Okay, I’m exhausted from a day without breaks. They added “Festival Circles” during dinner, which means small (pre-registered) groups meet on a specific topic (mine is short story), so it was worthwhile, but prevented breaks.
Highlights were the Edward P. Jones (The Known World) interview and Michael Chabon’s lecture on “Imaginary Homelands.” (Both have won the Pulitzer Prize.) Jones is a legitimate original (in world view) as his deprived childhood & lack of media interaction allowed him to create his own quite original thoughts.
Writing What You Can Imagine
The Known World is set in 1855 Virginia & centers around a n African American owning African American slaves. He feels like historical research is overrated (”If the characters aren’t there then” it doesn’t matter) & (largely) unnecessary. “The creative part of the brain can’t be held back.” Later adding, “We know more about the world than we think we do.”Give readers good characters and a good story “and you’re fine. Readers will believe until they run into the unbelievable.”
He also doesn’t understand these white male authors who agonize over writing a female or ethnic character. Just care as much about your non-”like you” character as those like you.
Finally, he feels like African Americans with no sense of history - rappers, sports stars - would own African American slaves today, pulling them out with them on their awards shows (instead of the overstylized gold chains, et al) with them because it would be legal. Wow. In essence, people without a sense of history (which is much of America and too many Christians) will do anything legal because they have no sense of consequences or responsibility?
Chabon
I’ll combine tomorrow’s Chabon presentation w/the lecture tonight. However, I was impressed that Chabon shook hands with everyone who came up to get a book signed before signing it. Never seen that before, and it was a long line. (I’d estimate 1,000+ at the lecture.)
Right now I have to brush up for an interview with Yann Martel (Live of Pi) in the morning. More Friday.
