Veterans' Day & Anniversay

Thank you veterans, for your service! 

And Happy 15th Anniversary to my terrific husband!

Teaser Tuesday: Honey in the Horn

When Clay got to camp, Luce had the wagon-seat dismounted and breakfast spread on it. To his relief, she took the news of the killing very calmly.

-- Honey in the Horn by H. L. Davis. Wow! Those pioneer women were tough!

Honey in the Horn won the 1936 Pulitzer Prize -- the only Pulitzer for an Oregon novel. It is a classic coming of age novel about Oregon  homesteaders in the early 1900s.

This reprint edition from OSU Press features a new introduction by Richard W. Etulain.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: The Lightening Round

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

I got one book last week, and if looks like fun:



The Lighening Round by Bruce Stewart. Its a Rom Com set in San Francisco with the two protagonists competitors in a fitness challenge at a local gym.

This might not be the sort of thing I usually pick up, but it sounds perfect right now because I am super busy at work and need something funny and light to take to the gym with me!

Book Beginning: Honey in the Horn

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

There was a run-down old tollbridge station in the Shoestring Valley of Southern Oregon where Uncle Preston Shiveley had lived for fifty years, outlasting a wife, two sons, several plagues of grasshoppers, wheat-rust and caterpillars, a couple or three invasions of land-hunting settlers and real-estate speculators, and everybody else except the scattering of old pioneers who had cockleburred themselves onto the country at about the same time he did.

-- Honey in the Horn by H. L. Davis. I'm a sucker for shaggy opening sentences like this that set the stage and give a whole backstory in one go.

Honey in the Horn, Davis's 1936 Pulitzer Prize winner, is a classic coming of age novel set in Oregon in the early 1900s. This reprint edition from OSU Press features a new introduction by Richard W. Etulain.

Author Interview: Ellyn Bell and Stacey Bell

Ellyn Bell and Stacey Bell are co-authors of a new book, Singing with the Sirens: Overcoming the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Exploitation. The women drew on their own experiences and years of working with domestic and sexual abuse survivors to address the long term complex trauma that results from the sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and young women.

They recently answered interview questions for Rose City Reader.

How did you come to write Singing with the Sirens?

We decided to write this book after concluding our first round of 12 week process group sessions with girls in detention. We realized the commonality of their challenges and stories, and we recognized how our own troubled pasts had led us to challenges, unfortunate relationships, and feelings of defeat. We knew firsthand what a difficult and tumultuous journey it is to become whole and emotionally healthy. We wanted to provide hope to other women on the journey and to girls and young women. We were attempting to create solidarity through the common threads that bind us.

All that said, we began writing in the fall of 2011— and the way just gently unfolded to us through conversation and dreams. We decided to write from a practical standpoint, but with a poetic quality that infuses both of our writing styles. It is the power of myth and poetry that truly spoke to us and informed the book.

What is your work background and how did it lead to writing this book?

We have both worked with youth throughout our careers in the fields of social services and education. We have both been especially fortunate to work with young people who have learned to use resilience and strength to overcome substantial challenges, or to learn to cope with difficulties as they present themselves.

Both of us have worked in and out of the classroom with youth, counseled youth and adults, and been involved in the administration of programs that assist youth and adults who have suffered abuse, neglect, homelessness and violence.

Your book is about the complex trauma early abuse in girls’ lives, but you include much about your personal stories. Did you have any qualms about sharing so much?

We were both very clear from the beginning that we were not setting out to write a memoir. There are numerous memoirs on exploitation and abuse that are available, and that was never our goal. However, we did recognize that story is an effective means of conveying concepts that are relatable to people and yet not completely personal. So we decided to use anonymous stories from the outset, and although many of them are our own, we tried to make them relatable to the experiences of others through the emotional tenor of the story telling. We both have found much healing in our own lives through the writing of story, and use of theater, art, and poetry.

So in some way, I think we felt vulnerable to a degree, as we are both introverted people. But that experience of vulnerability was mitigated by turning the realities of lived life to story and using myth, dreamlike creatures, and the beauty of transformation to counter the harshness of the topic and promote a feeling of strength from within — which we wanted to do for ourselves and our readers.

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your book?

We wrote this book for women of all ages and backgrounds who have experienced sexual trauma as children or youth, and for women who consider themselves “survivors” of sexual abuse or exploitation. We also wrote it for students of social work, women’s studies, and social sciences, as well as practitioners of social work, child welfare, public health, education, and psychology. We think it could be beneficial to both those who have experienced sexual abuse and trauma and those who work with survivors of sexual abuse and trauma. There is such a common thread that runs through stories of sexual and emotional trauma in women's lives, and we wanted to help people find that link and not feel alone.

Since writing this book, we have been approached by a number of men who have identified with information in the book as well as men who want to understand and stand with women that they love.

One common theme is “how do we become the heroines of our own lives?” and that theme is important for all women in our world. It is the learning to live in our own power and not in the definitions of a culture or a time that defines us.

Can you recommend any other books about healing after child abuse?

We both love the work of Judith Herman and Peter Levine for understanding and dealing with trauma. Iyanla Vanzant and Clarissa Pinkola Estes, as well as the stories and poetry of Adrienne Rich and Alice Walker were particularly useful to us in finding a healing process.

There are several good books that address healing from abuse; however, we thought it important to address the outcomes on adult women’s lives and how we find or lose our power in our chosen work, relationships, family, etc. And how this repeats itself in cycles until we can gain understanding in the imprinted patterns of our lives.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I think we both learned far more that we are even aware of at present. So much material came to us through our dreams and our discussions with each other. But we kind of lived the journey as we went a through the writing. Sometimes we would say to each other things like, “ooo, I’m in the hunger now. I’m really feeling it and it is out of control!” or “Well, I’m definitely putting up a fortress now and it is no longer helpful!”

We lived the concepts of each chapter and we re-lived them in new ways as we wrote the book. Finally saying to ourselves — well let’s finish this book and move on with our lives and stop re-living these old traumas!

What has most surprised us in general is that after completely being in the thick of it and exploring it; we have both been able to get a very new perspective on living with strength and grace despite everything.

You are named as co-authors. Can you describe your process of writing the book together?

We had a unique writing process that worked for us. In the beginning, I think we both lacked the confidence that we could write a book, but the process of writing together was a kind of encouragement and a commitment at the same time. In the beginning, we outlined the chapters and the concepts that we wanted to discuss. Then we took turns writing and contributing to each chapter — such as Ellyn started the first chapter and Stacey the second and after 2 weeks we switched and Ellyn worked on chapter two and Stacey on first chapter. We did this throughout fourteen chapters and then wrote the last chapter in three days together lounging around on the floor of Ellyn’s apartment. We traded our computers back and forth and added to each other’s work. We were so surprised to see how on the same page we were in terms of content and thought! Eventually, we edited and consolidated information and story.

What resources would you recommend for survivors of child sexual abuse? How about for their loved ones and supporters?

It’s a somewhat complex question to answer as there are many additional issues that survivors face in adulthood. They may not be able to comprehend or deal with the abuse they suffered as children that may be the root causes of other disturbances that are more predominant in their adult lives. Such as for some it may be addictions or anxiety or depression, and for others it may be an emotionally or physically abusive partner or relationship, an eating disorder or challenges with their own children. It’s important to deal with the presenting issue at hand and then address the underlying causes. There are numerous resources for addressing old trauma; many of which we discuss in the book. Sometimes once the connection is made, then the issues can be dealt with simultaneously.

What can friends and family of abuse victims do to support them?

They can read and study information on trauma and trauma bonds, and try to gain understanding on the issues that face their loved one. They can come to see the linkages of the challenges faced by their friend or family member by gaining an understanding of the issue.

They can also support them in finding healing groups or resources.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as someone working to help abuse survivors?

Listen to them. Believe them.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

We’ve had a few since the book was published in May, but expect there to be more as time goes on and the book gains more momentum.

What’s next? Are you working on new projects?

Yes, Stacey is working on her PhD. And all that is required of her.

Ellyn is working on some articles, wrote a speech for a “take back the night” rally for a friend, and is looking at doing some additional writing projects.

THANKS ELLYN & STACEY!

SINGING WITH THE SIRENS IS PUBLISHED BY SHE WRITES PRESS AND IS AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM POWELL'S OR AMAZON, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE TO ORDER IT!

Teaser Tuesday: Alice in Bed by Judith Hooper

From Italy, in his wretched, homesick state, William had written me the tenderest, most fraternal of letters of which I could recall whole passages by heart. Thou seemest to me so beautiful from her, so intelligent, etc.

-- Alice in Bed by Judith Hooper. This is a historical novel about Alice James, so the William referred to above is her philosopher brother, William James. Much of this story of Alice's life is told through letters between Alice, William, and her other brother, novelist Henry James, because the "present day" action takes place after Alice has taken to bed with a mysterious illness.

Alice in Bed is generating a lot of attention. If you are in the Bay Area this week, there are several author reading and book signing events coming up in Berkeley, Larkspur, and San Francisco. See here for details.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

Two books came into my house last week and they both look great:



Certainty by Victor Bevine. This historical novel is inspired by a true scandal in Newport, Rhode Island near the end of World War I, when a local Episcopal priest was accused of sexual impropriety with Navy sailors.



Ancient Places: People and Landscape in the Emerging Northwest by Jack Nisbet, published by my favorite Sasquatch Books. This is a collection of nonfiction stories about the connection between human history and natural history.

Jack Nisbet will be reading and signing Ancient Places at Powell's Books in Portland on November 19, 2015 at 7:30 pm.

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here in Portland, we are having a typical rainy Halloween. But I live in an old, old-fashioned neighborhood with tree-lined streets, close houses, and lots of families, so we always get plenty of trick-or-treaters, even if they are soggy. We're prepared with lots of candy and a bottle of hooch for those parents grateful for a bracing nip on such a damp, windy night.

To get in the spirit of the Halloween holiday, here is a link to a list of 10 Classic Victorian Ghost Stories.

Book Beginning: Alice in Bed by Judith Hooper

SORRY FOR THE LATE POST!

Coming back from a meeting yesterday, I got stuck in traffic, so didn't get back to my office in time to post last evening.

Thanks for giving me your links in comments.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

The Streets of Boston and Cambridge are running through my head again, and it is as effortless as dreaming.

-- Alice in Bed by Judith Hooper. Alice James was the sister of novelist Henry James and philosopher William James. Hoper's historical novel tells the story of Alice's life, mostly through letters with her famous brothers, because Alice has taken to bed with a mysterious illness.

Alice in Bed is getting a lot of buzz. It's perfect for a rainy fall weekend!

Mailbox Monday: Disinherited

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

I got one book last week when I saw one of the authors speak here in Portland:



Disinherited: How Washington Is Betraying America's Young by Diana Furchtgott-Roth and Jared Meyer.

Meyer's presentation was attention-grabbing, for sure, and pretty non-partisan. Or maybe bi-partisan is a better description -- his descriptions of how Millennials are getting the short end of the stick didn't spare either political party.

Author Interview: Michael Helquist

Michael Helquist is an author, historian, and activist who has written for several publications including the Oregon Historical Quarterly, the American Medical News, and Ms. Magazine. He is a Portland native living in San Francisco.

Michael's new book is a biography of Marie Equi, an early 20th Century doctor and progressive activist described as “the most interesting woman that ever lived in [Oregon], certainly the most fascinating, colorful, and flamboyant.”

Michael recently took time from a busy book tour to answer questions for Rose City Reader:

How did you first learn of Marie Equi? She hasn’t been someone particularly well-known.

What first grabbed my attention about Marie Equi was an account of her sensational horsewhipping of a Baptist minister and school superintendent due to a pay dispute involving her girlfriend. This was in 1893 on a bake-oven hot summer day in the center of downtown The Dalles, Oregon. She was living on a homestead with her companion, Bessie Holcomb, who was a teacher. The school superintendent, O.D. Taylor, had refused to pay Holcomb her full salary after repeated entreaties. Equi – then 21-years-old – took the matter into her own hands. She got hold of a horsewhip and paced back and forth outside Taylor’s office, daring him to appear.

When Taylor ventured onto the street, Equi struck him repeatedly with the horsewhip. It created quite a stir in town. The local newspapers covered the ruckus for days afterward, and the story even appeared in The San Francisco Examiner. As it turned out, many in the town applauded her because Taylor was considered a scoundrel involved in land fraud. That episode made me want to learn more about this bold, independent woman who fought for justice and who dared to live far beyond social norms.

Can you tell us more about Marie Equi and why you wanted to write her biography?

Marie Equi was one of the marginalized people in our country’s history whose life stories seldom appeared. She was the daughter of working-class, Italian and Irish immigrant parents, and she knew early on that she did not want to get married. She yearned for independence and security, and she overcame considerable obstacles to achieve them. She became an early doctor in Portland and then achieved public acclaim as a heroine for helping victims of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. But she remained an outsider as a lesbian and as a fierce advocate for working class and poor people, laborers, women seeking full citizenship rights, and all those mistreated by the ruling 1% of her time. In her words, she had “fighting Irish blood and fighting Italian blood” in her, and she refused to back down in the face of injustice. She endured police brutality, several arrests, and ultimately a prison term in San Quentin for speaking against World War One.

I was drawn to Marie Equi’s boldness and passion and to her reputation as one of the most prominent activists on the West Coast. That she was also a relatively open lesbian made her story more compelling. As an historian, I wanted to contribute to our understanding of how much these little-known outsiders contributed to our politics and our sense of who we are as a people.

How did you research Marie Equi’s story and how did you find enough source material about her?

Other historians and writers had concluded that not enough material and primary sources existed to permit a biography of Equi. I was determined to discover if that was accurate. I found records about Equi in boxes stored in the family church in New Bedford, Massachusetts. I located previously unknown documents about her schooling, medical career, political protests, and love affairs stashed in archives from the U.S. National Archives to the National Library of Ireland, from Indiana University to the Huntington Library in Pasadena.

Fortunately, Equi lived a remarkably public and controversial life. My research led me to more than 300 newspaper articles about her. I also located her testimony in court cases and her correspondence with family, friends, and other political radicals. I undertook a close reading of hundreds of pages of surveillance reports filed by federal agents and copies of her prison correspondence. These primary and secondary sources allowed me to document Equi’s considerable historical footprint and her voice.

Your book inspires further reading. Can you recommend any other books related to political activism in the Pacific Northwest? Any related to the history of lesbian/gay rights in Oregon?

I recommend:

• Sandy Polishuik’s Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila. Ruuttila was a contemporary of Marie Equi in Oregon.
• Kimberly Mangun’s A Force for Change: Beatrice Morrow Cannady and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Oregon, 1912-1936.
• Sue Armitage’s Shaping the Public Good: Women Making History in the Pacific Northwest.
• Robin L. Tyler’s Rebels of the Woods: the IWW in the Pacific Northwest; and, an overview, Michael Munk’s The Portland Red Guide:Sites and Stries from Our Radical Past.
• Kimberly Jensen’s Oregon’s Doctor to the World: Esther Pohl Lovejoy and A Life in Activism. Pohl Lovejoy was a contemporary of Marie Equi in Oregon
• Peter Boag’s two volumes,Same-Sex Affairs, Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest and Re-Dressing America’s Frontier Past; and George Painter’s The Vice Clique: Portland’s Great Sex Scandal.

I also suggest regularly checking the website of the Oregon Historical Quarterly and the Gay Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN).

What is your work background and how did it contribute to writing your book?

My background as a freelance journalist and as an activist helped me become a better public historian. From the start of my work on this biography, I wanted to tell a compelling story about the life and times of this complicated, remarkable person. I was also determined to ground this account in scholarly research and documentation.

What do you do to promote your book?

I schedule as many speaking engagements as possible. During the mid-September launch of my book in Portland, I squeezed five author events and two radio interviews into a four day period. That was followed by four events in San Francisco, including a release party attended by 100 people.

I also use social media every day – my website blog, Facebook and Twitter, emails, and articles on other websites. I’m currently developing two-minute videos to enhance my reach to new audiences. I find the challenge is to be both organized and methodical as well as to respond quickly to opportunities.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

I’m excited that my next author event – titled “From Soapbox to San Quentin” – will be at McMenamin’s Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 pm (doors open at 5:00 pm). It’s free and open to the public. Books will be available to purchase and I’m more than happy to sign them.

I will also be interviewed by The PDX Beat on October 24 and by Wild Planet Radio (KPQR 99.1 FM) on October 27. Check websites for broadcast times.

And, I will be the featured guest on Oregon Public Radio's Think Out Loud program on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Listen live online.

Where can your book be purchased?

Local independent booksellers are always a great option. Broadway Books and Powell’s Books have copies in stock at their stores as well as through their websites. Other book stores can easily and quickly order copies. All the major book purchasing sites – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others -- can readily provide copies.

Oregon State University Press published my book, and copies can also be purchased at www.osupress.oregonstate.edu or at 1-800-621-2736.

THANKS, MICHAEL! AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK!

Book Beginning: Marie Equi

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

Front-page reports of the pitched battle to the north were the talk of Portland on a rainy morning of November 6, 1916. Six men were slain and dozens more wounded in the lumber town of Everett, Washington, during a bloody free-speech skirmish.

-- Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions by Michael Helquist, published by OSU Press.

This is the first full-length biography of Equi, who was a doctor, progressive activist, and open lesbian, considered "the most interesting woman that ever lived in this state, certainly the most fascinating, colorful, and flamboyant."

PORTLAND EVENTS:

Author Michael Helquist will present "From Soapbox to San Quentin: Oregon's Firebrand Marie Equi" at McMenamin's Edgefield, this Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 6:30. Doors open at 5:00. 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale. Free. All ages welcome.

Michael Helquist will be the featured guest on Oregon Public Radio's Think Out Loud program on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. Listen live online.

Teaser Tuesday: The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson

While everyone else was upstairs, I sneaked down to the lounge. I wanted to see exactly what the layout was: Were there ways in and out?

-- The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson.

Matt Johanssen is a stage actor and amateur sleuth. When a string of bizarre murders rocks New York's culture vulture set, Matt uses his behind-the-scenes know how to help the NYPD solve the mystery.

The Patron Murders is the debut mystery by author, teacher, producer, and former theater critic, Edwin Wilson.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: Alice in Bed

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

I got one book last week, and it sounds very interesting:



Alice in Bed by Judith Hooper. This historical novel tells the story of Alice James, the invalid sister of novelist Henry James and philosopher William James. No one knows why Alice is an invalid, but after taking London by storm, she took to her bed with a mysterious illness.

Most of the book is told through the siblings' letters, recounting the unusual childhood of the James children, family travels, discussions of Boston's intellectual elite, and their contemporary transatlantic gossip.

Alice in Bed is already generating praise and I look froward to reading it! Read the Publisher's Weekly review of Alice in Bed.

Author Interview: Kimberly Knutsen

Kimberly Knutsen is the author of The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath, a funny, literary novel about a college instructor in the Midwest, working on his PhD dissertation -- a creative work about the poet's lost diaries. Meanwhile, his wife is going through her own post-PhD slump. And things only get worse when her pregnant, '80s-obsessed, sister gets to town.

Kimberly recently took time to answer some questions for Rose City Reader:

How did you come to write The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath?

I was in a PhD program in Michigan and wrote the novel as my dissertation. During the years I worked on it, I had three small children, so I’d often be nursing a baby as I wrote. I also wrote in coffee shops. I spent a lot of money on lattes and lemon bars!

The book is permeated with the atmosphere of Midwestern academia. Did the setting influence the plot? Or vice versa?

I was definitely influenced by academia. Professors are insane, and they’re very easy to make fun of. Something about the high IQs turns the crazy up to 11. I taught women’s studies in Michigan, and while I’m a lifelong feminist, it was funny how humorless that world could be. There are always faculty feuds in academia. It’s a very class-conscious and incestuous world. I thought it would be funny to put Wilson—self-proclaimed genius who knows nothing about women—into a women’s studies department. Or maybe it was mean. Mean and fun.

There is a fine tradition of Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduates like you setting novels in Midwestern academia. Did you consciously follow in the footsteps of Philip Roth (Letting Go) and Jane Smiley (Moo)?

No. But I did love Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres, which takes place in Iowa. And of course Dennis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son. Something about debauchery set against the clean, flat canvas of the Midwest is compelling to me. As January says in the novel, “There are no edges to this world.” No mountains, no oceans. It’s disconcerting. Where do you end, and where does the world begin? I grew up in Portland, which has very defined boundaries: ocean, mountain, desert, Tualatin. You feel at once contained and free.

What is your professional background? How did it lead you to writing The Lost Journals?

I started out as a dancer, working in shows in Europe and Japan, Puerto Rico, and even on a cruise ship—The Love Boat. This led to living in Las Vegas and attending UNLV, where my attention shifted away from dance and onto writing. In the novel, Katie has body issues—she thinks she’s a monstrous beast when she’s not—and I could relate to that. Growing up in the dance world, you are hyper-focused on your body during those critical adolescent years, and your thinking becomes warped. Starving and bingeing was a way of life, and it wasn’t until I started writing and found my voice that I allowed myself to eat. Eating always seemed wrong; it wasn’t something good, perfect, skinny girls did.

Now, I teach a seminar on body image and media, and it’s sad to see an entire classroom of young, beautiful eighteen-year-old women hating their bodies. It’s a feminist issue, and it’s insidious and crippling—and I don’t think you ever truly get over it. But calling it out—naming the aggression directed toward women in a consumer society—is a start.

Your book goes back and forth between the point of view of the two main characters, Professor Wilson Lavender and his wife Katie. Why did you chose this approach?

I don’t think I consciously chose it. I just sort of listened to the story emanating like ghostly curtains of light from my subconscious—the “basement guy,” Stephen King calls his muse—and did what felt right. I listened to my “basement lady.”

Did you know right away, or have an idea, how you were going to end the story? Or did it come to you as you were in the process of writing?

Writing a novel is like driving across the country. Halfway there you’re in Nebraska for, like, five days, and this is when the panic sets in. You’re never going to get where you’re going, and if you turn back, it’s going to take forever to get there, too. It’s all the North Platte River, over and over again—you keep crossing it, you’re going nowhere, you’re crying and calling your mom from the creepy hotel room, babies howling in the background, the elderly dog you were sure was going to die three days ago panting on the bed because you’re in the middle of a heat wave—this is what writing a novel is like.

My advice: Keep going. You will eventually leave Nebraska. You will eventually find your way home to the end of your story, and when you get there you’ll be shocked because you thought you had much farther to go. Endings sneak up on you—in novels and in life. Things are always over before they’re over. So appreciate the ride!

What did you learn from writing The Lost Journals – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I learned how much I loved and respected my partner at the time, the writer Curtis Dawkins, on whom Wilson is based. Like the characters in the book, we fought all the time—for no reason at all! Who would be fine with the apocalypse happening right at that moment, and who never wanted the world to end? Oh my God, you two immature goons—WHO CARES?

Now when I read the book, I like Wilson best. Deep down, beneath his addiction and tortured genius and nonsense with his officemate Alice Cherry, he has integrity, and I admire that.

Who are your three (or four or five) favorite authors? Is your own writing influenced by who you read?

I imagine my favorite writers from childhood as guardian angels, even though they’re still alive. Beverly Cleary, for sure. One of my best memories is listening to my mom read Ellen Tebbits and then reading it myself. The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry Huggins. Heaven! When I see the statues of Henry and Ribsy and Ramona at Grant Park in Portland, I tear up. It’s like running into beloved childhood friends.

And Judy Blume, of course. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was a wonderful lesson in how to be a young woman. And of course Forever BLEW MY MIND! These writers were strong women themselves, and they were kind and generous and respected their young readers.

My descriptive style is influenced by the late Jackie Collins. She was an amazing storyteller, and her description was so lush and vivid I often felt like eating her books. Literally. I loved her wild and sophisticated worlds. She made me want to write.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading now?

I love memoirs, especially rock memoirs, like Cherie Currie’s Neon Angel. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh is laugh-out-loud funny, and I can’t wait for her new book to come out in the spring. I want to read Chrissie Hynde’s memoir, and I love it that she told people to “just don’t buy the fucking book,” when she was called out for writing about her rape experience in a politically incorrect manner. Very punk rock!

Also, Lena Dunham’s memoir saved me on a horrible flight from Portland to Michigan. I was having severe panic, and the pilot had turned the heat up to what felt like 97 degrees. I just kept breathing and reading Lena’s book and finally—finally—we landed. Afterward, she felt like a friend, like someone I’d been through war with.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an author?

Write whatever you want. Be as weird as you are. Own it, work it—no one does you like you. But I don’t think anyone ever told me that. I think I told myself.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Being able to live life twice. Being able to disappear into a dream world, one much more honest and beautiful and thrilling than “reality.” Being able to record, however fictionalized, moments in time that I can look back on now and think, Wow, life is horrific, yes, but it’s also absolutely beautiful. And so fleeting!

What’s next? Are you working on your next book?

I’ve written the sequel to The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath. It’s called Violet, and will hopefully come out in the next year. I have a novella, My Blue World, on the website Novella T, and I’m working on a third novel about a perimenopausal single mom and her three wild teens. Oh, and a hot dad. And a guinea pig named Sparkle.

THANKS, KIMBERLY!

THE LOST JOURNALS OF SYLVIA PLATH IS AVAILABLE FROM POWELL'S OR AMAZON, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE TO ORDER IT!

Book Beginning: The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

FRIDAY 56 TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

For an actor appearing in a new play, the most exciting time is the opening night, plus, if you are lucky, the day or two after, when the reviews and congratulations roll in. That’s what everyone assumes.

-- The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson.

The debut mystery by former theater critic, Edwin Wilson, finds stage actor and amateur sleuth, Matt Johanssen, stepping in to help the NYPD figure out why New York art and theater patrons are dying in macabre ways.

Author Interview: Mandy Smith

Mandy Smith blogs at Healing Beyond Survival. Her stepfather sexually molested her from the time she was three until she finally spoke out at age 14, only to be shunned by her family. Her courageous new memoir, Secrets in Big Sky Country exposes the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and gives hope to survivors through her example of endurance and resilience.

Mandy recently answered questions for Rose City Reader. You can follow Mandy on Twitter and please Like her author page on Facebook!

How did you come to write Secrets in Big Sky Country?

I like to say that my book was birthed in a Write Around Portland Sunday Morning "Prompts" workshop held at Powell’s Books store in Portland, OR. However, when attended that workshop back in the summer of 2011, I had no idea that those two-to-five minute prompts would lead to a book. The only thing I knew at the time, I was trying to save my life.

After the workshop was over, I decided to finish writing out the stories the prompts had triggered. I took a personal essay writing class, Writing it Real, for about a year. Sheila Bender ran the class and one day she said, “If you’re thinking about turning these stories into a book, maybe you should start writing them in chronological order.” I couldn’t breathe for a few days. I’d never even thought of such an idea. But, I never looked back. At the end of one year, I had finished my first draft. It took many revisions and three more years of fighting with my inner critic over my fear of putting it out there. Once I began advocating for abuse survivors, my fear became a (mostly) moot point. The book is so much more than my story; it’s a tool I hope will help others.

Your memoir is an intensely personal account of being abused by your stepfather for many years. Was it difficult to tell such an intimate story?

Writing it was probably more painful that the abuse itself. I loved my stepfather—the only dad I ever really knew. And I believed he loved me. Even as an adult, as sick as I became over the abuse, I tried to convince myself that everything he did to me was out of love. (After all, that’s what he told me.) When I would read back chapters after I’d written them, and it started to sink in that it had been for his gratification, I cried and cried, as though feeling betrayed for the first time. I had never recognized that I’d been groomed—or just how long-lasting brainwashing can last.

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your book?

Because there is a large scope of experiences in my book, from familial sexual abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, etc., I think the book will appeal to many audiences:

• Adults who were molested as children.
• Rape survivors.
• Teenagers who might be experiencing abuse.
• Counselors/therapists who treat survivors of abuse.
• Women’s and Gender Studies groups.
• Abuse support groups.
• Judges/victim advocates, and others close to the justice system.
• People who enjoy inspiring survival stories.
• Friends and Families of abuse survivors.

Can you recommend any other books about healing after child sexual abuse? Are any of them personal account like yours?

The first, and best, book I ever got, and was all I really needed was: The Courage to Heal by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, along with the workbook.

I really related personally to the following memoirs. I think for me, more than “healing” as the takeaway, it was the miracle of surviving adversity:

• Because I Remember Terror Father, I Remember You by Sue William Silverman
• Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauk
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
• Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen
• A Stolen Life by Jaycee Duggard

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

In the publishing industry, Secrets in Big Sky Country is considered a confessional book; some call it a “misery memoir.” I feared that people would think it was a woe-is-me tale, and that was the last thing I wanted—to portray myself as a victim. Dwelling on what readers might think about me or my story started getting in the way of my writing; I even questioned whether I should publish it. But as I began sharing with the outside world what I was doing, I came into contact with incredibly strong women and men who had gone before me, sharing their own stories of childhood abuse, who had stayed strong despite their doubt. They reminded me: “You know your story better than anyone else. You have nothing to prove, only to share. As survivors, it’s what we can do to turn our trauma into triumph.” Once I allowed that to sink in, I became incredibly strong in writing my truth. That’s a good place to be.

What resources would you recommend for survivors of child sexual abuse? How about for their loved ones and supporters?

The books I would recommend for survivors: The Courage to Heal by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, and for their loved ones, Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Laura Davis.

There are wonderful resources on line:

• Darkness to Light 
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
• NAASCA (National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse)
• OAASIS (Oregon Abuse Advocates & Survivors in Service)

What can friends and family of abuse victims do to support them?

The very best thing friends and family can do is to let them know they believe them. Don’t tell them, or even suggest, that they put the abuse behind them and “move on.” Nothing is more invalidating to the victim. Family/friends should learn all they can about the long-term repercussions of childhood sexual abuse so they’ll better understand if their loved one has depression, or is triggered by things that seem quite innocent to a “regular” person, or if they isolate. Patience, understanding, and support will do more for the survivor than anything else.

You have an excellent blog called Healing Beyond Survival. Please tell us about your blog and the other work you do with abuse survivors and advocates.

I credit my blog for being instrumental in saving my life; it actually pushed my recovery into the healing phase. I thought I had finished writing my book, but I still felt broken. I’d always thought blogging was silly (even though I had never read one). As the anniversary of my brother’s suicide approached, and the hurt from it made me wonder if I should finally give up, as he had, I was compelled to write those feelings down—and that became my first blog post. I hit Publish and thought that would be the end of it; however, the next morning, I woke to an overwhelming response. People told me they had cried after reading my post, they understood because they, too, had been sexually abused as a child and were trying to manage the repercussions—depression, eating disorders, PTSD… They thanked me for my courage in writing and told me to keep writing and talking about it, they needed it. So, I kept writing. My reaching out opened a whole new world for me, and I began healing.

I have become passionate about helping others. I will be a voice for others—even if my voice shakes—until they can find their own. I support many advocacy groups, and I will be a trained Darkness to Light facilitator in September; I will begin doing Stewards of Children workshops after that. My mission is to raise awareness about childhood sexual abuse.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as someone working to help abuse survivors?

“Ignore that inner critic! Telling your story will inspire others to do the same.” As a survivor, it’s easy to trigger that inner critic. If someone rolls their eyes in doubt when a news story comes on about a rape accusation, or negative responses are made when you tell people that adults who were molested as children can have PTSD, it’s really easy to trigger that old shame and self-blame. When someone says they doubt that it’s possible to have an almost photographic memory about events that happened decades earlier—the disabling shame can be instant, and the instinct is to crawl back into that secret-keeping closet. Learning to recognize triggers is critical for a sex abuse victim. Shutting that inner critic down as swiftly as possible means we don’t let it take control, and we move into survivor role instead of victim.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

• November 14, 2015: I'll be part of a non-fiction author panel discussion at Another Read Through in Portland.
• January 2015: I will be at the Clackamas Town Center’s Barnes & Noble for New Author Night. The exact date and time are still being scheduled.
• I'm available for bookstores and groups in the Portland/Vancouver area -- contact me through my blog!

What’s next? Are you working on new projects?

Yes, I’ve been working on another memoir, a sequel of sorts, but this one will be a collection of essays. Some are chapters from Secrets in Big Sky Country that I removed for the sake of keeping the book to a reasonable page count. Other essays are stories that happened after the book ended—there was more abuse, yes, but I also had crazy neighbors, I escaped from rehab, drove a car 10 mph down the freeway after smoking pot, cussing out the other drivers for speeding. This book gives me a chance to use humor, which has been my underlying survival mechanism.

I’m working on a children’s book that demonstrates animals as a healing agent in a child’s life. The chapter in Secrets about my beloved pet rabbit that I walked on a leash, told my secrets to, and that was killed in front of me by my stepfather, remains a traumatic memory for me. So many people have let me know they were really moved by that story, and they have shared their own stories about depending on a pet to get them through their abusive childhoods. I’m hoping the message about respecting a child’s need for their pet will be received well by parents when they read it.

I also plan to start a writing group for survivors who would like to write their childhood abuse story; it doesn’t have to be for publication. It will be a safe place, no judgment; a place where everyone hears, “I Believe You.”

THANKS, MANDY!

SECRETS IN BIG SKY COUNTRY IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE TO ORDER IT!

Teaser Tuesday: The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath

He would rise at dawn, diligent scholar that he was, and write. . . .   He'd be like Hemingway or Faulkner -- one of those guys who lived hard, wrote hard, and drank themselves to death.

-- The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath by Kimberly Knutsen, published by Northern Illinois University Press.

No, this is not really Sylvia Plath's diary. It is a funny, literary novel about a college instructor in the Midwest, working on his PhD dissertation -- a creative work called The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath.

Meanwhile, his hippie wife is going through a post-PhD slump of her own, focusing more on seducing the college kid next door than her career or family. And things really go haywire when her pregnant, free-spirit of a sister gets to town.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

I found one book in a Little Free Library last week that caught my eye:



The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon.

My life, work, and team needs some positive energy right now as we get ready for a big trial in January. We are going to be super busy between now and then and its a hard time of year for me to focus on work when I'd rather be doing holiday stuff. But it has to be done! So bring on this bus!

Book Beginning: The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING

I wish I was small again, I wish I was a kid again, I wish I was me again, the me I was before everything happened.

-- The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath by Kimberly Knutsen, published by Northern Illinois University Press.

This funny literary novel tells the story of the rocky marriage between a Midwestern professor and his hippie wife who is suffering from a post-PhD slump. Things only get worse when her pregnant, free-spirit of a sister rolls into town.

Teaser Tuesday: Hiroshima Nagasaki

The first atomic explosion took place at 5.29am on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexico desert. A plutonium bomb, codenamed Trinity, it created an explosion with the equivalent power of 18,000 tons of TNT.

-- Hiroshima and Nagasaki: An Illustrated History, Anthology, and Guide by Magnus Bartlett and Robert O'Connor, published by Odyssey Books & Maps.

This book is not a typical history book or a tourist guide book. The authors use art reproductions, photos, illustrations, unusual graphics, maps, historical documents, essays, and quotes to prove a "history, anthology, and guide" for the twin cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from their trading days in ancient Japan through the WWII bombings, including a guide for today's visitors.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: Portlandness: A Cultural Atlas

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event. Mailbox Monday has now returned to its permanent home where you can link to your MM post.

One very cool new book came into my house last week:



Portlandness: A Cultural Atlas by David Banis and Hunter Shobe, published by Sasquatch Books.

This book of "new cartography" includes 150 infographic maps of Portland and explores the city's quirky side, like city chickens, wild coyote encounters, strip clubs, food-truck trends, and (of course) coffee and beer culture. It is a great mix of cartography, sociology, and graphic design.

Authors David Banis and Hunter Shobe both work as geographers at Portland State University, studying how people connect to places and environments and how cartographers can tell stories with maps.