Since the start of the year, for some unknown reason or whim I’ve been doing a lot of reading by association. In January it was Queen of Dreams, followed by The City of Dreaming Books, followed by The Little Book. I was going to follow up with The Little Women or Little Beauties, but then I kind of lost interest; the January book thing had run its course.
But before January was quite over, I had already started Definite Space by Ann Iverson and The Love of Impermanent Things, by Mary Rose O’Reilley. I once saw Mary Rose O’Reilley at the Hamline Public Library. She has a commonsense approach to life that I find grounding.
And then a few nights later, Patricia Hampl’s The Florist’s Daughter practically leaped off the bookshelf and into my hands. My February theme was born: local authors. Iverson is a poet from East Bethel, and both O’Reilley and Hampl hail from St. Paul. And not only are they both from St. Paul, they are both also Irish and Catholic (or at least raised Catholic) and they both talk about their Irish Catholic St. Paul roots. I don’t usually have trouble keeping my various books-in-progress straight, but these two I kept confusing. Which one’s great grandparents came from the town home to The Burning of Bridget Cleary? (Mary Rose O’Reilley.) I wonder if they know each other. It seems rather likely that two famous Irish Catholic St. Paul writers might know each other. At least it’s not as outlandish as wondering if someone from Sweden happens to know my cousin Kersten. Anyway, after confusing them two or three times, I decided to stick with the one I was reading at the time I got seriously tired of said confusion (The Florist’s Daughter) and will return to The Love of Impermanent Things after spending some time in Hampl’s father’s greenhouse.
Photo credit: Martin Kalfatovic
When it came time to select a new novel, I decided to go local again, but I didn’t feel like a mystery (Ellen Hart, John Sandford) and felt a tug for a little gender balance. I went online for Minnesota fiction authors and found a great list through the St. Paul Public Library. (Are we sensing a St. Paul theme here?)
On the great list from the SPPL was
Charles Baxter. Really? How embarrassing that I didn’t know that he’s local. I read
The Feast of Love several years ago and thought it excellent. I checked my to-read shelf and there was Baxter’s
Saul and Patsy. He lives in St. Paul too. Local fiction: check.
So I’m planning to round out February with (mostly) Minnesota authors. I have a few in mind: Larry Millett, Diane Jarvenpa, Bill Holm. If you have additional suggestions for Minnesota authors, please send a comment or e-mail me.
I’m thinking about stones for March. As I was looking for local books I happened upon From Stone to Living Word, by Debbie Blue. And I also have Honey from Stone by Chet Raymo. And I know I have a book somewhere about the Rolling Stones. But it’s still February and I am going back to my local books. Suggestions for additional authors (or themes) are welcome.
Here’s to the authors of Minnesota! Thank you for helping make St. Paul and Minneapolis two of the
most literary cities in the nation.
Photo credit: Viking 79
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