By Jessica Johnson
In 1972, Dena Taylor was living in London working as a community organizer when she gave birth to her first daughter, Becky. Born two months premature, Becky weighed just two pounds ten ounces, and spent the first two months of her life in the neonatal unit. When she was 14 months old, Becky was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Becky will be 44 this year and is a graduate of Cabrillo College and UCSC. Her mom, Dena, is a retired social worker and educator. Together, Becky and Dena have written a memoir, Tell Me the Number before Infinity, which will be published in March. Their book tells Becky’s story as one of the first disabled children mainstreamed into California’s public schools. Told from both of their perspectives, the book is built upon the foundation of poems, journal entries, and other snippets they each saved over the years.
I met Dena and Becky at a local coffee shop where we discussed their thoughts on creativity, the process of writing a book together, as well as Dena’s life as the author or editor of six books on women’s issues and poetry.
What was your writing process for the book?
Dena: Even though it is a book by two people we definitely worked individually. We would email each other the things we had written to see what the other one thought, but we each had the final say as to what we wanted to say…Becky has her things to say and I have my things to say and sometimes they don’t agree. The book is definitely [both] from her perspective and my perspective.
How has living here influenced your creativity?
Dena: Well, it’s a very creative place, and where I got hooked up with other writers, and joined a writing group.
Why is creativity important to you?
Dena: Because it’s a wonderful way to express how you feel…it’s the lifeblood of humanity.
Becky: I think it’s a way of processing what’s happening in my life and I also think it’s a way to connect with other people by seeing their creativity and understanding the humanity in everyone.
Are there other creatives in your family?
Dena: My father was a photographer and he also built the house I live in now. My mother was a modern dancer, and Becky’s sister studied acting.
Do you have a muse?
Dena: We serve as a muse for each other.
When did you first discover/call yourself an artist?
Dena: I don’t know if I do now! I mean, I call myself a writer. I have a lot of friends who are visual artists and I’ll say I’m not an artist like they are, and they say, “Yes you are, you’re a writer.”
How do ideas come to you? Do they come in a flash or do they percolate?
Dena: Sometimes it will be late at night when ideas come to me, or when I’m driving. I think it’s more of a flash, but the flash is based on things that have been percolating.
Becky: I am a percolator person. A lot of my writing is deadline driven.
What never fails to inspire you?
Dena: Working on this book it was Becky’s amazing spirit. You know I just read through it the other day and was crying, I mean you’d think I know how it turns out. (laughs)
Becky: Sometimes when we were writing we were crying.
Dena: But you should know that a lot of it is funny, there’s a lot of humor in it.
Becky: Its dry humor, but it’s there.
Best advice you were ever given about being an artist/maker/creative/writer?
Dena: Make it simple and be honest.
What is the biggest myth about creativity?
Becky: I think it’s that certain people are creative and others aren’t.
Dena: I agree. I think everybody is creative.
What do you say when people say they aren’t creative?
Becky: I’d say maybe you just haven’t found your creative outlet yet. I think that creativity can manifest itself in all sorts of ways.
How you do define living a creative life?
Dena: Finding a way to express yourself in a way that’s ultimately enjoyable.
Becky: Being aware of your creativity and doing it, but also, for me, it’s a way to connect with others.
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Becky and Dena Taylor will be reading from their new memoir on March 21, 2016 at 7pm at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Tell Me the Number before Infinity is available at www.TellMeTheNumberBeforeInfinity.com and other online bookstores.
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Raised in Aptos, Jessica Johnson is a poet, author and blogger dedicated to helping others live brave, creative lives. Read more about her creative journey at www.vinegarandvanilla.com.
Email your questions, comments and creative suggestions to her at [email protected]
Photo: Dena and Becky Taylor