Family, Mental Health, and Inspiration: Cathelina Duvert on "The Box" -126

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Kathleen Basi [: 00:00:03

Welcome to Author Express. Thanks for checking us out. This is the podcast where you give us 15 minutes of your time and we give you a chance to hear the voice behind the pages and get to know some of your favorite writers in a new light. I'm one of your hosts, Kathleen Basi. I'm an award winning musical composer, feature writer, essayist, and of course, storyteller. Let me tell you a little about today's guest.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:00:33

CathelinaDuvert's debut novel, "The Box" showcases her talent for weaving complex narratives and has been honored by Black Writers Workspace, receiving an honorable mention in their 2024 Chapter 1 writing competition. When not crafting stories or sharing her journey, Cathelinadedicates her time to shaping young minds as a 7th and 9th grade ELA teacher in New York City. Welcome to Author Express.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:00:59

Oh, thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:01:01

Yeah, we're so thrilled to have you. I am. Hats 100% off. 7th and 9th grade ELA teacher. That's an age group.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:01:09

It's a challenge.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:01:10

So tell us a little bit. What's the most interesting thing about where you come from?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:01:15

I was raised in Hollis, Queens, and Hollis, Queens is I was raised in Hollis, queens around the 90s, where rap and hip hop was just emerging and it was thriving in that area. And from that area came LL Cool J, who, and Run dmc, who I've seen several times. And it was always so exciting to see them. And out of the hip hop culture came, you know, things like break dancing, you know, music on, on boom boxes, and, and it was just all such a very special time. I remember feeling like I wanted to be a part of the rap scene where people were rapping, you know, challenging each other on the stoops and stuff. Like, I, I, I could never rap or anything, but, but it was just, it was just an exciting time.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:01:57

I write texts for songs and it is not an easy thing to do. And it is quite something when I see people do something like that where they can just off the cuff, come up with things. That is not, not an easy thing to do.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:02:11

I agree.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:02:12

Yeah, yeah. You and I work in a little different space with words, I think.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:02:16

Yeah.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:02:17

So just out of curiosity, how much overlap do you find between your work as a writer and your work as an ELA teacher?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:02:24

There's not that much overlap because I feel like the curriculum that I teach is so structured. It does give room for creativity, and I often, you know, try to inspire some creativity within my students, but they're not all open to it. Because they're so reserved and shy still. And so I decided to create a creative writing club at my school.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:02:46

Oh, good for you.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:02:47

Yeah, thank you. And I applied for a grant where we could self publish our own book. And so that's what we're doing this year. So I'm just bringing all the things into it. I'm just so excited about that.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:02:58

Well, creative writing is a totally different thing. I. My youngest is a seventh grader right now, so right in that time frame. And my. I remember my older kids just hate writing. They just hate it. And I'm like, both of your parents are writers. How can you hate this? But then they're always being really structured in what they're asked to write.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:03:14

So having a creative writing class is just a completely different kind of thing. Or a creative writing club, so.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:03:20

Exactly, exactly. So I'm just so excited about it.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:03:23

So I'm curious, is there a quote or a mantra that resonates deeply with you?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:03:28

Oh, that's a good one. There is a quote that I say to make me feel good when I'm. I'm stressing. When I have anxiety about something and I say, the Lord is with me. The Lord is by my side. And I just keep repeating and keep repeating it, and it just makes me feel so good.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:03:43

Oh, that's a good one. That's a good one for all times and places, but probably this one in particular. Do you have time for hobbies or interests outside of being middle school teacher and a wr.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:03:55

You know, the thing is, I kind of don't. But let me be clear. I feel like everyone can make time for their hobbies if it really means that much to them. With that said, like lesson planning, grading, all of it is just take. It's just so time consuming and I haven't yet mastered. Mind you, I've been teaching for about what, 15 years, and I have not yet mastered how to really balance my time during the school year. I find like between my writing, my own creative writing, and school, the only thing that's left for me to do is sit down and relax in front of the TV on a Friday night.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:04:33

Sometimes you just have to. You just really need that time to decompress and not be being productive every minute of life. That's. That's important. That's definitely important.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:04:42

I agree.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:04:43

So tell us, because I want to ask a little bit more about writing, but let's talk about what your book is first. Can you tell us about your book in one sentence?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:04:50

I had to write this down so that I can get it in just one sentence. So I have. The box is about a young woman who suffers with depression and her emotional journey of healing by learning about herself through understanding the motives of her late mother, with whom she had a complicated relationship.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:05:10

So mental health and mothers and daughters. And as I recall from reading the, from the description, there's a painting involved. You've drawn in a lot of things into this book. It sounds very rich and complex and nuanced.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:05:23

I had such a good time with it. So my, my main character meets a painter whose works really, really resonate with her. And in making sure that the reader knows what these paintings look like, I describe them with a lot of detail. And I was on the phone with my sister one evening and I was like, oh, it would be so cool if we, you know, created these paintings. And she's like, let's do it. And so I went over her place and, and she took a number of pictures of me and recreating these images that I came up with from my head.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:05:57

Oh, how cool.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:05:58

Yeah. And she loves playing with different apps and stuff like that. So she made them all look like actual paintings. And so I created a photo book that I also sell with my novel. And it was just so much fun to create.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:06:12

Oh, gosh, that, that sounds like a hobby, I gotta tell you.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:06:16

That's true. You're right. You're right. And oh, and from it is the COVID of my novel. So I'm actually on the COVID of my novel. My sister's the one who took that image and she manipulated it so that it could look like a painting. I, we just had so much fun with that.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:06:29

That sounds really, really fun. I, I, I agree with you. There, Is there something about. Mental health is a, is a topic that's close to my heart. Is there a topic in mental health or, or any really topic from, in your book that, that you really hope readers will take away and that you'll be able to discuss with your readers?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:06:47

I suffer with depression, which is what had inspired me to. So the message in that. And when I was, this was about like maybe 15 years ago or so that I started it. And when I was dealing with depression and I didn't quite understand it, you know, many people were telling me, you know, why are you always so sad? Why are you so upset? You know, get over it. And when I first started writing this book, it was a message to say, depression is not something that you can just get over. It's something that you, that you really have to work through. Something that. That you have to seek help for.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:07:19

And so I. That was the message, basically, in my novel. And believe it or not, so many people have sent me messages on messenger and even my Instagram telling me, oh, my gosh, this book is giving me life. Or, this resonates with me so much. And. And so many people have told me how much the book meant to them, which I'm like, score. Because that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to reach out to people.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:07:45

I managed to do it. So, I'm sorry. So pleased with that.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:07:48

Yeah, absolutely. You want to make a difference in the world.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:07:50

Yeah.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:07:51

That's wonderful. There's nothing quite like having a reader say, you touched me and you made a difference in my life. So that's. That's gotta feel good.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:07:58

It does. The first time that somebody wrote that to me, I felt like crying. I felt like crying. I. You know, it just meant so much.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:08:06

Beautiful. So how does the pacing of your book reflect the emotional journey of your character?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:08:11

Oh, that's such a great question. So it's not quick, right? It does take some time because what I had my main character do, she meets this painter who, incidentally, her mother had gifted a painting to her at the beginning, before her mother passed away. And so it's like a journey through her understanding what these paintings meant, and then her getting in touch with her father and her sister and really healing that relationship and her going through her friendship and meeting the painter, developing a relationship with him. So it's sort of like a slow burn, and it. And it continues throughout. And I hope that many people find that it continues in a rather moderate pace where it just makes sense that the way that it's flowing. And I don't want it to be too quickly, and I want it to be that she really does understand what. How she is healing through this process.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:09:06

Well. And I would think that that reflects the reality of dealing with mental health. It's not something that just turns around on a dime. It's something that you have to really wrestle with. And that becomes like. It feels authentic to me that that would be how the pace of your.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:09:24

Novel, I really tried to make it seem natural, the way that it occurs.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:09:29

So let's talk a little bit about writing beyond this book in particular. You have started a creative writing club in your school. You teach ELA. What role does storytelling play in your life outside of your professional work?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:09:44

Oh, wow. That's such a good question. So I feel like, you know, incidentally, I feel like it's so important that Everybody has a story to tell that everybody is able to share their stories. Right. And even outside of my profession and outside of my creative writing, my cousin has created a storytelling week where we get together with our cousins and we share stories about our parents and about growing up. And I feel like it was such a beautiful thing that we share together as a family. And then certain things come up, like, oh, I remember when that happened. I didn't realize that that was the reason behind it, you know? So I feel like all around us, when we come together as a family, I think it's so important that we share stories of what occurred of our parents and everything so that we can get a better picture, and it helps us appreciate our families a lot more.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:10:36

That's really cool that you've got that experience in your family. So that's great. So as we get ready to wrap things up here, tell me, what's the best place where people can find more about you and your book?

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:10:48

Oh, currently it's on Instagram, and it is just my name, Cathelina Duvert. That's my handle. And that's where I post a number of things about my novel and about other things that I'm doing.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:11:00

Part of the reason I asked that question about storytelling is because I know you do some very personal kinds of reels that you put on there about your own stories and your own struggle with mental health and the things that you're learning as you go, and they're great. So Instagram. cathelinaduvert. Okay, so tell us what book or story inspires you the most.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:11:20

Matt Haig's Reasons to Stay Alive. I think first read the Midnight Library. I think it was by Matt Haig. And I fell in love with that book. And upon trying to find more works by him, I found his own book called "Reasons to Stay Alive". And it was his struggle with depression and anxiety. And I tell you, I have never, ever felt so seen when I read that book and his words and gave me words for what I was going through. And I just.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:11:54

Absolutely. I read it three times. I loved it so much.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:11:58

Wow, That's a fantastic resource. I love that. I'll have to look that up. All right, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today. Everybody, go check out Catalina's book.

Cathelina Duvert [: 00:12:07

I love this. Thank you so much.

Kathleen Basi [: 00:12:11

Thanks for joining us today. Reviews help other people to find us, so please take a minute to give us a rating and leave a few words. We'll be here again next Wednesday. In the meantime, follow us on Instagram at Author Express podcast to see who's coming up next. Don't forget, keep it Express, but keep it interesting.