When Vinnie and I arrived at the MLK Room, we bumped into a nervous and pacing Professor Ramos. Beautiful as ever, but nervous and pacing. Concerned her first event was too disorganized, she fretted a bit about how it would all turn out. The turn out was spectacular. The pacing and cute fretting was all for naught. The room was filled to the brim with eager Salem Staters awaiting the words of these three talented and progressive writers. (Professor Ramos even created a "Balcony Section" out of thin air!)
Steve Himmer read first. He shared an excerpt out of his soon to be released novel The Bee-Loud Glade. As a person who's mind wanders even in the movies when I have a ginormous screen in my face, I found it telling that his voice and incredible wielding of words held my attention and led me through the scene where we meet Finch, main character. Incredible how I could see the whole setting as if before my eyes, I only can be anxious for the sale of his book in April so I can see what Himmer does with Finch and his surroundings as he becomes a Decorative Hermit (according to Himmer, an actual job in I believe the 1800s...a job I would totally rock, btw!)
Robert Kloss was our next visiting writer to share his work. Currently working on The Lost Bodies of Alligators, he read aloud in a dreamy, captivating voice 3 sections from this work, due out this year (Mudluscious Press). If it is possible to have in existence a lyric history, this is the corner market. Historical fiction, prose poetry, poetic history...beautiful, dark, sad and fantastical all at the same time. Kloss, upon meeting him, seems to be a soul of words. I could see them swarming above his head as he talked, as he thought, as he leaned against the wall in the MLK room, almost aloof. This man is about words. He is about words and what he can do to them: manipulate, grow, shrink, twirl, repeat, use, abuse, love, cherish, create...I believe he dreams in words (but this is only my personal assumption). Like the mist that our mouths emit when it is frigid outside, if you look closely enough at Kloss, you will see a soft mist of words emanate from his lips as he breaths. The poetic quality of his work, and his boundless imagery, simply what he does with his words places him in a quite progressive realm that as he tests the boundaries of futuristic fiction, still hearkens back to the origins. Incredible...and light years beyond where I could ever reach in my wildest dreams.
Matt Bell was the last to read, but I am sure I am not the only girl in the MLK room to have fallen in love as he read "The Cartographer's Girl." I already downloaded How They Were Found to my kindle, as well as his long short stories "A Long Walk with Only Chalk to Mark the Way" and "A Tree or A Person or A Wall" because I am an insta-addict! "The Cartographer's Girl" is a love story, but it is filled with images and a different emotional perspective than a traditional (i.e. boring) love story. I would have to say that Matt Bell is in touch with the depths and crevices of modern humanity and is able to portray it in his writing in a way that is uncommon (yet mildly reminiscent of Proust? perhaps...). Uncommon and beautiful. I hope he never stops writing.
All of these writers seem to be ahead of the curve. In my opinion, this is one thing that makes a great writer, well, a great writer. The ability to see current humanity for what it is and project on that with words that stretch us, grow us and bring us into a literary future that is sure to remain in the forefront of literary invention and to, yes, become emulated by those that follow...Kudos to Professor Ramos for bringing these guys to us! Many Thanks!
The Q & A that followed proved that these three men are not only incredibly talented but generous as well. They answered questions that picked at their brains, their roots, their home lives and writing lives. They were open and shared tips with those of us intent on honing in on their craft. The Q & A started slowly but got deeper and deeper entrenched in the inspirations and thoughts of these men. They allowed us to play in the mud with them. I for one am quite thankful for the opportunity to meet and listen to these writers. The experience heightened my desire to write. Their words of encouragement to budding writers lends an air of excitement to the embarking of a writing life.
Kloss says we write what we know. And all three men said that one of the biggest things that helped their writing was Time. Time and Reading.
Ohhh. That there could be more time for reading...
And as Professor Ramos says, "Write 'til you drop!"
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