Historical female figures with tragic pasts such as Catherine de Medici and Juana of Castile are often given harsh or over-the-top portrayals in novels. Catherine de Medici is often portrayed as a calculating, plotting, poisonous bitter queen who came in the middle of a king and his mistress while Juana of Castile has been portrayed as simply crazy and helpless. These two women were more than that, they were daughters, wives, mothers, and most importantly queens, queens who had a story to be told and told respectfully. Historical fiction author, C.W. Gortner has given Catherine de Medici and Juana of Castile the respect they deserve in breathtaking and page-turning novels. Instead of making those women just simply tragic, he makes them fascinating, well-rounded, and root-worthy.
Raised in in Southern Spain and half-Spanish by birth, C.W. developed a love of history and writing. He initially worked in the fashion industry, but his love of history and writing inspired him to earn a MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies. He has taught university seminars on the 16th century and women in history along with workshops on writing, historical, research, and marketing.
Gortner's novels are beautifully written, expertly researched, and rich in details. His first novel "The Last Queen" is the story of Juana of Castile also known throughout history as "Juana le Loca". Gortner's most recent release, "The Confessions of Catherine de Medici" is the story of Catherine de Medici.
Gortner lives with his partner in Northern California. He enjoys traveling all around the world to help research his novels. Gortner is also an active participant helping to save the environment.
Your first novel, "The Last Queen" is about Juana of Castile also known as "Juana la Loca", the tragic queen who was the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella and sister of Catherine of Aragon. What was your inspiration in writing a novel on her?
Gortner: Juana has always fascinated me. I grew up in Spain hearing her legend and visited many of the places associated with her. Much later on, when I first decided to write about her I set out to uncover the secret behind the myth. I am drawn to secret histories; after all, what we call history is often a mixture of opinion and fact. There are always the stories that don’t get told or are altered to suit preconceived notions. In addition, women in history often suffer from the biased viewpoints of male contemporaries, who chronicled their lives and the events of their eras. Juana, for me, is one of those women. There is much more to her than we’ve been told. This was my primary reason for wanting to write about her.
Most novels or even history like to portray Juana as completely crazy and helpless, but "The Last Queen" makes her intelligent, fascinating, but in the end sadly tragic. What was your reasoning in portraying Juana as more strong-minded and courageous queen than helpless and insane victim?
Gortner: The legend is very single-sided. I believe she was called ‘mad’ because she defied the conventions of her time, in that she fought against the role expected of women: She refused to be a passive vessel and turn over her rights without demur. What is remarkable about Juana is that she and her sisters were not raised to be sovereign queens. Their mother Queen Isabella expected her son to inherit Spain, and her daughters were educated to be queen-consorts. Juana accepted this role at first. It was only after she became Isabel’s heir that she began to question it. She had a great love for her country and wasn’t about to let the Hapsburgs— one of Europe’s most rapacious families – convert Spain into one of their vassal states. She fought for her right to rule; and I believe the epithet of madness was used to both thwart her and justify the actions taken against her. If she was mad, why did her mother implicitly entrust her with the future of Castile, a realm Isabella had devoted her entire life to protecting? Juana was both passionate and outspoken; at times she could be outrageous in her defiance, but we must take into account that she never had enough power on her own to do anything else. Her determination to retain the crown she had rightfully inherited posed a threat to those seeking to dispossess her. Being labeled for all time as the queen who went mad over love is perhaps the greatest injustice perpetrated on her.
Most believe Juana to have been crazy or insane, but what do you believe were some strengths and qualities she had?
Gortner: She showed incredible courage in the face of unimaginable adversity; she also was very devoted to her children, though she was separated from them. I think she was also a very humane woman, one who would have been content to simply be archduchess, to raise her children and be a loving wife. Juana did not aspire to power. Her loyalty was also one of her most remarkable qualities.
What other historical figures from "The Last Queen" interest you?
Gortner: While writing about Juana, I became fascinated by her mother, Queen Isabella. In particular, I was drawn to Isabella’s dangerous battle for her throne, which in many ways is similar to Elizabeth I’s. Isabella had to overcome many obstacles in order to become queen; though very different from her daughter in temperament, Isabella’s story is as interesting and dramatic as Juana’s. Fortunately, my editor shared my enthusiasm for Isabella and I am currently finishing a novel about Isabella’s youth and the tumultuous early years of her reign; it will be published in 2012 by Ballantine Books.
How much research went into writing "The Last Queen"?
Gortner: I spent six years researching and writing the book, including various drafts before it reached its present form. My research methods are always varied, depending on the subject and what is available to me. I usually make a point of traveling to as many of the places where my characters lived as I can. I also look at primary sources, such as chronicles, letters, ambassadorial accounts, etc. of the era itself. These are usually found in libraries or archives like those in Simancas, Spain. Unfortunately, much, if not all, of this material reflects the particular writer’s viewpoint, and in Juana’s case very few spoke in her favor. Of all the official documentation of the time, only the admiral of Castile’s speech before the Cortes in Valladolid (recorded in their annals) was in her defense. So, with primary sources, I was careful to examine what was being said by whom, and whether or not that person held a bias. I also read a vast list of secondary sources, such as biographies, historical studies, etc. I even looked at 16th century architectural planning, as the house where Juana lodged in Burgos has been converted into a bank and I had to recreate the interior from plans of similar period structures. Lastly, I studied costuming and customs, so I could recreate the details of the time. I even tried on a 16th century Spanish gown, loaned to me by a Renaissance faire re-enactor, so I could feel the weight of it and know what Juana faced when trying to, for example, escape on horseback! And no, I didn’t take pictures J
Your most recent novel was another work on a fascinating and at times tragic queen, Catherine de Medici. What was your inspiration in writing "The Confessions of Catherine de Medici"?
Gortner: Popular history has been especially unkind to Catherine. Though I’d known about her for years, I soon discovered during my research how little I really knew her. Few queens are as notorious as this woman who ruled France in the 16th century, renowned for her ruthlessness and mastery of poison; Catherine de Medici has been accused of heinous crimes, including the massacre of 6,000 people in Paris. She lurks in the shadows of history as the perennial black widow, weaving intrigue in her Louvre apartments.
Because when someone lives such an eventful life, there’s always more to her story than history tells us. Catherine de Medici was a person, before she became a figure of lurid speculation. She had dreams and aspirations; hopes and disillusions, yet unlike her contemporaries Elizabeth I, who commands our respect with her splendor; or Mary, Queen of Scots, who elicits sympathy with her martyrdom, history has not been compassionate to Catherine. I wanted to depict the flesh-and-blood Catherine de Medici which history has forgotten: the teenage heiress sent to France to marry a prince she did not love; the wife who endured years of neglect in the shadow of her husband’s mistress; the regent fighting for a realm torn by conflict; the mother with children to protect; and the woman whose alliance with an enigmatic leader plunges her into a tortured maze of passion, betrayal, and murder.
Catherine de Medici is a fascinating figure. Many pity her because her husband showered favors onto his mistress and ignored his queen, but also many considered her to be evil and accused her of constant plotting and even poisoning. What do you believe were the qualities and flaws to Catherine's personality?
Gortner: I think that Catherine had amazing perseverance and intelligence; here was a woman who was not raised to rule, yet managed to steer France through years and years of savage conflict, preserving the throne for its next king. Her avid interest in the arts also indicates she possessed vast curiosity; it’s said her library alone had over five thousand volumes. She was also by all accounts very loyal to friends and servants; some of those who attended her when she died had come with her to France from Italy, and had been with her for most of her life. But she had a blind spot when it came to loved ones; she especially failed to see how troubled and destructive her children could be. She also had an obstinate streak when it came to the Religious Wars. Catherine honestly believed in tolerance in an intolerant age; she could not fully comprehend why people would choose to kill themselves over dogma. In not understanding the lengths that some people would go to defend their particular stance, she made errors that she might have avoided.
What other figures from the "The Confessions of Catherine de Medici" interest you?
Gortner: I found Catherine’s father-in-law François I to be a fascinating king. I’d love to write more about him.
How much research went into writing "The Confessions of Catherine de Medici?"
Gortner: It took about two years to write the first draft of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI. The research itself began several years before that; I actually first began researching Catherine de Medici while still in college, as she was part of my Master’s thesis. For the novel itself, I took several trips to France, including one in which I visited the beautiful Loire Valley châteaux where Catherine resided and followed in her footsteps on the long progress she undertook to visit her eldest daughter on the border with Spain (though of course I did my trip by rail and car!) A friend of mine in Paris guided me on marvelous evening walks through the City, showing me specific sites associated with Catherine, including a lone tower that she evidently built as an observatory. I also read her letters, many accounts of her and her court, and the memoirs written by several of her contemporaries, including the fanciful memoirs of her daughter, Marguerite, known to history as Queen Margot.
Catherine’s surviving letters constitute one of those rare treasure troves for the novelist. Letters offer an invaluable glimpse into the person’s thoughts and personality and I found some of Catherine’s letters to be particularly poignant: her impeachable love for her children, her despair over the chaos wrought by war, her pragmatism and discomfort with overt fanaticism, as well as her compassion for animals—unusual for her time—all point to a woman who was very different from the archetypal Medici queen with her arsenal of poisons. Her letters helped me to envision the flesh-and-blood woman behind the legend and understand the challenges she faced both as a person and a queen.
Can you tell us about your upcoming projects?
Gortner: Besides my novel on Isabella of Castile, I’ve just finished revisions on THE TUDOR SECRET, the first book in my new spy series featuring a young man who becomes the intimate friend and spy for Elizabeth I. THE TUDOR SECRET takes place during the perilous final days of Edward VI’s reign, when Brendan Prescott, a squire for Robert Dudley, comes to court and finds himself ensnared in a lethal plot against Princess Elizabeth that threatens the future of England and could reveal the secret of Brendan’s mysterious past. THE TUDOR SECRET will be published on February 1, 2011.
What time period or area of history is your favorite?
Gortner: I’m most attracted to Europe during the Renaissance, starting with the late 14th century. It is the time that most stimulates and excites me as a writer; from the people to the clothing and the art, I’m captivated by everything about this intoxicating, tumultuous, intense time when we began to shed the cerements of the medieval era and re-cast the precepts of the classical age.
What other areas of history and historical figures would you like to write about in future novels?
Gortner: I’m interested in ancient Egypt and Czarist Russia. There are several characters from these eras that I’d like to explore, in addition to continuing to write about the Renaissance.
What other historical fiction authors do you admire or enjoy?
Gortner: Too many to cite here! I’m really enjoying reading many of today’s historical fiction writers, who are injecting new life and enthusiasm into the genre. While I appreciate the classics, the working writers of the 21st century are bringing new life and verve to the way we read.
What authors from the past and present do you enjoy or have inspired you?
Gortner: As far as classic writers go, I have been inspired by Alexander Dumas, Daphne DuMaurier, and Rafael Sabatini. I’m also deeply affected by the works of the Greek writer, Nikos Kazantakis, and the Spanish poet, Frederico Garcia Lorca.
Finally, you have written about two tragic women and queens in Juana of Castile and Catherine de Medici. Who do you believe was more tragic?
Gortner: Juana is more tragic. For better or for worse, Catherine had the opportunity to live her life.
Gortner: Thank you so much for inviting me here today. To find out more about me and my work, please visit my website at: http://www.cwgortner.com
*A huge thanks to C.W. Gortner for this fascinating and detailed interview*
For more information on C.W. Gortner: http://www.cwgortner.com/index.html
C.W. Gortner's "Historical Boys" Blog: http://http://historicalboys.blogspot.com/
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