Now
that people have gotten wind about the publication of my novel, the
first question they always ask me is, “what’s it about?” It
is of course difficult to answer this question. I wish I
could say that it’s easy to sum up 300 pages of single spaced
typing in a few snappy sound-bites, but it isn’t.
Accordingly,
I thought it might be of interest, and also beneficial, if I took the
time to briefly address the overall scope of my novel and my intended
goal when writing it. The way I figure it, such an
exercise will not only be beneficial to my potential readers, it will
also be beneficial to myself, as I will have a clear, accurate, and
well thought out response to direct others towards whenever they ask
me about my book. So, here it is… this is what my novel is all
about…
I
once read that when J.R.R. Tolkien decided to write The Hobbit and
The Lord of The Rings Trilogy he did so in hopes of writing a
completely British mythology. The most popular mythology
in British Literature was of course the story of King
Arthur. However, what Tolkien understood was that the
legends of King Arthur were primarily French in origin. This
isn’t really a surprise as the Plantagenet Dynasty that once ruled
England was at its inception French. The two countries
have had a complicated, if not sordid, history together. It
is therefore difficult to say what makes Tolkien’s myth in fact
more ‘British’ than the stories of Arthur and his knights, as
England’s own history is so closely tied to that of France’s. Yet,
that’s a different question, for a different discussion.
Either
way, the idea of creating a mythology for a particular country or
people group has always resonated with me. I
have always loved folklore, fairytales, and classic myths. I
remember reading books of nursery rhymes as a child and watching the
classic Ray Harryhausen movies like The Clash of The Titans and Jason
and The Argonauts as an adolescent. Even as an adult, I
have shelves of books and movies on mythology and folklore. So, when
I got the crazy idea to write a novel, I decided I wanted to create a
truly American folktale. I wanted to write an American
myth. Obviously this would be no simple task. I
had to ask myself what makes America, ‘America’? What
makes us who we are? Two centuries from now, what will we be
remembered for? Surely, such answers would have to be at the center
of my story, and a few things came to mind.
Every
influential nation is remembered for its influences. Often
times these influences are based on political or military power; yet,
every great nation is also remembered for its art and culture. The
Greeks are remembered for their philosophers and rhetoricians. The
Romans are remembered for the great Venetian Painters of the
Renaissance. The British are remembered for their poets,
playwrights, and novelists. What is America known
for? Most simply, America is known for its vernacular
music.
America
is certainly a unique country, as it was founded by immigrants from
various other nations. When its future citizens landed on
the shores of New York Harbor, Plymouth Rock, or even in the islands
of the West Indies, they brought their own traditions and values with
them. They brought religion; they brought politics, and
they brought art. As America developed into a melting pot
of various cultures, these cultures learned from one another. They
adapted, transformed, reworked, and reinvented a new culture… an
American culture. And, this is most clearly seen in the
advent of American music. America’s vernacular music is its
first and only original art form. The greater influence of
this art is beyond measure. Whether it’s jazz, blues, country
western, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, rock and roll, pop, or even
hip-hop… America’s vernacular music is a truly original
contribution to the world. America will always be remembered for its
music.
Accordingly,
the history of American vernacular music is at the center of my
folktale. But, this isn’t just a myth about music. As
America’s music is bigger than just the music itself. This
book is also about immigrants who came to America in hopes of finding
something different, if not better, from the homeland they left
behind. It is a story about racial and cultural differences and the
conflicts of a post slave America, at the emergence of the civil
rights movement. It is about sports, as America, like the Greeks and
Romans, has always celebrated and taken pride in feats of physical
performance and endurance. Lastly, this story is also about
religion.
Many
might not know this, but the word ‘religion’ is Latin in origin,
and its literal meaning is ‘re-ligament,’ i.e. re-join, re-tie,
or bring together. Unfortunately, religion has often had
the inverse effect of its desired goal, as many of the fiercest of
wars and greatest of battles have been fought over religious
differences. Nevertheless, the influence and importance of
religion cannot be ignored, as so many of the first immigrants from
England and Europe moved to American in search of religious
freedoms. Then there are all those who didn’t come
here on their own accord, such as the American slaves and their
progeny. They too brought religion. And,
regardless of their differences all people were, willingly or
unwillingly, joined together with other, different people the moment
they set foot on American soil.
With
all that said, my book isn’t ‘preachy.’ It’s not a
‘weighty’ read. It was written so that it could be
enjoyed by people of all ages, races, and religions. In my
opinion, the best American novels are those like Huckleberry Finn or
To Kill A Mockingbird. Such books are not only truly
American in their themes and approach; they also can be enjoyed by
everyone. They can be read and enjoyed by adolescents or
adults, white people or black people, Christians or Atheists. It
is my hope that my book will have an equal appeal.
So,
that’s what my book is about… more or less. It’s
called The Life and Times of Flannigan Smite. Its official
release date is June 15, 2013, and it will be available for purchase
online, immediately. It will also be available for order
at your local bookstore in approximately 6-8 weeks from its release
date. I hope you pick up a copy, and I hope you enjoy
reading it. Spread the word, tell friends and family,
write reviews… anything and everything is welcomed because, when
it’s all said and done, books are written to be read. But,
books will go unread without you the readers.
Blessings,
Braden
Wortz
6/9/2013
