It is my pleasure to host author and retired physician Dr. Mitch Maiman again on an interview session on my blog. His book The Rainbow Diary is available for purchase now.
How did your background in medicine influence the writing of “The Rainbow Diary,” particularly in portraying the journey of a character facing a terminal illness?
My background in medicine was invaluable in creating this novel. First, it was vitally important to accurately portray the trials and tribulations of the cancer patient, as well as the limitations and nuances of our medical system. Secondly, both the emotional and physiologic traumas of the dying process are rarely poignantly described in detail, and it was very important for me to provide the reader with a plausible believable interpretation. But most of all, spending my career in conversation with my own cancer patients gave me insight into their thoughts and feelings, even when they knew that the end was near.
“The Rainbow Diary” explores themes of love, loss, and redemption. Did any personal experiences or inspirations guide you in crafting Kenneth Talbot’s story?
For sure. The book is dedicated to a close friend of mine who died prematurely from untreatable cancer, and I found myself overwhelmed with grief and the need to write a story to potentially provide his family, as well as others, with some solace and peace. As I imagined myself as the protagonist in the narrative, common themes in my own life, and undoubtedly in others, came to the surface, and became a springboard for a touching work of fiction.
How was writing “The Rainbow Diary” different from writing your debut novel “Every Third Night”?
The protagonist in “Every Third Night,” was a resident in an Ob-Gyn training program in the 1980’s. So it was basically me, right in my wheelhouse. I didn’t have to reach too far, nor do an abundance of research. In “The Rainbow Diary,” the lead character was dying, and then entered the afterlife, a place that I had never been. I needed to push the envelope, and assume that role like an actor in a theatre production. It wasn’t easy, and at times it was very painful.
As both a physician and an author, how do you balance the emotional authenticity of storytelling with the medical accuracy required when depicting illness and end-of-life experiences?
The two are not mutually exclusive. Emotional authenticity is the most important concept. For fiction to be worthwhile and original, it must be honest. And to be honest, it must be semi-autobiographical. Medical accuracy helps to ensure the former, as any significant deviations from the realities of health care will distort the message. I feel fortunate to be in the unique position to help provide that balance for the reader, and take the responsibility of the resulting product very seriously.
The title, “The Rainbow Diary,” suggests a journey through various emotions and experiences. How did you choose this title, and what significance does it hold in the context of the book?
The novel alternates between past and present, and in one of the retrospective scenes the protagonist, as a boy, has a unique experience with a rainbow. I wanted to create an optimistic, majestic, and hopeful aura, and universally adored symbol, for the dying process and the hereafter, and could think of no better representation.
Were there any personal experiences or real-life inspirations that influenced the creation of the story or its characters?
Absolutely. Any story and its characters are generated in the brain of the author, and every scenario is thus related to something he/she encountered or at least imagined in the course of their own life. A few years back, I had a bad break with my own health and when no one could really help me with my symptoms or disease process, I believed that I was going to die. That is a strong inspiration. Luckily, I’m still here. Enough said.
Can you share an extract from your novel?
“Everything that happened after that moment remains merely a nondescript jumble, disguised in a clandestine fog, buried beneath the undiscoverable depths of my fragile psyche.”
What do you like to do in your free time?
First and foremost, spend as much time with my family as possible, which includes my lovely wife Judy, my two adult children and their significant others, and my two blessed grandchildren. I am an avid tennis player as well as a coach, and a devoted practitioner of yoga.
Are there any new projects underway?
Remarkably, yes. I have already started on my third novel, which will be the most challenging of all. In an effort to push my creative juices to the limit, the protagonist in this story is a young woman. It will undoubtedly be difficult for me to become that person, but I have some ideas about how to accomplish that, and am determined to make it work. Stay tun…
Dr. Mitch Maiman is a retired physician with a distinguished academic, clinical and research career, He has been recognized for his numerous contributions in his field and his devotion and commitment to the teaching of residents and fellows. In “The Rainbow Diary,” he explores profound themes and delicate content, and blends his medical expertise with creative storytelling, offering a unique perspective on the journey of dying and the hereafter.
Mitch lives in Long Island, New York, and is an avid tennis player and practitioner of yoga. He first demonstrated his literary prowess in his eye-opening novel, “Every Third Night,” delving into the harsh realities of medical training in a dehumanizing, urban setting.
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