Thursday, June 6, 2013

"So, What's Your Novel About..."


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

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