“I don’t *ever* write about real people. Art is supposed to be better than that. If you want a slice of life, look out the window.” —Barbara Kingsolver
I’ve got an itch I can’t scratch. I want to have a deep convo with Barbara Kingsolver, to pick her gifted brain. How on earth did she create a fiercely loyal, wryly funny, insecure but resilient Demon Copperhead if not from real people? After all, creating a composite character is a standard writing strategy. Besides, doesn’t “art imitate life”? I suspect The Poisonwood Bible’s brainchild is in Oscar Wilde’s camp, where the belief that human behavior is shaped by what we see in fiction lives large. Oh, what a fascinating discussion we would have! Better yet, let’s get the Pulitzer-Prize winner in a room with another acclaimed writer with the same framed certificate—I’d love to be a fly on the wall if Kingsolver and Strout got to talking shop.
Elizabeth Strout is a wizard when it comes to “empathetic, unvarnished portrayals of the human experience.” She has a gift for observing the ordinary. And she’s an expert when it comes to a slice-of-life narrative. No need to look out the window, just think about Olive Kitteridge. The woman who readily admitted that life is like Swiss cheese; it takes pieces out of you. So real. So, every day. So, pedestrian. Not surprisingly, Strout has done it again. Her latest novel, The Things We Never Say, revolves around a 57-year-old high school history teacher named Artie Dam. I gotta say, I’m a big fan of Artie’s—he’s an endearing guy. On the outside, Artie has it all. But on the inside, he struggles with the current political climate, the broken state of our world, and a deep loneliness. The hidden truths we carry create distance in our relationships. Strout’s embedded message about the illusion of connection is an interesting one. An important one too.
Trusty Ann Patchett said, “The new Liz Strout book is the best.” For me, Olive Kitteridge remains my number one. Am I glad I met kind, memorable Artie Dam? You bet I am. Please don’t tell Kingsolver—I like to read, read, read, different types of books, including a well-written, thoughtful day-to-day story.