News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Anita Gail Jones loves book festivals.
"It's fun to meet readers," she said. "People who go to book festivals love books, so you're really with your people when you go to book festivals."
Anita Gail Jones.
Jones is among the roster of authors who will offer readings and discussion at the Sisters Festival of Books September 13-15.
Jones is the author of "The Peach Seed," recently long-listed for the Crook's Corner Book Prize. The novel is set in Albany, Georgia, where an under-recognized upsurge in the Civil Rights movement occurred in the 1960s. The novel grew out of a desire to understand how her late father was able to become a community leader and a worthy man living in what James Baldwin called "the teeth of the Southern terror."
"I couldn't ask him in person, so I asked the question through fiction," Jones said.
Her protagonist, Fletcher Dukes, resembles her father.
"He's younger than my dad, but he has a lot of his qualities," she said.
"The Peach Seed" has resonated with readers, and, like all good historical fiction, has inspired readers to delve into the actual history of an under-sung but crucial moment in the Civil Rights movement.
Amanda Skenandore.
Amanda Skenandore is also a historical novelist. Her most recent novel is "The Medicine Woman of Galveston," set in that Texas coastal city on the eve of the massively destructive Galveston hurricane of 1900.
Skenandore finds historical fiction an effective way to ignite an interest in the past.
"You're putting it into the context of lived experience," she said.
As a professional nurse, Skenandore is particularly interested in the history and evolution of medicine.
"It certainly makes that aspect of history, the medical aspect of history, fascinating to me," she said.
Skenandore said that she is diligent with her research and is only willing to alter historical fact in small ways to meet the demands of her fictional narrative.
"I'm going to cleave to the history as much as possible, because I want the reader to trust me," she said.
"The Medicine Woman of Galveston" grew out of an interest in the circus-like traveling medicine shows of the late 19th Century.
"That's pretty uniquely American," she said.
She was also interested in the hurricane that was perhaps the worst natural disaster in American history - but is little known today.
"Those two ideas intertwined, and I shaped the narrative to conclude with the storm," she said.
Scott Nadelson.
Scott Nadelson's novel "'Trust Me' is a contemporary novel set on a fictional version of the Little North Fork River in Oregon.
The novel's unique structure - a series of vignettes alternating between the point of view of two protagonists over the space of a year - grew out of Nadelson's "sweet spot" with the short story.
"Trust Me" takes place in the year leading up to a historic wildfire that destroys the place they love,"he said.
Nadelson, who teaches writing at Willamette University, is wary of padding out what really should be a short story into a novel.
"I have a really sensitive BS meter on my own writing," he said. "I just love the vignette structure."
Nadelson acknowledges giving up on the novel several times. The real-life tragedy of the Labor Day Fires of 2020 in the Oregon Cascades provided impetus to complete the larger structure of the novel. Nadelson's mind was on the Little North Fork River.
"I had that place so in mind, and then it was destroyed in actuality, and the fictional version went up in smoke as well," he said.
Jones, Skenandore, and Nadelson are among the 15 authors who will offer readings and discussion at Sisters Movie House on September 14, during the Sisters Festival of Books.
Nadelson said he is especially looking forward to the onstage conversation with Laura Stanfill, his publisher and an exceptional writer in her own right.
Nadelson said that he seeks to create a community around books in his classroom.
"A festival like this does it in a different, public sort of way," he said.
Unlike musicians or visual artists, who often get an immediate and interpersonal reaction to their work from an audience, "writers get that so infrequently." Festivals are a way of connecting directly and in person with readers.
Skenandore enjoys that aspect as well.
"It's really a treat for writers to interact with readers," she said. "I really missed these sorts of events during the pandemic."
Social media and its attendant technologies have revolutionized the way authors interact with their readership. Sometimes the expectations to be a relatable person the reader can "know" can be a challenge for introverted personalities drawn to the mostly solitary work of crafting a story in print.
Skenandore said that there is now an expectation "that readers be able to see pieces of your life and pieces of the process." She finds the relationship a net positive - but she likes the interaction of a festival best.
"There's more spontaneity at a festival," she said.
Jones has a background as an oral storyteller, so personal interaction is natural and gratifying for her. She often participates in book clubs, either in person or via Zoom. In person is best, especially since food plays an important part in "The Peach Seed," and hosts often put together a themed feast.
"Being invited into someone's home to sit and talk about the book - it's an honor, really," she said. "And the food!"
The Sisters Festival of Books will offer a feast of literary experience September 13-15. For more information, including a full lineup and schedule, visit https://www.sistersfob.org.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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