Issue 51

By Bethany Olson

Arthur, a recent college graduate who has just ended a strange dating relationship, starts out a lazy Pittsburgh summer with little idea of purpose or knowledge of self. He stops into the University of Pittsburgh’s Hillman Library without realizing that that decision would catapult him through an unusual and enlightening series of events.

Arthur meets Art in the library, a young man of whom he “hadn’t a doubt that he was gay,” and with whom Arthur was “keen to avoid, as they say, a misunderstanding” of sexual interest. Despite his reservations, Arthur agrees to have a beer with Art on Forbes Avenue. Shortly thereafter, Arthur meets Phlox in the library, a girl who had admired him from behind the metal bars of her small work area. “She was unquestionably beautiful, and yet there was something odd, wrong, about her looks, her clothing: something a little too, from her too blue eyes in their too direct stare to the too red stockings she wore.”

Arthur estimates his own identity by his interactions with others; throughout, he alternates between friendship with both Art and Phlox to being sexual lovers with one or the other of the two (Arthur no longer knows if he is straight or gay.) And ever-hidden is Arthur’s secret, “the nature of my father’s work,” which “I came to associate… with shame.” Arthur did not realize his father was in mob work until his thirteenth birthday: “I never afterward had the slightest desire to tell [my father’s] secret to any of my friends; indeed, I ardently concealed it.”

If only Art did not need his father’s money; if only Art did not desire his father’s never-given approval. If only a third friend, Cleveland, had not exploded into Arthur’s life; Cleveland’s interest in mob business and his knowledge of Arthur’s father threatens to join the two worlds Arthur so desperately tries to separate. Some time after realizing that Cleveland would “breach the barrier that stood between my family and my life, and scale the wall that I was,” Arthur says, “I saw that I’d been mistaken when I thought of myself as a Wall, because a wall stands between, and holds apart, two places, two worlds, whereas, if anything, I was nothing but a portal, ever widening…. And a wall says no; a portal doesn’t do anything.”

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon is a coming-of-age story with elements of self-understanding and making one’s way in the world, without the influence of others. Its quirky subthemes and genius passages are too many to list here. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh was Chabon’s premiere novel that launched his fame (first published in 1988); his The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is an unusual, inviting, thoughtful read with layers of meaning infused not only throughout the plot, but evident in every word and metaphor. It is exciting for a Pittsburgh native to read about places and streets that are so familiar (I live around the block from Arthur’s fictional home). But regardless of where a reader lives, Chabon crafts both setting and characters’ complicated emotions with startling intensity, promising a meaningful read for all adult readers.

By Amanda Linsmeier
Pink sequins. Elephants. Clowns. We all have an image in mind when it comes to the circus. In Water for Elephants, many of those images come to life in this sometimes gritty and always entertaining novel. Jacob is a 90-something year old man living out his last, unhappy days in a nursing home. While he has some moments of senility, Jacob is relatively adept for his advanced age. When he learns a circus is in town and he’ll get to see it, he is overcome with flashbacks of his colorful past decades before. After his parents are killed in a car accident during the Great Depression, Jacob drops out of college without taking his final exams to become a vet. He joins The Benzini Brothers traveling circus as their veterinarian and soon discovers circus life is much harder than it is glamorous. Between the sometimes awful abuses of the animals by others, the mistreatment of the workers and the inability to trust almost anybody, Jacob has his work cut out for him. The animals’ trainer, August, is an unpredictable, sometimes violent man given to bursts of temper one moment and undeniable charm at others. It makes matters even worse when Jacob falls for Marlena, the lovely wife of August. Loving Marlena only adds to Jacob’s frustration in which not only his job, but often his life is at stake.

Water for Elephants is a good novel. I was disappointed in that I had heard somewhere that Rosie, the elephant, is actually the main character and the story is told from her point of view and that wasn’t so. Although Jacob was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about him, I suppose I was expecting something a little more unique. That being said, the best part about Jacob was reading about him in the nursing home at his advanced age. I haven’t read many books from an elderly person’s point of view and I could really sympathize with him. The circus parts of the book were very interesting but also somewhat sad. I felt bad for nearly every character involved, most particularly the animals. But for anyone who has ever seen a circus show, I’m sure they would appreciate the genuine historical details in this book as well as the behind the scenes look the reader gets. I am sure you’ll never look at a performing elephant the same way again.

Carla Neggers has written more than 50 novels – a dozen of them New York Times bestsellers. Her books blend chilling suspense and daring romance. Her romantic thriller The Angel, due out in paperback in June, is a finalist for a RITA – romance publishing’s Oscar.

Q: How do you respond to the charge that romance novels are “chick lit?” Have you seen an increase in the number of men who write romance? Any personal favorites?

A When I climbed a tree with a pad and pen as a kid, I just wanted to write the story that was in my head. That’s as true for me today as it was then. I love a mix of romance, suspense, action, adventure, but I try not to get bogged down in genre definitions and instead focus on the story. I’ve always known men who write romance, and men who include a strong romantic element in their books. Are there more today? Honestly, I don’t know, but I wish them well.

Q: You have said that “you never know what sparks an idea,” and have cited trips as one source. Can you give a couple of other examples (places, events, people, etc.) that have inspired you to write a book?

A: It’s actually rare that I can trace a story back to the original spark. I guess I’m more likely to remember the spark that happened while standing in a windswept Irish ruin than on a trip to the grocery store! In the case of the ruin, it was being there, captivated by my surroundings, that started The Angel, and later The Mist (due out in July) simmering. In the cast of the grocery store … well, it’s just a good place to let my mind wander.

Q: How important is “what if?” thinking when it comes to exploring/brainstorming ideas/possible scenarios for a book? How important is studying other writers in the genre in which one writes?

A: “What if” is a great way to push back all the “dos and don’ts” and “shoulds and shouldn’ts” and turn loose our creative minds. Doubts and constraints fall away. It’s also fun, because you’re not locking yourself into anything. You’re just asking, “Okay, what if …?” As for “studying” other writers – I love to read, and most writers I’ve met do, too. I prefer to turn off the writer in me and just enjoy the story as a reader.

Q: You’ve written so many books. Which is your favorite and why?

A: No fair! Truly, I can’t name a favorite. I just know that I did my best at the time with every book I’ve written. I’ve been fortunate to have started publishing at a young age and stayed at it - and I’m as excited about he books I’m writing today as I was when I first climbed a tree as a kid, dreaming of being a published author. Every book is an adventure. I loved diving into the story that became The Mist, which is due out this summer, and Cold River, which I’m finishing now. Writing for me is as fun, challenging and engaging as ever – I couldn’t’ ask for more than that!

Q: Some writers maintain the most important aspect of writing a saleable novel is character development. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? Any hints for new writers looking to flesh out their characters?

A: A story doesn’t take off for me until the characters are “there.” I don’t think of myself constructing characters so much as figuring out ways to get them to reveal themselves to me. I usually have to throw them into scenes and let them talk, do things, before I can even attempt anything as left-brained as a character sketch. For new writers looking for solid advice on this subject, I highly recommend Elizabeth George’s Write Away, especially the sections on how she approaches characterization. She’s a gifted teacher as well as a gifted writer.

Q: The Internet is moving more into the realm of publishing with Kindle, etc. What is your vision for the future of the printed novel?

A: That’s not up to me – I just focus on writing! I’m thrilled that readers will be able to download The Widow on Amazon for free from June 8 to 12, 2009. The Widow is the first book in my Boston-Maine-Ireland series. I love having books available in a variety of formats … hard, soft, e-book, large print, audio … it’s amazing.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead and Vampire Resurrection, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.