Chasing a Childhood Dream
By Shannon Donnelly
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaleigh Garaffa set out to accomplish a goal, one that would fulfill a forgotten childhood dream: she wrote, edited, and published a novel, all within a year.
Set in 2010, Kaleigh’s novel, Las Locas, follows three women in the years following the Dirty War. It was a dark time in Argentinian history, in which right-wing militias sought out socialist sympathizers and political dissidents by waging a campaign of violence and intimidation. Civilians were kidnapped, interrogated, beaten, and sometimes killed. Although the Dirty War began in the late 70s and ended in the early 80s, the effects of these events are still felt throughout Argentina. Undeniably horrific, the crime and rampant corruption in this era provided the elements Kaleigh needed to write the mystery novel she always wanted.
When she began learning about the Dirty War, Kaleigh says, “I was super disturbed, but also really interested. Bringing awareness about this war was a huge goal of mine while writing this book. So many people don’t know about it and it’s such an important historical event.”
Although she grew up an avid reader and writer, Kaleigh lost touch with her literary passions and longtime dream of writing a novel. However, the Spanish and Communications double major decided to use her studies at Marist as an opportunity to reconnect with writing. She took several classes in creative writing before adding it as a minor her sophomore year.
“Writing a novel has always been in the back of my head,” Kaleigh says. “I didn’t think about it as much in high school but going into college, I rediscovered my passion for writing. I kind of fell in love with it all over again.”
The idea for her novel came quickly after Kaleigh watched a movie based on the Dirty War in Professor Ivette Romero’s course on women in Latin American film. It covered the protests of distraught grandmothers whose pregnant daughters went missing and their children stolen. The protesters were belittled and ignored, labelled as “las locas” — the mad women — by the dictatorship. The title stuck, even after it was revealed the women were right all along and eventually became a badge of honor.
Illustration by Madeline Pastan
Before she started writing, Kaleigh conducted preliminary research. She read extensively about Argentinian culture, including the nightlife, and also watched interviews of real families who were separated during the war and eventually reunited thanks to las locas.
Kaleigh and her novel are both products of her diverse background and upbringing. While Las Locas is written in English, many scenes include Spanish dialogue, a decision Kaleigh says was not only meant to add to the authenticity of the novel, but served as a purposeful homage to her own Dominican culture.
“I’ve always been very immersed in the Dominican culture and passionate about Latin American culture. After taking so many Spanish classes about various Latin American cultures and their histories, I definitely wanted to include that passion in my book,” she explains.
Kaleigh’s numerous passions come alive in her strong female characters, all of which seem to be small reflections of her own personality. Raised in the hippie-centric town of Woodstock, New York, Kaleigh grew up collecting what she calls “magic rocks'' and eventually picked up tarot card reading over quarantine. Kaleigh chose to channel her own interest in her character Rosa, an elderly psychic and medium that connects with the spiritual world and speaks to the dead.
With Kaleigh’s curiosity in spiritual crafts, she is also a strong believer in manifestation. In May 2020, she created a vision board and imagined writing a story, wishing it into a reality. A week later, Kaleigh received a message on LinkedIn asking if she was interested in writing a novel.
Kaleigh was contacted by a representative from the Creator Institute, a program started by a professor at Georgetown. The program not only encourages students and young creatives to write novels but provides them with the resources to execute their stories. Kaleigh says the program guides students through the writing process with weekly workshops, and connects them with editors, publishers, and cover art designers. By maintaining a strict schedule, Kaleigh wrote a chapter each week from May through October, then completed revisions over winter break.
In addition to writing the manuscript and completing her senior year, Kaleigh was also tasked with raising $5,000 to publish her novel. With the help of friends and family, she successfully reached her initial goal.
“The whole campaign process was so heartwarming for me. So many friends, community members, and even strangers were happy to support me and my goal of publishing this book,” she recalls. “It was a stressful process but it was so awesome seeing everyone come together and help someone reach their dream.”
Once the book is published in April 2021, Kaleigh will own all the rights to her work and can start collecting a profit from the project. The approximately 180-page novel will be available on Amazon and in select Barnes & Nobles, as well as at the New York Public Library. Currently, Kaleigh is writing a sequel to Las Locas in her Individual Writing Project class, and plans to pursue a career in publishing after graduating in May.
For many people, 2020 was a paralyzing year. However, Kaleigh garnered the motivation to accomplish a goal and bring a tragic history to light.
“It still hasn’t really hit me [that I’m going to be a published author],” Kaleigh said. “I’ve just been going through the motions and thinking about deadlines, so it’s surreal that this book is actually going to be a real thing. It’s crazy.”
FOR THE RECORD UNCUT
OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography by Bobby Oliver
For this year’s project, we asked our Changemakers to bring items that had meaning to them to the shoot.
“Tarot Deck: Over the past year, Tarot has become a huge part of my life, and I practice it daily. Since Tarot reading is something I am so passionate about, it is actually a huge element in my book!
Crystals: I have nearly 70 crystals; each one of them means so much to me, and serves a different purpose in my life. For example, many of my crystals promote creativity, dedication, and a release of writer’s block—these were my favorites to use while working on my book.
Journal: My journal means so much to me as well, because I practically wrote my whole book in it. I prefer writing with pen and paper as opposed to a computer; words seem to flow easier that way. I also do manifesting exercises in my journal: another practice I love so much that I’ve incorporated it into my lifestyle.”