Reader's Exchange : Readers Exchange, Leila Meacham

Where everybody knows your name

Linda Sappenfield — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:44:00 GMT

Is it right that I appreciate bad book reviews more than good ones?

By "bad", I mean uncomplimentary assessments, not poorly written texts. Book selectors aren't glass-half-empty folks, but we need to be pragmatists, given that library budgets can't accommodate all forthcoming titles. We value the rare unvarnished indicators of titles less likely to please our readers.

A sample from today's reading raises a bright red flag: "Pretension leaps from the very first page of this trivial, tepid reworking..." The reviewer goes on to explain precisely where the flaws exist, in his/her opinion. I'll check with other sources before deciding; the process works.

Author shorthand is also wonderfully useful for book buyers. Much can be said about style and quality in few words by equating a newer writer's effect to that of a famous author. Hinting that "followers of Tom Clancy may enjoy" or that "fans of Julian Barnes are likely to appreciate" nicely encapsulates tone, pacing, theme, and so forth.

Selectors, readers, and publishers all find this device helpful. For authors, there'd be two rewards: First, finding yourself mentioned along with, say, a bestseller like Nora Roberts or a prizewinner like Jonathan Franzen; secondly, just imagine hearing that a newcomer is being compared to you!

I thought it would be fun to look up archived early reviews for some authors whom we all know. When these household names were initially published or auditioning a new series, in whose literary footsteps did they appear destined to follow?

John Grisham: His first, A Time to Kill (1989) had a small initial print run, so I searched our Novelist database for his next,The Firm (1991). From Kirkus Reviews: "Grisham does not cut as deep or furnish the occasional shining paragraph that Scott Turow does, but he writes a stripped, cliché-free page that grip and propels."
Janet Evanovich: Having initially published romances as Steffie Hall, she hit her stride with One for the Money (1994), the first Stephanie Plum title. Not only did the series opener merit status as a New York Times Notable Book, a Booklist review claimed that "...Evanovich's writing is as smooth, clever, and laugh-aloud funny as Robert Parker at his best."
Leila Meacham: San Antonio resident Meacham made a big splash in 2010 with Roses. Meacham's hefty (and hugely enjoyable) family saga merited no fewer than three name-droppings in the same Publisher's Weekly review. Margaret Mitchell was evoked shortly after this bit: "...may herald the overdue return of those delicious doorstop epics from such writers as Barbara Taylor Bradford and Colleen McCullough."
Stuart Woods: He'd published a number of successes, including the notable Chiefs (1981) already, so we shouldn't be surprised that a Kirkus reviewer of New York Dead (1991), first in the Stone Barrington series, compared the author to--himself. "Silky-smooth cop thriller", "Woods's best since Under the Lake."

Sure, some very grand awards beckon--Pulitzer, Nobel, American Book Awards, the Orange Prize, Man Booker Prize, etc. But you can't tell me that authors don't aspire to a very practical honor, that of having proven so popular with a bookstore chain or library audience that the institution automatically pre-orders anything you publish.

Congratulations, you're now a Standing Order!

TBF or not TBF?

Linda Sappenfield — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:17:00 GMT

Last weekend's Texas Book Festival was, in the words of local Barnes & Noble public relations manager Frank Campbell, "the perfect storm". Owing to ideal weather, immediate follow-up to ACL, and over 200 notable authors on site, TBF 2010 was pleasantly swarming. I've heard that events predicted to be minor draws brought in overflow audiences, while top attractions generally surpassed those high expectations.

Attendees are resolving to show up earlier for events next year; competition for most any seat now appears to be a given. And the wait is worth it. The prospect of hobnobbing with fellow booklovers and acclaimed authors--for free!--on the Capitol grounds offers unique value.

For the best possible TBF experience, you would enjoy volunteering, as I did. Volunteers can get closer to the action; some festival-goers will even covet your free T-shirt! Second, do your homework. TBF is a vast undertaking, offering more options than you can manage. Study the schedule beforehand on the TBF website or in the Statesman's festival guide and do some prioritizing, factoring in wait times and distances between venues.

And there's a third strategy: share your insights with others. You can catch de-briefings on speakers you missed, follow up online, and acquire reading suggestions (not to mention gift-giving ideas).

Some of the best bits I heard at or about the festival:

Attendees at chef Alton Brown's packed Central Market session raved about Brown's contagious enthusiasm and consideration (obliging everyone with autographs and scooting parents with young children to the head of line).
Amanda Hesser (Essential New York Times Cookbook and food52.com) sold us on the NYT compilation, which I hadn't realized is not just a Craig Claiborne update; it includes significant historical and reader-contributed content. Ms. Hesser didn't miss a beat when asked (probably for the millionth time) how she stays "rail-thin" even though she bakes constantly.
Leila Meacham (author of Roses) referring to the tradition of Southerners sacrificing all for one's property or plantation: "Back then, you were your land. Today, some ladies are their handbags."
Jane Roberts Wood (author of the Lucy Richards trilogy and the recent Out the Summerhill Road), delightedly acknowledging this note from a reader: "I think your characters drink too much!"
And the author escort for Doug Chernack and Mike Bender, creators of Awkward Family Photos, claimed that she has never laughed so much or so hard in her entire life.

Families! Can't live with 'em...

Linda Sappenfield — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:47:00 GMT

Leila Meacham's well-publicized new novel comes out later this week. If you've already heard that it's primarily set on an East Texas cotton plantation, the title may surprise you--Roses.

Explained early on, the flowers symbolize a unique tradition among the community founders. For me, this device adds little to the story, unlike the locale and the multi-generational characters, which are inspired choices. The fictional small town founded by the Tolivers, Dumonts, and the Warwicks, neither in the Old South nor in the West, can supply elements of both regions: social caste and frontier growth potential. Mary Toliver (who channels Scarlett O'Hara, green eyes and all) is thus granted more scope in which to aspire and, consequently, to invoke new manifestations of the "Toliver curse".

I am finishing (and enjoying) an Advance Reading Copy and predict that some distracting figures of speech and expressions noted there won't appear in the final version. San Antonio resident Meacham is at her best when narrating the interplay of relatives and old friends unwilling to trust one another, justifiably or not. Roses' 600+ pages and nearly century-long span have already invited comparison with The Thorn Birds, Giant, and Gone With the Wind.

Does that juxtaposition sound accurate--or flattering? You decide. I'm reserving my opinion but will say that Roses calls to mind two other nicely written sagas that have worn well. Helen Hooven Santmyers' And Ladies of the Club memorably follows generations of small-town Ohio families from the Civil War well into the 20th century. Jane Roberts Woods' trilogy (beginning with The Train to Estelline) originates in northeast Texas. The novels chronicle Lucinda Richards' life for two decades--a span of years that forges her character and documents the changing nature of Texas, as well. As in Roses, we learn that East Texas women named Lucy should not be taken lightly!