Barbara Kingsolver... Grize¨ Ll a Zar-Luxton Provides Insight Into This Author,Cum Archeologist,Cum Copy Editor

Home , Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs in Heaven, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible

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Barbara Kingsolver... Grize¨ ll A zar-Luxton provides insight into this author,cum archeologist,cum copy editor... Barbara Kingsolver... the list is endless 18 The poisonwood Bible A discussion by Franschhoek Reading Circle's archaeologist, copy editor, Marion Marsh 20 x-ray technician, housecleaner, Realms of ice and snow. Some books about biological researcher very cold places An unusual discussion of a wintery topic by and translator of medical documents Margaret Iskander 22 Realms of ice and snowbooklist Margaret Iskander provides a detailed Compiled by booklist 24 GRIZEè LL AZAR-LUXTON Aanbevole prenteboeke vir babas en peuters Lona Gericke se nuttige leeslys 25 arbara Kingsolver was born on Kingsolver has always been a story- April 8,1955. She grewupìn the teller:Ì used to beg my mother to let me tell B middle of an alfalfa field', in the part her a bedtime story.'As a child, she wrote biologicalresearcher and translator of of eastern Kentucky thatlies betweenthe stories and essays and, beginning atthe age medicaldocuments. Aftergraduate school, opulent horse farms and the impoverished of eight, kept a journalreligiously. Still, it a position as a science writer for the Uni- coal fields. never occurred to Kingsolver that she versityof Arizona soonled herinto feature Kingsolver was a little girl of seven when could become a professional writer. writing forjournals and newspapers. Her she and her familylefttheir Kentucky home Growing up in a rural area, where work articles have appearedin dozens of news- tospendtwoyearsintheCongo.Whenshe centered mainly on survival, writing didn't papers and magazinesin North America returned, the world looked totally different seemto be a practical career choice. and abroad. In1986 she won an Arizona to her.Ìunderstood the way welivedin my Besides, the writers she read, she once Press Club award for outstanding feature little corner of Kentucky was just that,'says explained,`weremostlyold, deadmenfrom writing, andin1995, after the publication of the author. Òne little corner where we had England. It wasinconceivable that I might High tide inTucson,Kingsolverwas certainthings we did, possessed, believed growup to be one of those myself...' awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Let- in, butthere was a great big world out Kingsolver left Kentucky to attend ters from her alma mater,DePauwUniver- there where people had no use for many of DePauwUniversityin Indiana, where she sity. the things my community held dear. majored in biology. She also took a creative Kingsolver credits her careersin scien- Ì came home with an acutely heightened writing course, and became active in social tific writing and journalism with instilling in sense of race, of ethnicity. I gotto live in a justice organisations. Before and after her a writer'sdiscipline and broadening her place where people thought Iwas notice- graduatingin1977,Kingsolverlived and `fictionalpossibilities'. Describing herself as able and probably hideous because ofthe worked in Europe. In a shy person who colour of my skin.' the early eighties, she would generally prefer These weren'teasylessons, says pursued graduate stu- The years she worked as to stay at home with Kingsolver, butthey were priceless. She diesin biology and her computer, she has notforgotten whatthe Congo taught ecology atthe Univer- a technical writer explains that `jour- her. It made her the person, the writer, she sityof Arizona in taught her `to produce nalism forces me to is. Tucson, where she meet and talk with Ì'mextremelyinterestedin cultural dif- received a Masters of whether I wanted to or not. people I would never ference, in social and politicalhistory,and Science degree. She It would be easy to say run across otherwise'. the sparks thatfly when people with dif- also enrolled in a oh, I have writer's block, Writing is Kingsolver's ferent ways of looking at the world come writing class taught by passion, but she'sno together and need to reconcile or move author Francine oh, I have to wait for artiste. Ì consider through or celebrate those differences. All Prose, whose work my muse. I don't. myselfawriterofthe that precisely describes everything I've Kingsolver admires. working class. I'm a ever written, Animal dreams, Pigs in Kingsolver's f iction Chain that muse to your little bit smug aboutit. heaven,allofit.'Italsodescribes is rich withthe lan- desk and get the job done' Ihavesolittletoler- Kingsolver's The poisonwood Bible,anovel guage and imagery of ance for writers who of post-colonial Africa which brings to bear her native Kentucky. have elaborate three- allshe observed as a childinthe Congo and But when she firstleft hour rituals before allshe came to understand of it as an adult. home, she says,Ìlost they even get down to work. I think, oh, `Given that this is what we did as a nation my accent... [P]eople made terrible fun of please. My idea of a pre-writing ritual is in Africa, howare weto feel aboutit now?' meforthewayIusedtotalk,soIgaveitup getting thekids onthe bus and sittingdown.' asks the author. `Howdo welive with it and slowly and became something else.' During The years she worked as a technicalwriter howdo wemove on? Given thatthis is our her college years and after living in Greece taught her`to produce whether I wanted to history,whatdowedowithit? Onethingis and France, she supported herself in a or not. It would be easy to say oh,Ihave veryclear, there isn'ta single answer- varietyof jobs: as an archaeologist, copy writer's block, oh, I have to wait for my there's a spectrum of answers.' editor,X-ray technician, housecleaner,

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Awards and recognitions Homeland and other stories American Library Association Notable Book Prodigal summer The 2002 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (nomination) The bean trees Enoch Pratt LibraryYouth-to-Youth Books Award The poisonwood Bible American Library Association Notable Book Book SenseTop10 2003 (Number One) ABBYnominee Independent Publisher Book Awards, Audio Fiction1999 NewYorkTimes Notable Book American Booksellers Book of theYear (ABBY) Philips Autograph Library,West Chester University,2000 Patterson Fiction Prize,The Poetry Centre,1999 Los AngelesTimes Best Books for1998 Additionally NewYorkTimes`Ten Best Books of1998' Earth Day Award,KY Environmental Quality Commission 2003 North 49 Books,Canada,Most Valuable Picks for the Fall1998 Season PEN/USA Advisory Board, 2002 VillageVoice Best Books for1998 JohnPMcGovernAwardfortheFamily,2002 NewYork Public Library `25 Books to Remember' Physicians for Social Responsibility National Award, 2002 TheOrangePrize,GreatBritain(shortlist) Frank Waters Award, 20 02 PEN/Faulkner Award (runner-up) Best American Science and Nature Writing, 2001 Pulitzer Prize (runner-up) Governor's Awardinthe Arts,National Award,Kentucky,2001 National Humanities Medal, 2000 Pigs in heaven 100 Best Writers ofthe 20th Century,Writers Digest,1999 Los AngelesTimes Fiction Prize `Best Local Author',TucsonWeekly Bestof Tucson Awards, Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award for Fiction 1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999 (chosenbycity-widevote) Cowboy Hallof Fame Western Fiction Award Louisville's 50 Favourite Novels: The bean trees,1998 American Booksellers Book of theYear (ABBY) (nomination) National Writers Union, Andrea Egan Award,1998 NewYorkTimes Notable Books Arizona Civil Liberties Union Award,1998 Publisher's Weekly Audio Best of Year Honorary PhD.,DePauwUniversity,Greencastle,Indiana,1995 NewYorkTimes Bestseller (hardcover, trade paper) WoodrowWilson Foundation/Lila Wallace Fellowship1992 Animal dreams Citation of Accomplishment from the United Nations National Pen/USA West Fiction Award Council of Women of the United States,1989 ABBY f inalist First Place (Medium Publications,Feature Writing,Short Form), Edward Abbey Award for Ecofiction Arizona Press Club, for her profile of author Regan Forest American Library Association Notable Book (TucsonWeekly),1985 Arizona Library Association BookoftheYear DePauwUniversity Honor Scholarship,1973-76 NewYorkTimes Notable Book Phi Beta Kappa.

muse. I don't. Chain that muse to your desk Kingsolver, the novel has never gone out of Barbara Kingsolverlives with her hus- and getthe job done. print and has been embraced by millions of band Steven Hopp, and their two daugh- Ì love revision. Revision is where the art readers throughoutthe world. Ànovelcan ters,Camille (bornin1987), and Lily (1996). really happens, whenyou beginto manipu- educateto some extent,'shetold Publishers They divide their time betweenTucson, late, shiftthings around so your theme Weekly. `But first, a novel has to entertain - Arizona, and a farmin southern begins to shine through.' that'sthe contract withthe reader: you Appalachia. When not writing,Barbara From 1985 through 1987,Kingsolver was give me ten hours and I'llgive you a reason gardens, cooks, and enjoys the outdoors a freelance journalist by day, but she was to turn every page. I have a commitment to withher family; works as an environmental writing fiction by night. Married to a che- accessibility. Ibelieve in plot. I want an activist and human-rights advocate, and mistin1985, she suffered frominsomnia English professor to understand the sym- plays hand drums and keyboard with her after becoming pregnantthe following year. bolism while at the same time I want the guitarist husband. Hopp and Kingsolver Instead of following her doctor's recom- people Igrewup with - who maynotoften also co-write essays and articles on natural mendationto scrubthe bathroomtileswith read anything butthe Searscatalogue - to history, some of which appeared in Small atoothbrush,shesatinaclosetandbegan read my books.' wonder. to write The bean trees, a novel about a For Kingsolver, writing is a form of poli- Given that Barbara Kingsolver's work young woman who leaves rural Kentucky tical engagement. When she wasin her covers the psychic and geographical terri- (accentintact) and finds herself livingin twenties she discovered Doris Lessing. Ì tories that she knows first-hand, readers urbanTucson. read the Children of violence novels and often assume that her work is The bean trees, published by Harper- began to understand howa person could autobiographical. `There are little things Collinsin1988, and re-issuedin a special write about the problems of the world in a that people who know me might recognise ten-year anniversary hardcover editionin compelling and beautifulway. Andit in my novels,'she acknowledges. `But my 1998, was enthusiastically received by seemedtomethat wasthemostimportant workis not about me. I don'tever write critics. But, perhaps more importantto thing I could ever do, if I could ever do that.' about realpeople. That would be stealing,

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firstofall.Andsecondofall,artissupposed to be better thanthat. If youwant a slice of life, lookoutthe window. An artist has to lookoutthat window, isolate one or two suggestive things, and embroider them together with poetry and fabrication, to create a revelation. If we can't, as artists, improveonreallife,weshouldputdown our pencils and go bake bread.' Sources www.kingsolver.com www.bookpage.com

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