Authors Interviewing Characters: Jessica Rao

NOWHERE TO GO BUT EVERYWHERE

Helena Vinci might like grunge and Camel Lights, but she’s not a fan of frat boys or anything else about Albany college life. When she drops out and takes a job waiting tables near the Capitol, her plan is to save up to see “the real world” out west. But soon she finds herself trapped in a new way, torn between two men – a sexy DJ and a fellow slacker with wanderlust – and a third, a politician who promises financial security, but at a price. When and how will Helena learn that you don’t have to go on the road to find yourself?

Nowhere to Go but Everywhere is a gritty coming-of-age novel that captures the perils and pleasures of learning to chart your own path.

“… put me back in the days of being young and being (mostly) sure I wanted to escape. I

completely devoured it.”

—Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of Dolly All the Time

An Interview with Helena Vinci from Nowhere to Go but Everywhere by Jessica Rao

Jessica: I’m so glad that you could sit down with me today, Helena. You’re the subject of a book you know?

Helena: I’m the subject of a book? Really? Not sure who would want to read about me. Or write about me for that matter. I mean, I dropped out of college. I’m working as a waitress. Actually, my mom doesn’t even know yet. I’m not sure if I like this.

Jessica: Well, me. I wanted to write about you. It’s 2026, more than thirty years down the road from when the action of your life took place. A lot of people find nineteen-year-olds in the nineties cool. Actually, people find the nineties in general cool.

Helena: Down the road. Makes me think of On the Road. Did you ever read Jack Kerouac? 

Jessica: Funny you should mention Kerouac. The book is called Nowhere to Go but Everywhere and the author, me, I pulled the title from a line in On the Road because you and your friends are kind of obsessed with him.

Helena: I wouldn’t call me obsessed. My roommate Henry definitely is. But not Thomas, my other roommate, or anyone I work with, at the Alley Cafe.

Jessica: Ah, the Alley Cafe. I’m glad you mentioned it. The Alley Cafe is the setting for a good chunk of this book. And as you might expect, I think it’s an interesting place, which is why I wrote about it. I mean it’s a nice restaurant, but there’s a definite scene. Don’t you think?

Helena: I guess there’s a scene. There’s a lot of suits who come in after work and get drunk. Actually, they come in the middle of the day and get drunk then too. They’re not bad though. I kind of ignore them. Like I ignore Jimmy, the owner of the place. I do like the people who work there though. They’re a lot more interesting. 

Jessica: I don’t disagree. About the people who work in the restaurant being a cast of characters that is. But I think it bears mentioning that the restaurant is in downtown Albany, N.Y., just a few blocks from the state capital and there are a lot politicians and lawyers hanging around. You know, Helena, there’s a well-worn path of politicians misbehaving when the cameras are turned off. Some people think it’s worth paying attention to what they do after hours. 

Helena: Not me, though I shouldn’t say that too loud because Sonya, one of the other waitresses and really, my favorite person at the place, pays a lot of attention to them. Me, I’d rather pay attention to other things like music, or figuring out this road trip thing. I’d like to see something other than the inside of a classroom, or even the restaurant for that matter. 

Jessica: Another great segue. Music. I know music is important to your crew. As the author of this book, I can say that there’s a definite sound track to your lives.  It’s pretty different from the music today. 

Helena: Yeah, we listen to a lot to Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But I live with a DJ and it’s anyone guess what will be playing when I walk in to the apartment. REM. Jane’s Addiction. A jam band.

Jessica: Good stuff. It’s true that you and your friends spend a lot of time sitting around, listening to music, and pontificating about life. I think the same thing happens with young adults today, but there’s one big difference. They have phones that they carry around with them. Everywhere. And the phones can take pictures. And send messages. And all day, every day, everyone is in touch with everyone. They spend more time looking at their phones than they do talking to each other. What do you think of that? 

Helena: That sounds awful. That’s like going nowhere at all. Plus, seems like in that scenario my mom would know my every move. That would be pretty bad.

Jessica: That’s another thing that makes you and your friends neat. You nineties kids were last generation who roamed free.

Helena: You should have seen the frat boys and the sorority girls at school.  They were all alike. No freedom there. Anyway, I’m not sure that most of us roam free, but we maybe we should. Henry says we should try chaos as opposed to order for a change. 

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Jessica Rao is an award-winning journalist and media professional who has held contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett and overseen communications for Fortune 500 companies.

In addition to her media career, she is the Vice President of the White Plains Library Foundation and she hosts and produces literary events. She lives outside of New York City with her family.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing