Review: The Blue Suitcase

I've mentioned author Marianne Wheelaghan a few times on this blog -- she's a self-starting writer and entrepreneur who created www.writingclasses.co.uk. She recently published her first novel, The Blue Suitcase, through Pilrig Press, and although she's not Southern (she's from Scotland, my native home), she faces the same challenges we all face. How to get the word out about her book, how to juggle writing and the rest of her life... her story is our story.

The Blue Suitcase is historical fiction, set around World War II. Antonia lives in Silesia, formerly part of Germany, with her opinionated family. Her parents are outraged that one son, Hubert, wants to join Hitler Youth and the other, Hansi, is a member of the Communist Party. Antonia's two sisters are fighting over which one of them should be sent off to become a nun. But all Antonia wants to do is celebrate her 13th birthday in peace! Things only get worse in 1933 when Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany and begins national boycotts of Jewish businesses and starts rounding up anyone who disagrees with his policies. Hansi disappears, Hubert joins the Hitler Youth march, and Antonia's mother loses her job. Women are meant to be at home taking care of the family, according to Hitler. Not surprisingly, family is the first thing to crumble under the harsh new regime.

The novel follows Antonia's struggles to find work, a home, and later simply to survive as the war ravages Germany. Marianne has flawlessly recreated images of rubble-infested Breslau and emaciated German citizens forced to evacuate their homes on foot, despite the frigid winter. It was hard to put this book down -- I had to find out what happened to Antonia, her family, and the German people. The book is all the more powerful because it's based on real events.

2011 SIBA Awards!

If you haven't yet heard, SIBA (Southern Independend Booksellers'Alliance) announced this year's winners on July 4th. Check out SIBA's website, and for a great overview of the winners and other literary news, see the excellent Authors 'Round the South blog.

Here are a few of the winners:

Fiction: Burning Bright by Ron Rash

Nonfiction: The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family by Jim Minick

Poetry: A House of Branches by Janisse Ray

Submit a play!

If you're a Southern playwright looking for an audience, you might want to submit a play for consideration in the Southern Writers' Project Festival of New Plays. The weekend-long festival is held in the spring of each year as part of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF). If your play is chosen for the festival, it'll also be considered for future ASF productions. There are two conditions: 1) You must be a Southern writer 2) Your script must be set in the South or deals specifically with Southern issues, characters, or themes.

Interesting article in Glamour

Katie Couric has an interesting interview with Kathryn Stockett in Glamour Magazine. Stockett makes the point that it's hard to answer the question, "How does the African American race feel about the book?" as it's not as though all African Americans have the same point of view...

Now, I feel dumb for asking the question at all! Maybe the point is to not focus so much on one perspective but give everyone a chance to be heard -- which is the message of the book, after all.

What do you think of The Help?

Just finished reading The Help by Mississippi author Kathryn Stockett. I know I'm late to the game, as the book's been receiving rave reviews since it was published in 2009. I really enjoyed it -- great characters, lots of plot twists, and a satisfying ending. As a novel, it was very engaging. As a political commentary on race relations, to me it seemed powerful, but I wonder what African American audiences think.

For me, growing up in Scotland as a white person and moving to the States well after the Civil Rights Movement, I feel like an outsider to this part of history. Are the characters realistic, both white and black? Stockett studied Susan Tucker's book Telling Memories Among Southern Women, and she obviously knows her subject, growing up in Jackson, Mississippi. Mainstream media love her novel, as do book clubs. But what about specifically black audiences? Or is it not cool to ask that question?

Excellent blog for writers!

Former literary agent Nathan Bransford has an excellent blog with a whole list of "Publishing Essentials," including templates for query letters, advice on how to write a novel, information about how the publishing industry works, and tons more. Check it out: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Leaf & String Book Festival

I was in Galax, VA, this weekend with family and discovered that the Leaf & String book festival had taken over downtown Galax. What a great festival! Although I'd missed the authors events (we got there kind of late), I went into Chapters Bookshop, which sponsors the festival. Lovely book store with lots of local author displays and gifts to peruse. And out on the streets, musicians played fiddle, mandolin, the bass, and banjo. And vendors sold delicious barbecue.

New Southerner Magazine Suspended

Uh-oh.... Another one bites the dust! New Southerner Magazine has suspended publication while they "explore options for restructuring and relaunching operations." Archives of the online magazine are still available on the website. So much for the idea that online magazines are easier to sustain than print ones... Any thoughts?

My updated website

Just wanted to plug my own website: www.louisajdang.com

It's still very basic, but I've changed the focus from freelance writing to my upcoming (hopefully!) novel. I'm hoping to finish it up this summer and then look for a literary agent...yikes! Wish me luck! Anyone have any advice/experience to share about finding a literary agent? Are there any that specifically focus on Southern authors/fiction?

THEMA seeking submissions

THEMA is a Louisiana-based literary journal that publishes short stories, poems, photography, and art. Each issue focuses on a specific theme, which must be an integral part of the plot:

Wisecracks & poems (deadline July 1, 2011)

Who keeps it tiday? (November 1, 2011)

White wine chilling (March 1, 2012)

Sounds like a great idea!