Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2009 12:00 am
Get to know local authors; find the perfect beach book
Compiled by Nancy Raskauskas and Theresa Novak
The Entertainer
Homegrown books:Profiles of local authors
MANUSCRIPT DESTINEY: PAUL VANDEVELDER
AGE: 57 (but, "I'm 57 going backward.")
HOMETOWN: Lives in Corvallis. Grew up in Mexico City, Mexico.
FAMILY: Wife, Brenda; daughter, Ellie; sons Brooks and Jesse.
EDUCATION: "I did a lot of master's work at the University of Montana (history) and then I went back and got a degree in journalism."
OCCUPATION: Writer since the late 1970s.
BOOKS: "Coyote Warrior" (2004), which is now taught in more than 30 universities, and "Savages and Scoundrels" (2009) about the evolution of the Treaty at Horse Creek in 1851 - a major legally binding treaty that promised to preserve Native American homelands - and how it was repeatly violated into oblivion.
LEAP OF FAITH
A freelance writer for the past 18 years, Paul VanDevelder said giving up the security working as a photojournalist for the Arizona Daily Star and the Corvallis Gazette-Times was frightening - but has proven to be ultimately liberating.
In addition to his books, he's a frequent contributor to Audobon, Sierra, High Country News and L.A. Times.
RESEARCH OR WRITING
"With Coyote Warrior, I reached a point where I knew I had to start writing. I didn't want to stop doing the research, but I already had 10 times more than I could ever use. Nevertheless, I wrote the first 200 pages and knew it wasn't right … It was a tough moment when I recognized that all the work I'd done was really for naught … I walked back to my office and picked up the phone and called Amtrack for a ticket back to North Dakota. And sure enough, it was on that trip that I got the opening on a walk one morning … When I got home from that trip I couldn't wait to start writing … "
"I work the facts into a narrative and let the people themselves tell the story. … It's one thing writing about people who have been dead for 200 years; it's another thing to write about the dead relatives of people who are alive right now and who are also in the book."
"There's a real postpartum aspect to this book-writing business that can take its toll. So much anticipation in both the planning, the writing, and the production, that after it launches there's something of a void there. Luckily, I've got plenty to keep me busy."
CURRENT PROJECTS
VanDevelder just had the cover story for American History magazine for an article titled "What Do We Owe the Indians?" and recently did some freelance photography work in Tahiti.
VanDevelder is writing the script for a PBS documentary on "Savages and Scoundrels." Filming is scheduled to start in the fall.
READING FOR PLEASURE: "Child of God" by Cormac McCarthy; "Eichmann in Jerusalem" by Hannah Arndt, "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene and "Gallatin Canyon: Stories" by Thomas McGuane.
UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY: While researching "Savages and Scoundrels" - "The Lousiana Purchase wasn't a purchase at all. It was an annexation."
MORE INFORMATION: www.elbowoodscafe.com.
HISTORICAL HEROINES: LINDA CREW
AGE: 58.
HOMETOWN: Lives just south of Corvallis at Wake Robin Farm. "I was born right here in Corvallis, as was my mother," Crew said. "Her parents met when they went to OAC. My grandfather was manager of the Co-op Managers Association for years. This was in the building at First and Monroe which now houses our favorite restaurant - Aqua. When we go there, it's fun thinking we're in Grampa's old place."
Family: Husband Herb Crew and kids Miles, Mary and William. Mother, Marolyn Welch Tarrant, still lives in town.
EDUCATION: B.A. in Journalism from University of Oregon. "I took only one year-long section of a class that could count as creative writing," Crew said.
Occupation: "Although, I did work briefly as a florist and delivered a rural postal route for a couple of years when we were first married, for the most part I've just been fully occupied trying to freelance, raise kids, work on the farm, our tree farm properties, endlessly remodel the house etc. etc.," Crew said. "We got married in the yard at Wake Robin Farm 35 years ago this coming Monday and there has just always been plenty to do."
BOOKS: Ooligan Press at Portland State has come out with a new issue of "A Heart for Any Fate: Westward to Oregon 1845." Random House is issuing a 20th anniversary edition of Crew's first novel, "Children of the River." There is a new edition of "Fire on the Wind." Other books include: "Nekomah Creek," "Nekomah Creek Christmas," "Long Time Passing," "Someday I'll Laugh About This," "Brides of Eden: A True Story Imagined" and "Ordinary Miracles."
FICTION OR NONFICTION?
"If it's sort of a personal story, then it just has to be something I care about or know a lot about. My one adult novel, "Ordinary Miracles," is about infertility. We'd been through it, so I felt like I had a few things to say. If it's a historical novel, I try to find a story that grabs me and one where it seems like I'm in a good position to be the person to tell that story. I don't go looking too far afield for stories because I like staying right here on the farm.
Advice for new authors
"Read, write, submit to the criticism of others, send your stuff out and develop a thick skin. It's hard to get published. "Children of the River" was rejected 16 times before it was accepted, same magic number for "A Heart for Any Fate." There's a lot of luck involved but you have to make your own luck by upping the odds the right person will hit on your work."
READING FOR PLEASURE: "The Family Man" by Elinor Lipman
MORE INFORMATION: www.lindacrew.com.
CULTIVATED IN LINES: CHARLES GOODRICH
AGE: 57.
HOMETOWN: Corvallis. Grew up in Ohio and Illinois. A northwesterner since 1975.
FAMILY: Wife Kapa Korobeinikov and son Elliot.
EDUCATION: MFA in English from Oregon State University in 2000. Goodrich spent 25 years as a professional gardener, 15 years of which were spent working on the the Benton County Courthouse grounds, before deciding to return to school and "retool" himself so he could teach writing.
"I have been a poet my whole life," he said.
OCCUPATION: Program director of the Spring Creek Project in the Department of Philosophy at Oregon State University.
BOOKS: "In the Blast Zone: Catastrophe and Renewal on Mount St. Helens" (2008), "The Practice of Home: Biography of a House" (2004) and "Insects of South Corvallis" (2003). Just finished manuscript for "Going to Seed: 52 Dispatches from the Garden."
IN THE ALMANAC
Selections of Goodrich's poetry have been recited by Garrison Keillor on National Public Radio's "Writer's Almanac."
IN THE FIELD
"I'm passionate about the interweaving of nature and culture," Goodrich said.
"A lot of people are stuck in institutional boundaries," he added. The Spring Creek Project works to bring together scientists and literary types from various disciplines for retreats in nature and to mull questions such as "What does it mean to live in a volcanic zone?" and "What is our moral responsibility to respond to climate change?"
Goodrich's latest book, "Blast Zone," which he was an editor for, is a collection of essays and poems written by an interdisciplinary group that visited Mount St. Helens in the summer of 2005, 25 years after, the mountain's famous 1980 eruption. The whole idea of the book is indicative of the purpose of the Spring Creek Project.
"We need to make it our point to get people from both sides of the institutional divide together," Goodrich said.
Goodrich is looking forward to a month-long writing residency in Wallowa County.
GETTING IT ON PAPER
Goodrich said he does his most serious writing in the morning at his desk at home. But, that he is always prepared to capture a thought throughout the day. "I only wear shirts with a pocket," Goodrich said removing a notebook.
ADVICE FOR NEW AUTHORS
"Read. Lots. Everything. Always."
READING FOR PLEASURE: "Can Poetry Save the Earth?" by John Felstiner. "Poets in general do not see a hard separation between nature and humans," Goodrich noted.
MORE INFORMATION: springcreek.oregonstate.edu.
PROJECTED PROSE: PAUL TURNER
AGE: 48.
HOMETOWN: Corvallis for the last 14 years. Originally from Vancouver, B.C.
FAMILY: "I'm very, very lucky to have the best editor in the world, my wife Lainie."
EDUCATION: "Six years of college studying English and philosophy/religion. Never graduated."
OCCUPATION: Owner/operator of the Darkside Cinema.
BOOKS: "Prancing Lavender Bunnies" (2007) and "Dodging the Butterfly Nets" (2008). Working title of next book: "Has Anyone Seen My Splicer?"
ROUGH CUTS
"Started writing the essays for theater customers when I opened the Avalon in 1997. It happened by chance. Writing the essays kept people from asking the same questions again and again," Turner said. "Next thing I knew, people were asking about them when I stopped writing them - so I kept doing it."
MOBILE MIND
"Always have my laptop with me. Write while working, while sitting in airports, while watching TV, while eating, etc. It happens when it happens - I write when I have a minute: from early morning to late at night and all times between."
PASSIONS
"LOL cats. Kidding!"
"Independent cinema - as overused as that term is. Movies outside the studio system. Independent cinema and the machines that run the film. Independent cinema and those who sacrifice for it."
"Motorcycling as a sport, not as a subculture. Its history and future."
"Cars: Older American; Older diesel."
"Pretty much anything that has to do with getting your hands dirty that doesn't involve plants."
"Classic fiction."
"Filmmaking."
ADVICE FOR NEW AUTHORS
"Live something to write about. We've all been in love, had our hearts broken, buried a pet, had a first kiss, had our first arrest for running bottomless down Third Street with our torso inside a Chinese dragon head. Do something that is LIKE that. What else feels like falling in love, having sex for the first time, or being chased by cops laughing so hard they can't keep up? Give me a story that makes me feel those things again. Travel. Take chances. Lose it all and earn it back. Get in a fight and be humiliated. Be with someone in pain and have nothing to say. Look those in the eye who have looked at death in the eye. Then write about it well. Read those who have come before you. The ones who did it right and now most successful writers are emulating. Read. Live. Write. By the way, no matter what they say, getting drunk or high doesn't help."
READING FOR PLEASURE: "The Best of Craigslist" (www.craigslist.org/about/best), "The Last Round Up" by Christie Golden, "Citizen Hughes" by Michael Drosnin and failblog.org.
MORE INFORMATION: www.darksidecinema.com.
Compiled by Nancy Raskauskas and Theresa Novak
MOST CHECKED-OUT
(Since Jan. 1, 2009)
Adult non-fiction
1. "Stubborn Twig" by Lauren Kessler.
2. "Hot, flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman.
3. "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris.
4. "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell.
5. "Wishful Drinking" by Carrie Fisher
6. "Dewey" by Vicki Myron.
7. "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson
8. "Corvallis Trails" by Margie Powell.
9. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
10. "Dreams From My Father" by Barack Obama.
Adult Fiction
1. "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski.
2. "Plum Spooky" by Janet Evanovich.
3. "The Associate" by John Grisham.
4. "The Brass Verdict" by Michael Connelly.
5. "Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovich.
6. "The Appeal" by John
Grisham.
7. "The Private Patient" by P.D. James.
8. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson.
9. "Breaking Dawn" (Twilight series) by Stephenie Meyer.
10. "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson.
Youth fiction
1. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling.
2. "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling.
3. "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
4. "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick.
5. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling.
6. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling.
7. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" byJ.K. Rowling.
8. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K Rowling.
9. "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke.
- Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
Youth trends
• Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.
• House of Night series by P.C. Cast.
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.
• Nonfiction about World War II and the Holocaust.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney.
• The eternally popular dinosaur books, Biscuit beginning readers, Magic Tree House titles and Garfield comic books.
- Albany Public Library
STAFF PICKS: BEACH BAG
• "Water for Elephants," by Sara Gruen: "This novel about life with a traveling circus in the 1930s doesn't spare any of the harsh details of the life, but at its core, it's a tender love story." - Rachel Beck, GT public safety reporter
• "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star," by Tab Hunter with Eddie Muller: "Tab was gay when gay wasn't cool." - Jane Stoltz, GT news Clerk
• "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom: "If you want to kindle your imagination and pretend your life has unexpected significance, this one is fun." - Scobel Wiggins, GT photographer
• Any book by Neil Gaiman: "I'm now into "A Walking Tour of the Shambles." It's about the old part of Chicago not burned in the 1871 great fire. You'll get dragged in and you won't want to leave." - Theresa Novak, GT city editor
• The Twilight Series: "Twilight," "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer: "The next best addiction to the Harry Potter series." - Nancy Raskauskas, Entertainer editor
CONSIDER THIS: 5 SUGGESTED TITLES
1. "In the Blast Zone: Catastrophe and Renewal on Mount St. Helens." Edited by Charles Goodrich, Kathleen Dean Moore and Frederick J. Swanson (2008). In prose and poetry, leading literary and scientific thinkers explore the story of Mount St. Helens' destruction and renewal.
2. "Living with Bugs:Least-Toxic Solutions to Everyday Bug Problems." By Jack DeAngelis (2009). An essential guide for homeowners, master gardeners and cooperative extension agents. Examines more than 50 of the most commonly encountered household pests and offers environmentally friendly management solutions.
3. "Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities." By Jeff Mapes (2009). In a world of increasing traffic congestion, a grassroots movement is carving out a niche for bicycles on city streets.
4. "Strand: An Odyssey of Pacific Ocean Debris." By Bonnie Henderson (2008). Writer Bonnie Henderson traveled as far as China and Japan to trace the journeys of debris washed up on a stretch of Oregon beach.
5. "Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family." By Lauren Kessler (2008). A story of immigrants making their way in a new land. Oregon Library Association selection for the statewide 2009 Oregon Reads program.
- OSU Press
READ ON
Find additonal links and information for the libraries' summer reading programs, a list of area book shops and more information on local authors with recent publications on the Entertainer's blog: www.entertainer.mvourtown.com