December 15-19: Wally Lamb

[PinkBaby]

hi again well mr. LAMB i like the  way you done caelums boyhood memories. i can just hear him talking in that little boy voice. some of his memories in THE HOUR I FIRST  BELIEVED are funny but alot of them  are sad. and yes some of them are freaking me out. i am not finished with the book yet.  so i dont want to say to much about things in the book. because i dont want to spoil it for others who havent read the book. i will say one thing now that i have thought about it. i get creepy feeling from the farm where he grew up.

[Bethanne]

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Wally_Lamb wrote:

Hello, everyone (including our host extraordinaire, Bethanne)--

It's about noon on Thursday here in CT. I've just read the latest postings and will answer in depth. My problem is: I have to drive to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a big event--the last of my 2008 book tour--and I've run out of time for today. I would have brought along my laptop and chatted with you from my hotel, but said laptop died a few days ago. I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully, I'll beat the impending snowstorm) and will answer all your questions then. And Bethanne, since today's a wash, I'll be happy to check in on Saturday, too, if that's okay. Meanwhile, please know that I've enjoyed our daily chats thus far: nice folks, great questions. Wish me luck in New Hampshire: a live audience at a historic 900-seat theater in a great book town.

All best until tomorrow,

Wally

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Wally, I'm glad Maria and Stephanie already chimed in about a) your being absolutely welcome to stay another day and b) the January club discussion (which I'll be joining). I can relate to the dying laptop...I'm currently in the market for a new one. I'm sure many of our readers would love to know which kind you use, and whether or not you compose on a laptop...

Bethanne

[Bethanne]

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Librarian wrote:

Hi  Wally-----The Hour I First Believed is the first one of your books that I am reading. I really like it so far. I'm in the 100s on pages right now so I don't think I've read enough to pose any plot questions. I have a question about the cover art. Whose arm is depicted? Is it the character who scratched her own Jesus saves tattoo because it looks like something goes down her wrist? Also is there a significance to the candle having a flame at both ends? Another question---since two of your books are quite lengthy, do you feel this length is necessary to truly get to know the characters? I like it myself but I have heard of editors asking people to tighten up their stories. I like both styles---spare stories and ones like The Hour I First Believed. What are your ideas on this writing process? Thank you for all your answers to our questions and for your great books!

Librarian

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Hi Librarian -- I'm so glad you asked about the cover. Thanks for visiting!

[Bethanne]

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PinkBaby wrote:
hi again well mr. LAMB i like the  way you done caelums boyhood memories. i can just hear him talking in that little boy voice. some of his memories in THE HOUR I FIRST  BELIEVED are funny but alot of them  are sad. and yes some of them are freaking me out. i am not finished with the book yet.  so i dont want to say to much about things in the book. because i dont want to spoil it for others who havent read the book. i will say one thing now that i have thought about it. i get creepy feeling from the farm where he grew up.

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Hi PinkBaby, thank you for not adding any spoilers -- we try hard to avoid them here at Center Stage. But you're right about the boyhood memories; they're very disturbing. One of the things I love about Lamb's writing is how he peels back the layers of a damaged soul so that we understand how those layers came to be in the first place.

[Jennie77]

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Wally_Lamb wrote:

Hello, everyone (including our host extraordinaire, Bethanne)--

It's about noon on Thursday here in CT. I've just read the latest postings and will answer in depth. My problem is: I have to drive to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a big event--the last of my 2008 book tour--and I've run out of time for today. I would have brought along my laptop and chatted with you from my hotel, but said laptop died a few days ago. I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully, I'll beat the impending snowstorm) and will answer all your questions then. And Bethanne, since today's a wash, I'll be happy to check in on Saturday, too, if that's okay. Meanwhile, please know that I've enjoyed our daily chats thus far: nice folks, great questions. Wish me luck in New Hampshire: a live audience at a historic 900-seat theater in a great book town.

All best until tomorrow,

Wally

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I was so glad when I saw that you would be extending your discussion for another day!  Even though I had the best of intentions, wrote down on my calendar when you would be here, unfortunately, I did not sign in until right now and was afraid that I would miss the opportunity.  No, I have no life altering questions to ask, although I have been trying to think of a couple for weeks now! :-)  I just want to thank you.  I loved She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True, and the moment I saw your newest work, The Hour I First Believed, I got so excited you would think I was a kid in a candy shop and hurried to the register, completely forgetting what else I was in the store for!  (I loved the book by the way!).  I think you are incredibly talented, although you don't need me to tell you that. Thank you so much and keep them coming, because I'll keep buying them.  If your name is on the front, I just pick it up and go pay!  There are not a lot of authors I can say that about!

[taboomolly]

Mr. Lamb,

I would like to know why and how it is that you can peel away the layers of the human personality? Have you had much interest in psychology and criminology due to life experiences?

- SM in UT

[Kanary]

Mr. Lamb,

You absolutely made 2008 for me. I loved your previous books, and I'm two-thirds of the way through THIFB loving every minute. I'm listening to the recorded version as my commute is about 30-40 minutes each way to work. Kudos to George Guidall who's done an excellent interpretative job of each character and nuance.

I must compliment you on your accuracy regarding trauma and PTSD. My own experiences are finally, mostly laid to rest, but your book revved up all those years. Thank you for spelling it out. If only human will power and therapists and pills could take it all away with a snap of the fingers. It's a supreme good you've done by honoring the experience, the mystery and frustration of it all, the unending years of it all.

How is it that you were able to report it so accurately? I'm guessing your time teaching incarcerated women? And thank you too for the internal picture we see of your male protagonist. As a woman, I feel like you're lifting the veil to a mystery.

Thanks so much, and please know that I'm not gushing half as much as I could. You're book(s) rocks!

Kanary

[Wally_Lamb]

Thanks for your response to my work and your question about how humor operates in my fiction. Yes, a sense of humor and some comic relief for my readers is essential when dealing with such serious subject matter as eating disorders, schizophrenia, and PTSD. Caelum's buddy Alphonse helped me survive the writing of THIFB. People frequently ask me how much of Caelum there is in me. There's some. But I also have a fair share of Alphonse in me, too. My incarcreated students, who have had such difficult lives, and who live in a grim environment, frequently use humor as a survival tool. My blending of humor with serious storylines comes from my outlook, I guess: I think life can often be both painful and funny, sometimes simultaneously. 

[Wally_Lamb]

Stephanie,

My work with incarcerated women began somewhat reluctantly. A childhood friend who, back in the summer of1999, asked me to come and speak about my writing life as a way of distracting the women with something positive after a rash of suicides and suicide attempts had triggered an epidemic of despair. I hemmed and hawed and finally said I'd go, but what I'd committed to was a single 90-minute class. That was nine years and many hundred classes ago! For that original class, about 40 women had signed up--but when I got there, I learned that most were more interested in hearing from "that dude who was on Oprah"  than they were about writing. But at the end of that class, one of the students said, "Thanks for coming. You coming back?" I hesitated, then said I would. "See you in two weeks," I said. "You write something, two pages minimum, and we'll have a workshop." Two weeks later, only about a dozen women showed up with writing in hand, but they were hungry to learn and diligent about their writing. The workshop has changed my life and, I daresay, has had a positive and rehabilitative effect on many of the women involved. Some of the students say that the workshop has saved their lives. In my introduction to the second volume of the York Prison students' work, I'll Fly Away (just published in paperback), I tell the story of how and why the State of Connecticut tried to stop the program and punish the women for having written their truths, and how the PEN/American Center and the TV show Sixty Minutes came to our rescue. As they say, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!

[Wally_Lamb]

Judy,

Sure, tote that satchel of books with you. I'd love to sign them. And now that I now that the event will be in a church, maybe I'll even sing "Amazing Grace." That's fair warning to you: bring your ear plugs!

[Wally_Lamb]

Dear Librarian (and by the way, hooray for librarians!)--

I'm glad you asked about the book cover. The reason I like it is because, when I look at it, it represents the two parts of the novel. Part one (Butterfly) is an examination of how chaos can abruptly and unexpectedly enter and disrupt our lives in devastating ways. Part two (Mantis) examines the possibility that, despite the chaotic events that can send us reeling in ways we hadn't planned, there may be some some organizing presence beyond us that oversees our lives. So, when I see the candle burning both illogically and logically, it represents for me despair and hope, chaos and order, and the coexistence of these. I'm not sure who's holding the candle. Maybe Caelum? Maybe god? As for your question about the length of my novels, because I don't write them with a preconceived ending or an outline, they're exploratory. Some literary critics complain that my books are too long, and that's fair. But for those non-literary critics who can be patient with my style and my stprytelling, I like to think that there's payoff if you stick with it and, by the last chapter, discover the "big picture" of what I'm getting at, and what I've learned over the course of writing the story. Thanks for some great questions.

[Wally_Lamb]

Bethanne,

Yeah, dead laptops aren't much fun. Thanks to you and Maria for checking in. I had a great time in Portsmouth, New Hampshire last night. A great staff, a warm and friendly crowd of 900 or so at a beautiful historic theater (www.themusichall.org), a good q&a moderator from New Hampshire Public Radio, and a house band (Dreadnaught) that played Wally-related music, from "Amazing Grace" to "She's Come Undone." So, my book tour ended on a very high note. My wife Chris and I drove back home to CT this a.m. and managed to beat the snowstorm. We've gotten six to eight inches so far, and it's still falling, so I guess I'll be doing some shoveling tomorrow.

[Wally_Lamb]

Dear Jenny77,

For me, writing fiction is often worrisome, lonely, and frustrating, and so generous and validating responses like yours are always appreciated. I'm humbled when readers let me know that my characters resonated personally for them, and when they let me know that they've had a worthwhile experience when they invest the time and attention it takes to read my novels. Happy holidays to you & yours.

Wally

[Wally_Lamb]

Dear Kanary,

Your post has helped to make my 2008! So glad you like George Guidall's performance. He's a masterful interpretor, isn't he? I was honored when he took on my earlier novel, I Know This Much Is True, for which he won the recorded books industry's big award back in 1998 or 99. I had requested that he perform this new novel, too, and was thrilled when that request was granted. Happy to report that George is a great guy as well as a great reader--a former therapist and part-time actor who shows up occasionally on TV in Law & Order, etc. FYI, George's wife, Linda Shapiro, is also a writer. I've read and enjoyed her memoir, Four Rooms Upstairs, which recounts her early life with a mentally ill mother.

Thanks, too, for validating my depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yes, my students have given me a better understanding of this affliction through what they've written and said. The eldest of our three sons has taught New Orleans kids both pre- and post-Katrina, and many of them have contended with PTSD, too. And, of course, it's an affliction that many of the military men and women have to contend with upon returning frtom their wartime experiences. I'm glad to hear that you have come through to a better place after having suffered PTSD. Wonderful news!

Finally, thanks for having let me know that my depiction of Caelum helped to "lift the veil" for you. Just yesterday, someone said she thought Caelum was a stereotypical male: afraid of his emotions, too quick to anger, too quick to use alcohol to numb his pain. I like to think that he's more complex and typical than stereotypical. So many guys fall into the "walking wounded" category when it comes to expressing feelings and harboring pain and guilt. That's what I was trying to depict in that character and I'm happy to read that you thought it rang true.

All best,

Wally

[PeacemakerNJ]

Hi Mr. Lamb,

I just finished THIFB after anxiously waiting for the release....WOW! 

I handed the book over to my equally  anxious daughter who just returned home for Christmas from college & has been breathing down my neck as I read away .

As a therapist, I love the psychology that is an integral part of your stories.  I work on an acute adolescent Psychiatric Crisis unit & after reading about the therapeutic benefits your ladies at the jail experienced, I am interested in possibly facilitating a writing group on our unit.  Any suggestions?   

[Jude58]

Wally,

Erase that "maybe" about your singing "Amazing Grace" at your Dallas speaking engagement, please.  I will be honored to hear you sing and doubly honored to meet you and have you sign my books.  Bring your coat and your flip flops with you.  We have a saying here in Texas, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."  I'll see you in January.  My wishes to you and your family for a blessed Holiday.

Judy

[Wally_Lamb]

Hi Mr. Lamb,

I just finished THIFB after anxiously waiting for the release....WOW! 

I handed the book over to my equally  anxious daughter who just returned home for Christmas from college & has been breathing down my neck as I read away .

As a therapist, I love the psychology that is an integral part of your stories.  I work on an acute adolescent Psychiatric Crisis unit & after reading about the therapeutic benefits your ladies at the jail experienced, I am interested in possibly facilitating a writing group on our unit.  Any suggestions?   

 

Thanks so much for your response, and I hope your daughter enjoys the novel, too. Our three guys are all due home for the holidays this Monday (if Mother Nature's kind to us and to the airlines) and I can't wait. My best advice if you start a writing group on your unit--and I think it's a great idea--is to start with several writing prompts and let each writer choose which one he/she would like to explore. Here are some ideas from the most recent issue of The Sun, a great magazine that encourages readers to write: Anger, Saying Yes, Saying No, Rain, Narrow Escapes, Dreams, Porches, Since You Asked. After everyone's written something, ask for volunteers to share their work. Some might like to read their own. Others might want someone else to read their work. Let the conversation flow naturally. You can elicit conversation if necessary by asking questions like Where were you listening most carefully as you heard the piece, and why? Or Could you relate this piece to your own life, or the life of someone you know? If so, how and why? Good luck!

[Wally_Lamb]

Wally,

Erase that "maybe" about your singing "Amazing Grace" at your Dallas speaking engagement, please.  I will be honored to hear you sing and doubly honored to meet you and have you sign my books.  Bring your coat and your flip flops with you.  We have a saying here in Texas, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."  I'll see you in January.  My wishes to you and your family for a blessed Holiday.

Judy

 

Judy,

We have that same saying here in Connecticut, and I believe it's attributed to onetime CT resident Mark Twain (who makes an appearance in The Hour I First Believed). Maybe we ought to leave singing to the singers, eh? One of my favorite recordings of "Amazing Grace" is the one that Emmylou Harris recorded with the African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. When I listen to that version, I hear the characters in my latest novel: the Quirks, along with Mr. Mpipi, the "Bushman" janitor in chapter four. See you in TX!

Wally

Well, everyone, time to sign off now. I've really enjoyed our back-and-forth of the past several days and am grateful for your support of my books. May you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season, and may 2009 be filled with amazing grace for you and those you love.

[Bethanne]

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Wally_Lamb wrote: 
 

Well, everyone, time to sign off now. I've really enjoyed our back-and-forth of the past several days and am grateful for your support of my books. May you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season, and may 2009 be filled with amazing grace for you and those you love.

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Wally, a belated but sincere thanks for your participation and warmth; I know all of our readers and commenters share my gratitude to you for some really interesting new perspectives on your books, how you work, and your inspirations. Happy Holidays to you and yours, too!

All best,

Bethanne

[mysteryreaderGR]

Wow, Daniel Day-Lewis as Caelum.  What an inspiration.  I am enjoying your book ITHIFB immensely.  It am about to begin Chapter 7.  Wish I had more time to read, but our lives are busy. 

As I read the comments here I am adding your suggestions to my Must Read list here at BN.  I have read your first 2 novels and need to go back and re-read because it has been so long ago.  

Please don't make us wait another 10 years for a new one from you.  You are an inspired writer and bring enjoyment to many people, including myself.  

Glenda