Wisconsin attorney writes debut novel about environmental thriller | Entertainment

Blue Lake by Madison author Jeffrey D. Boldt was published in March. It is his debut novel. Boldt is a long-standing Wisconsin attorney who has retired to address issues related to corruption, power, climate change and power.

Q: Blue Lake was the thesis you wrote for your MFA at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. How did the book come to be?

A:It was through four MFA thesis drafts and four more drafts. I wanted to write an literary novel-of–place set in Wisconsin. But it needed to be suspenseful, have elements of a mystery, and be a legal thriller. I wanted my protagonists and characters to be more complex, rounded, and interesting than many environmental thrillers.

Q: Can you tell me a bit about your background? I believe you were an environmental attorney before becoming a writer.

A:For 24 years, I was an attorney in the state of Wisconsin. My title was administrative law judge. I handled a lot of environmental cases. I also traveled around the state, making the final legal decision on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources. This gave me a lot to work with and intrigue.

Q: How did your journey to fiction begin?

A:Since my undergrad days, I’ve been writing. I have published over 100 poems, dozens of short stories, and essays. After the death of my wife, I quit my state job in 2016. I was then accepted into the Augsburg University graduate program in creative writing. The MFA program was a great experience that really helped me elevate my writing. I knew I wanted to write books when my retirement came.

Q: I understand lawyers write a lot in their work, but fiction writing is different. How did that translate?

A:I’ve always believed there was a connection between poetry, law, and art. Lawyers sometimes litigate over just two or three words, or a single phrase. Writing a brief can also be considered a form of narrative construction. As an ALJ, it was also a form narrative art to write a decision that would stand up to judicial review. It was a natural fit.

Q: How long have you worked on the book?

A:I would estimate that it took me about five years.

Q: Can you speak about Blue Lake’s premise without giving away too much?

A:Blue Lake begins with a prologue, in which Jason, the main character, is regaining consciousness at UW Hospital following his shooting. This sets the mood for legal thriller and mystery. Jason is a divorced lawyer and low-ranking state judge who travels throughout Wisconsin to hear environmental cases. That’s where he met Tara, an unhappy married environmental journalist. Both of them are lonely and in midlife crisis. Both are passionate about the environment but feel discouraged by the (Gov. Walker administration. They both studied English and became avid readers after their college years. Jason and Tara develop a relationship that reveals shared passions for the Wisconsin wilderness and their book club. Tara is married. Jason is growing increasingly worried about an unusual conversation with Earl Franks (an unethical attorney and former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice). It was a bribe attempt? Jason finds himself in a number of high-stakes ethical dilemmas. These include groundwater polluters, corrupt developers, and his feelings about Tara. Someone has already shot him.

Q: Have you had this idea for writing a book for a while?

A: Yes. My original vision was to explore the situation where the main characters’ lives were in danger. However, they were too busy with falling in love and flirting to see it. Then, I was influenced by my own experiences as a judge and the times in which we lived. Although I didn’t intend to write a book with political implications, I believe it does. Blue Lake is timely in both the environment and the attacks on the rule-of-law. However, I hope that this is not preconceived but a dramatic narrative.

Q: Do you plan to write more environmental thrillers in the future?

A: Yes. I have a sequel in the works. It is about 100 pages long. Although I am aware that many environmental thrillers start after everything has fallen apart, I didn’t want to go down this post-apocalyptic path. I think we need some of these, but also novels that are more grounded in our current reality. The famous metaphor of the climate crisis is that of the frog swimming in slowly boiling water. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late. I want to wake up the frog now, before it’s too late.

Q: Can you tell me anything about the sequel?

A:The next one focuses more on climate change and coal. It’s set on Lake Superior, and the working title of Big Lake Troubles. It features a lot of the same characters. I cannot wait to get back to the Blue Lake book launch.