ALA Cognotes San Diego Midwinter Highlights Issue - (Page 10)

Page 10 • San Diego Midwinter Highlights Cognotes Four Authors of Literary Fiction are Showcased at Author Forum By Frederick J. Augustyn, Jr. The Library of Congress rad Hooper, moderator and Adult Books Editor at Booklist, at the first such forum formally cosponsored by both Booklist and ALA’s Exhibits Roundtable (ERT), introduced fiction writers SusanVreeland (Random House); David Levithan (Macmillan); Stewart O’Nan (Penguin); and Armistead Maupin (HarperCollins) on January 7. Comfortably seated in sofas on the stage, the wordsmiths were queried by Hooper on the nature and distinctions among types of fiction and on their own experiences in writing. Vreeland, a retired San Diego schoolteacher who began as an author while she was still a teacher, generally writes about artists. The genre of fiction permits her to paint in the background that history, often lacking the necessary documentary evidence, cannot do. Although she has produced a great many works, Hooper asked her in particular about Girl in Hyacinth Blue (about an unknown Vermeer painting); Life Stories (a 2005 collection of short historical fiction); and, her latest, Clara and Mr. Tiffany. Vreeland based this last work on a collection of recently discovered letters that had survived a fire. Although in his lifetime Louis Comfort Tiffany did not disclose the names of his designers, whether they were male or female, this trove revealed that Clara Driscoll was responsible for the leaded lamp produced by the Tiffany firm. Vreeland maintained that she aims to reveal the good women (and the good men) who are often behind great people. Vreeland posited several reasons in response to Hooper’s state- B ment that “most librarians would agree that we are currently in a renaissance of historical fiction.” Much historical fiction being written now is not just about “kings and queens,” but also concerns regular people, “common foot soldiers,” who were often connected to the famous. She further ascribed its popularity to the fact that it “gives voice to the inner soldier or other person.” Historical fiction and history have different purposes, however, and she does not uniformly favor one over the other. Levithan, who has authored mostly young adult novels, such as Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (which was made into a movie), addressed in this forum his first adult novel, The Lover’s Dictionary, in which he describes a relationship entirely through dictionary entries. Selected passages were alternatively beautifully lyrical, such as for “al fresco” – “wine set the tone of our conversation – languid, tipsy, earthy” – or amusingly brief, as for “antsy” – “I told you I would never take you to the opera again.” In reply to Hooper’s question, Levithan found there to be virtually no difference between writing for young adults and for older readers. He asserted that there have always been younger readers who have gravitated to adult literature. Moreover, he did not care much for the largely artificial distinction made by gatekeepers and editors between literary and popular fiction. In this he found agreement among the other authors present on the stage. O’Nan, the author of a dozen novels including A Prayer for the Dying, The Night Country, and The Good Wife (about a woman whose husband endured long-term incarceration), has also written non-fiction such as Faith- 2011 Midwin The ALA/ERT Booklist Author Forum authors, from left to right, Armistead Maupin, Susan Vreeland, David Levithan, and Stewart O’Nan, gather backstage prior to their January 7 presentations. ful (with Stephen King.) He talked in particular about The Circus Fire, describing the 1944 Hartford, Connecticut cataclysm in which 168 persons died. While researching that book through interviews with survivors or relatives of those who did not survive, O’Nan found out that people talked extensively about their lives subsequent to the event. This prepared him to paint a wide contextual portrait of a fictional 70-something woman and her dog in Emily Alone: A Novel. He talked as well about the importance of setting and place in his novels, having grown up in Pittsburgh, an evocative location that has too often been overlooked. Definitely not a minimalist, O’Nan has been described as “the king of detail.” He admitted that he too often does what he warns his students against, employing the “one-person scene.” Regarding the distinction between literary and popular fiction, he opined that things once considered popular, such as Shakespeare, are now deemed literary. Maupin, a former naval officer and the author of nine novels including Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener, and Michael Tolliver Lives, is probably most famous for his sketches of gay life in San Francisco in the initially newspaper-serialized Tales of the City. Maupin said that he took heart when he remembered that many estimable 19th-century authors also had written in serial form. Maupin often puts himself into his fiction, which also includes some of his female characters. Contrary to what many believe, he does not see himself as only found in the Michael Tolliver character. He disclosed that Anna Madrigal, the “den mother” of Barbary Lane, after all has the same initials as he does. Now many of his avid readers are fearful of “losing” their beloved Anna. Maupin came out to his own family through his fiction and recounted how, during the 1970s, his editors told him that he could not write mostly about gay people. He is now exploring the “taboo topic of gay aging,” once again tapping his own experience. Regarding reviews, the authors paid what they variously viewed as proper attention. Vreeland said that she pays closer heed to professional critiques, and lesser to those posted on Amazon. Levithan appreciates different kinds of reviews since they tend to balance themselves out. O’Nan averred that even the negative reviews. “if smart,” are helpful. And Maupin admitted that he often accords them inordinate attention, but that one must consider both the good and the bad reviews. In general, the authors did not like labels such as literary, commercial or popular fiction, but realize that marketers often use these demarcations. The writer must fight not to limit his or her audience. Adaptation of one’s work into another format such as movies or plays can be challenging, but also provides methods to reach a larger public. AASL Announces Travel Grants for First-time National Conference Attendees he American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is offering grants for travel to its 15th National Conference & Exhibition in Minneapolis, Minn., Oct. 27-30, 2011. The grants for firsttime attendees of the conference are sponsored by Bound To Stay Bound Books. Those interested in applying can download the application on the National Conference pages at www. ala.org/aasl/awards. AASL President Nancy Everhart said, “AASL values Bound To Stay Bound Books’ leadership in offering school librarians the opportunity to attend their first AASL National Conference. I encourage all school librarians that have never been to an AASL National Conference to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.” The AASL 15th National Conference & Exhibition, “Turning the Page,” is the only national confer- T ence dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. AASL National Conference will feature twelve preconferences, numerous concurrent sessions, more than 200 exhibiting companies, educational and school tours, a storytelling festival and special appearances by award-winning authors. For more information on AASL’s 15th National Conference & Exhibition, visit aasl11.org. Registration is already open. The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library media field. REFORMA Outreach Project I CLICK HERE TO READ THE COGNOTES ISSUES PUBLISHED IN SAN DIEGO n February 2010 a major earthquake devastated parts of Chile. Many libraries were affected and REFORMA is collecting donations of new children’s books in Spanish to be sent to Chile in order to replenish materials lost in the earthquake. This campaign will continue through until the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. A donation of even a single book is appreciated and will help to rebuild the libraries of Chile. Those on the East Coast can mail books to: Miguel García Colón, Byram Shubert Library, 21 Mead Avenue, Greenwich, CT, 06830. West Coast donations should be sent to: Priscila Leni, Dr. Alum Rock Library, 3090 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95127. Those attending Annual Conference can bring their items to the REFORMA fundraiser or at the International Relations Office Table in the ALA office area. http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards http://www.aasl11.org http://www.aasl.org http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/midwinter/cognotes/index.cfm

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ALA Cognotes San Diego Midwinter Highlights Issue