Paddock, Jennifer

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Paddock, Jennifer

PERSONAL: Born in Fort Smith, AR; daughter of Anita Paddock (a librarian, teacher, and writer); married Sidney Thompson (a writer). Education: Attended University of Arkansas; New York University, M.A. (creative writing).

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon and Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER: Writer. Worked as a legislative aide, Washington, DC.

WRITINGS:

A Secret Word (novel), Simon and Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor to anthologies, including Stories from the Blue Moon Café, and to journals, including North American Review and Other Voices.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A novel set in New York City.

SIDELIGHTS: Jennifer Paddock's novel A Secret Word is the story of three friends who attend high school together in 1986 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Sarah and Chandler are privileged and belong to the country club set, while Leigh comes from a working-class background. The story begins with a tragedy. Football player Trey is killed when he shows off for the girls as he drives by, spinning his car out of control. Thinking the accident is nothing more than a minor mishap, the girls drive off; only later do they learn of Trey's death. The novel traces the girls' lives over the next fifteen years, during which time Leigh stays in Fort Smith and eventually marries a local boy. Chandler moves to New York, initially to attend law school, and Sarah, who follows her friend to New York to become an actress, develops a dependence on cocaine. Throughout, Paddock details the joys and pain of each, as well as their joint friendship, writing through the voices of the three narrators as they grow and mature.

In an interview posted on the UA Fort Smith News online, Paddock commented on the story, saying that "it's about many things, equally, I think: friendship, family, love, loss, and surviving loss. What fascinates me most, though, is the thread that runs through all of these things: our connectedness. What I hope will resonate with readers is how we all weave in and out of each other's lives and brush against each other in known ways, of course, but perhaps more often in unknown ways that can be just as influential."

A Publishers Weekly contributor described A Secret Word as "a subtle, surprising first novel, with unforgettable characters, a quiet sense of place and a nuanced exploration of the secrets, loves, despairs, friends and relatives that shape our lives." "Paddock's first novel is three coming-of-age stories for the price of one," commented Kristine Huntley in Booklist.