'm not sure how to answer this one, because for the most part I just followed the story where it seemed to want to take me, without an outline, knowing that I might have to time travel a bit. 

I had, however, just had the experience of a close friend disappearing in New York, had gone there to look for her, and was shocked to find what had happened. (NO SPOILER ALERT.) 

Having that search as the backbone for the story made the flashbacks and zig-zagging in time much easier to execute.

Norm: The three protagonists meet in a summer stock production of Fiddler on the Roof. What made you choose this particular musical as the origin point for their friendship? 

Given your extensive theater background, did you find yourself drawing on specific summer stock experiences from your own early acting career when writing these scenes?

Catherine: One of my first professional jobs was playing one of the daughters in Fiddler on the Roof in summer stock. As in the book, almost all the actors in the cast were gay, which is possibly why the three "sisters" spent so much time together instead of having a "show-mance." 

It was my first out-of-town gig, which was also memorable. I felt like quite the grownup I only worked in summer stock once, the rest was regional and New York theatre. Maybe that's why that one show was so memorable for me. But yes, I drew heavily on my own experiences in regional theatre. 

Norm: You were born in Manhattan but raised elsewhere, and now live in Santa Monica. How did your own relationship with Manhattan inform the city's portrayal as both a physical and emotional landscape in the novel? 

The novel describes Manhattan as having "memories both euphoric and painful" for the characters. What are your own most significant Manhattan memories that may have influenced this dual perspective?

Catherine: Manhattan is the most exhilarating and depressing city in the world, depending on your life circumstances. When I was young and poor and the city was being labelled "the Calcutta of the west," there was a lot of crime and very visible poverty. 

Bad things happened, but also the most wonderfully hopeful things. When you're young and actively engaged in seeking a career, you tend not to notice the needles on the park bench when you just learned you booked a commercial, for instance. 

 But as one gets older, money becomes much more important to your well-being. The five story walk-up that caused you no worries in your twenties might seem like too steep a climb in your late thirties. 

I was the victim of crime, the details of which I'd rather not go into. I also was fortunate to have a play of mine get rave reviews in the New York Times and launch my writing career.

I fell in and out of love, went to marvellous parties, witnessed shocking scenes on the street, saw brilliant theatre -- it's all a crazy mix. 

Norm; Manhattan Triptych weaves the characters' personal journeys against major historical events including the AIDS crisis, savings and loan debacle, 9/11, and California wildfires. 

How did you approach balancing these large historical moments with the intimate stories of your three protagonists? 

Which of these historical events was most challenging to integrate authentically into the women's personal narratives, and why?

Catherine: Having just narrowly escaped the recent Los Angeles wildfires when so many of my friends lost everything, that part of the book was the easiest to write. 

The next easiest was the AIDS crisis, because I lost many very close friends back when there was no cure or even treatment for it - it was horrible. 

The savings and loan crisis is a backdrop for the financial affairs of one of my characters, but I tread on it lightly because really it's pretty dull stuff if you're not an economist. 

9/11 is the most difficult to write about, because I wasn't there and actually felt guilty about the fact that I wasn't participating in the emotional aftermath of that seismic event with my friends. 

As such, I have one of my characters imagining it much the way I have over the years. I simply can't imagine. 

Norm: After four decades of friendship, one of the women "unexpectedly drops out of sight." Was there a particular moment in writing that you realized this disappearance would become the novel's central mystery? 

How did you decide which character would be the one to disappear, and what does that choice reveal about your understanding of friendship dynamics?

Catherine: I knew from the beginning which one it would be because, as I said, it had just happened in my life. Her disappearance was the inspiration for the novel, and I created the character of Orla as a kind of tribute to my friend, changing many details of her life and character but trying to keep her core sweetness always at the forefront. 

Norm: During the pandemic, you and your husband created over 60 short films for Life During Lockdown. Did this intense creative period influence your approach to writing Manhattan Triptych,particularly its exploration of isolation and connection?

 How does your process differ when writing a novel versus writing short films or plays? Do you find yourself borrowing techniques from one form to enhance another?

Catherine: At one point during the pandemic I realized that, without a creative outlet, I would experience (was experiencing) serious psychological damage. 

Initially I shot little clips of my husband and I grappling with something like wearing masks or irradiating our groceries (can you believe some of us did that?) 

Then the films got longer and longer, I got a bit whimsical and discovered iMovie and the joys of editing. After a while, I was asking actor friends to come over and do a little scene with me out the window or in the alley. 

Nobody had anything to do, so even well known actors agreed to join me. When I ran out of ideas for them, I pulled out my old marionettes and started filming them, and more famous friends provided the voices. 

I got deeply involved in those marionette stories. It's a good thing the pandemic came to an end, because I was getting a little weird.

Norm: With ten produced and published plays to your credit, how did your experience writing dialogue for the stage influence your approach to crafting authentic conversations between your three protagonists?

Are there particular theatrical techniques you deliberately avoided when writing this novel to ensure it remained firmly in the realm of fiction rather than feeling play-like?

Catherine: I tried to keep the dialogue to narrative ratio balanced, but I do enjoy writing dialogue and since it's a strong suit it's in there fairly heavily. 

I remember a friend reading an early draft of The Serpent and the Rose and commenting, "I miss your great dialogue," so I rewrote it with that in mind. 

The great gift about a novel, however, is that you can have them say one thing and then write a whole page on what they were really thinking. 

That's what sets a novel apart. That's why it's so often difficult to adapt a novel for another medium like film or TV.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Manhattan Triptych?

Catherine: I have a WEBSITE 

You can also check out my YouTube channel. It's called "Life as We Know It" 

 I also have a Substack called "Life in Dangerous Times." 

Norm: As we end our interview, what do you hope readers will take away about the nature of enduring friendship after reading Manhattan Triptych—especially in our current cultural moment where many traditional social bonds seem to be fraying? 

If you could have one specific conversation with readers after they finish your novel, what would you most want to discuss with them about the story and its themes?

Catherine: I'd like to know how, if they have any lifelong friendships, they have managed to sustain them. 

I'd like to hear about the ones they tried to sustain and failed. Politics is only a small part of this book, but I'd like to discuss how one salvages a friendship that has been lost to politics. 

And if they were ever betrayed by a friend, I'd like to hear if and how they managed to come to a point of forgiveness. Because yes, betrayal is one of the elements of this book. 

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors