Farewell and many thanks to Rhyll McMaster

[Everyman]

I think all of us here echo your thanks.  It's been a wonderful experience having you with us, Rhyll.  I especially appreciated your openness to interpretations of the book which were a bit different from your own.

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

ande wrote:

And thanks as well to all the Book Explorers who have made the Feather Man discussion so rich and textured and funny and poignant and honest and insightful and heated and comforting and, well, I could go on and on. It's been quite the amazing experience for your humble moderator -- especially the pre-discussion discussion when you all spokeup as you were reading the book.

And, Rhyll, what can I say. You have been a dream. First you honored us with your unforgettable book and characters (though I can think of one I would happily wipe from my memory). And you responded with such wit and grace to all the Explorers' comments and questions and requests for translations of Australia-isms. And I love that you shared your poems and showed us how Feather Man grew from them.

We loved having you here. It was a pleasure to hear how taken you are with the online discussion concept. You will always be an honorary Book Explorer.

You'll come back and visit, won't you?

Ande 

Message Edited by ande on 10-03-2008 11:00 PM

---

Ande, you've been moderator supremo. Literally couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for the invite to visit - I will indeed.

Well, I really don't want it to finish... it's been so great having these conversations with all of you. I feel as if we've only just started talking, (having discussed the book), and now we should be meeting regularly for coffee and more talk about any number of things.  But given our virtual situation I'll have to let go and get on with it, and you'll all move on to other books and other authors.  

Thank you all  for this experience, for the effort you put in over a whole month of discussion, for your generosity of spirit towards me and 'Feather Man', and for being such 'constant readers'.

[debbook]

Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your book with us. It really helped to know what you were thinking as you wrote the book. Everyone should be so lucky to talk to the authors of books they read! Thanks again and let us know when your next book will be out Best of luck.

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

Everyman wrote:
I think all of us here echo your thanks.  It's been a wonderful experience having you with us, Rhyll.  I especially appreciated your openness to interpretations of the book which were a bit different from your own.

---

It was lovely having a bloke's point of view: you did cast new light on some of the characters, for instance Peter. Your comment about him being (I think you said) "a waste of skin" was a revelation to me!  Thanks for your company.

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

debbook wrote:
Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your book with us. It really helped to know what you were thinking as you wrote the book. Everyone should be so lucky to talk to the authors of books they read! Thanks again and let us know when your next book will be out Best of luck.

---

Thank you for your comments along the way; I've really appreciated them...  but it's the authors who are lucky to have this opportunity to talk to readers, and to have such serious attention paid to their books in such a well-structured forum.

[chadadanielleKR]

Hi Rhyll,

Thank you so much for your kind and carefully written answers to everyone and thank you for giving us a flavour of Australia. About 30 y ago, I dreamt about Australia while reading Bruce Chatwin but never made the trip. One day, perhaps....

Danielle

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:

---

debbook wrote:
Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your book with us. It really helped to know what you were thinking as you wrote the book. Everyone should be so lucky to talk to the authors of books they read! Thanks again and let us know when your next book will be out Best of luck.

---

Thank you for your comments along the way; I've really appreciated them...  but it's the authors who are lucky to have this opportunity to talk to readers, and to have such serious attention paid to their books in such a well-structured forum.

---

Debbook - I see belatedly that you wanted to know if a feather man was an Australian saying. When I was searching around for a title for my book (I had initially called it 'Pure Fiction' but my publisher didn't like that title) I suddenly had this image of Sooky wanting to 'tar and feather' Lionel. Then, of course, there are plenty of chook images and feathers floating around. Also I thought of Lionel and Redmond as morally lightweight - light as a feather.  It was only after I had chosen the title and the book was published that I was talking to an Aboriginal woman who told me the story of the Feather Men from her culture - they wear feathers on their feet and walk backwards. You don't want to meet up with them, she told me, because they can steal your soul from you.

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

chadadanielleKR wrote:

Hi Rhyll,

Thank you so much for your kind and carefully written answers to everyone and thank you for giving us a flavour of Australia. About 30 y ago, I dreamt about Australia while reading Bruce Chatwin but never made the trip. One day, perhaps....

Danielle

---

You're very kind, Danielle. I'm so pleased you read my book.  Australia is worth the long flight. I have family who live in Broome on the west coast of Australia, and it is so different and so far away from Sydney on the east coast that it is like a foreign country, even to me.  I live in a land of absolute extremes. I once did a ten day overland trip from Broome to Darwin through the Kimberley, sleeping in dry creek beds (only possible in the dry season!), where the land is so flat that you can see the curve of the horizon.

[debbook]

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:

---

debbook wrote:
Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your book with us. It really helped to know what you were thinking as you wrote the book. Everyone should be so lucky to talk to the authors of books they read! Thanks again and let us know when your next book will be out Best of luck.

---

Thank you for your comments along the way; I've really appreciated them...  but it's the authors who are lucky to have this opportunity to talk to readers, and to have such serious attention paid to their books in such a well-structured forum.

---

Debbook - I see belatedly that you wanted to know if a feather man was an Australian saying. When I was searching around for a title for my book (I had initially called it 'Pure Fiction' but my publisher didn't like that title) I suddenly had this image of Sooky wanting to 'tar and feather' Lionel. Then, of course, there are plenty of chook images and feathers floating around. Also I thought of Lionel and Redmond as morally lightweight - light as a feather.  It was only after I had chosen the title and the book was published that I was talking to an Aboriginal woman who told me the story of the Feather Men from her culture - they wear feathers on their feet and walk backwards. You don't want to meet up with them, she told me, because they can steal your soul from you.

---

That describes Lionel and Redmond quite aptly.

[Everyman]

It was only after I had chosen the title and the book was published that I was talking to an Aboriginal woman who told me the story of the Feather Men from her culture - they wear feathers on their feet and walk backwards. You don't want to meet up with them, she told me, because they can steal your soul from you.

I don't recall the waling backwards part, but I do recall the Aboriginal practice of dipping the feet in blood and feathers from one of the Arthur Upfield mysteries with his half-white half-native detective, Napoleon Bonaparte.

[vivico1]

Ahhh, but if they walk backwards, wouldn't you see them before they saw you?? hehe

---

debbook wrote:

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:

It was only after I had chosen the title and the book was published that I was talking to an Aboriginal woman who told me the story of the Feather Men from her culture - they wear feathers on their feet and walk backwards. You don't want to meet up with them, she told me, because they can steal your soul from you.

---

That describes Lionel and Redmond quite aptly.

---

[OceaniaRhyll]

I feel a bit like our famous Nellie Melba, (she could never bear to say goodbye either) but this note is because Kiakar left me a message on the other thread. She had missed out on most of the discussion, but she reckons she has never read a more intelligent book in her life - so of course she is my favourite reader.

[Deltadawn]

Wow - What a perfect title for this book, and for Lionel and Redmond!

Rhyll, I would like to add my thanks to you for sharing your beautiful book with us and for joining us in these wonderful discussions.   All the best, Dawn

---

Debbook - I see belatedly that you wanted to know if a feather man was an Australian saying. When I was searching around for a title for my book (I had initially called it 'Pure Fiction' but my publisher didn't like that title) I suddenly had this image of Sooky wanting to 'tar and feather' Lionel. Then, of course, there are plenty of chook images and feathers floating around. Also I thought of Lionel and Redmond as morally lightweight - light as a feather.  It was only after I had chosen the title and the book was published that I was talking to an Aboriginal woman who told me the story of the Feather Men from her culture - they wear feathers on their feet and walk backwards. You don't want to meet up with them, she told me, because they can steal your soul from you.

---

Message Edited by Deltadawn on 10-07-2008 12:24 PM

[Deltadawn]

I would also like to thank you, Ande, for everything- especially all of the wonderful insights, questions, & comments you posted for us.  You initiated such thoughtful discussions about the book. 

And, by the way, thanks for choosing such a great book for us to read, too.

All the best, Dawn

[ande]

Dawn:

Many thanks for those kind words.  I try.

Ande

---

Deltadawn wrote:

I would also like to thank you, Ande, for everything- especially all of the wonderful insights, questions, & comments you posted for us.  You initiated such thoughtful discussions about the book. 

And, by the way, thanks for choosing such a great book for us to read, too.

All the best, Dawn

---

[vivico1]

ROFL, you are so funny Rhyll. I knew u were still around. Who wouldn't be afterwards, to see if anything was said when its over hehe. And here we thought we were your favorite readers! lol Hey, Kiakar is cool. She is one of my lurking friends I was telling you about lol.

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:
I feel a bit like our famous Nellie Melba, (she could never bear to say goodbye either) but this note is because Kiakar left me a message on the other thread. She had missed out on most of the discussion, but she reckons she has never read a more intelligent book in her life - so of course she is my favourite reader.

---

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

vivico1 wrote:

ROFL, you are so funny Rhyll. I knew u were still around. Who wouldn't be afterwards, to see if anything was said when its over hehe. And here we thought we were your favorite readers! lol Hey, Kiakar is cool. She is one of my lurking friends I was telling you about lol.

---

OceaniaRhyll wrote:
I feel a bit like our famous Nellie Melba, (she could never bear to say goodbye either) but this note is because Kiakar left me a message on the other thread. She had missed out on most of the discussion, but she reckons she has never read a more intelligent book in her life - so of course she is my favourite reader.

---

---

Now I'm not going to play favourites... but you have a special place in my heart, Vivian.

[Everyman]

Now I'm not going to play favourites... but you have a special place in my heart, Vivian.

Ooh, me too, me too!  

[OceaniaRhyll]

---

Everyman wrote:

Now I'm not going to play favourites... but you have a special place in my heart, Vivian.

Ooh, me too, me too!  

---

Goodbye, goodbye.... (Grand Nellie Melba wave)

[ande]

Book Explorers:

Set your virtual cakes, cheese and crackers, wine, coffee and tea on the table and take a seat. Let’s all settle in for what I know will be an excellent conversation about Feather Man all this week.

First, thank you all for taking the time to read this extraordinary first novel from acclaimed poet (and now acclaimed author) Rhyll McMaster and for a month’s worth of terrific discussion about Feather Man -- the plot, characters, the crises, the cover and all sorts of choices that the author makes when she writes a book (though her publishers choose the cover art and I’ve invited hers for the UK and US, Catheryn Kilgarriff of Marion Boyars Publishers, to visit us as well to talk about that and also why she acquired FM).

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Rhyll will be with us all week. She is posting from Australia so please be patient with any lag between your posts and her replies. She’s got to sleep like the rest of us! Her publisher is based in London.

2. I have moved all the content of the Questions thread into this one so we can be in one place talking to Rhyll. She has been reading the discussion as we’ve gone along (I made her resist chiming in) and has prepared a good overview of your questions she wants to respond to from the four sections discussions.

3. Exciting news: Feather Man a Pick of the Week in tomorrow’s Boston Globe! Congrats, Rhyll and Catheryn.

Many thanks to all you Book Explorers!

Ande

PS Some of you asked for books, introduced yourselves but dropped out of the discussion. Perhaps you are the rare person who doesn’t feel the need to repeat what others have said. Or maybe you’re uncomfortable with strong disagreement. I’d like to know why so that I can tweak the process next time we do this. Feel free to send me a private message, if you prefer.