Eric Kampmann is the author of Getting to Know Jesus, a 365-day journey through the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that focuses on their accounts of Jesus’ life from birth to his death, resurrection and ascension. Meet him here in his brand-new author video.
At Beaufort Books, we were eager to read about Rebecca Jane Weinstein’s Fat Kids: Truth and Complications in the Huffington Post. Her novel sheds light on such a highly debatable topic and calls into question the various aspects of how society reacts to body size and the idea of “fatness”. Weinstein is a powerful female advocate that encourages self acceptance and questions a larger societal acceptance of people who come in an array of sizes. We can’t wait to see what else Weinstein has in store for this series and her work is also regularly featured on the Huffington Post blog.
Fat Kids: Truth and Consequences is a compilation of stories from various perspectives on what “fat” and size mean. Some are funny, some are heartbreaking and then there are moments where the stories themselves seem to boarder between humor and seriousness. Rebecca Jane Weinstein interlocks the various stories together for one larger montage that explores “fatness” and what it means to be a fat child. The characters range in size and shape while their personalities shine amid the pages and speak to readers from all walks of life. Fat Kids is not a guidebook or a book of instruction but rather an inspiration compilation of characters overcoming the negativity that surrounds being labeled fat.
Weinstein catapults the discussion of fatness to the forefront of social conversations while confronting the negativity that surrounds it head on. The mini narratives in Fat Kids are a direct response to all the negativity and shaming the media and society has placed on people with differing body types. Read more of the humor, heartbreak and escapades in Rebecca Jane Weinstein’s Fat Kids: Truth and Consequences here.
We at Beaufort Books are excited to announce that one of our authors, Karen Newman, was featured on The New York Post and the Greenwich Daily Voice Newman dives into her longstanding battle with eating disorders and her turn to her faith in the battle with cancer and how ultimately her illness drove her towards self recovery. The team at Beaufort is equally as inspired by her story and lends full support to her.
Just Three Words is a moving tale of one woman’s descent into the lonely world of bulimia and eventual rise to health after a long battle with breast cancer. The inspiring autobiographical tale takes readers from all walks of life on a journey of self awareness and recovery. Newman’s tale explores the depths of eating disorders, the shame many victims feel and the importance of self accountability. She explores how she was able to come to terms with her sickness during pregnancy, and ultimately her desire to live a stronger life for those around her. Cancer serves as a way for Newman to take complete agency over her eating disorder and realize her full potential as a triathlon participant and ultimately a mother.
As a regular triathlon participant, Newman’s diagnosis only fueled her desire to compete. It became a life line. The courage and determination to press forward in each race helped Newman become the role model she always wanted to be for her children. In all her struggles, Newman eventually comes to realize that competing in triathlons isn’t about winning the race every time—it’s about enduring the race to the very end. Read more about her inspiring story by ordering your copy here.
Hi Beaufort Fans! I’m pretty new to the Beaufort Books family, so I’ll begin with an introduction. My name is Riley. I’m originally from a tiny town in Texas. My hometown is basically the Anti-NYC, but we do have a Wal-Mart and a Whataburger. And if you knew what either of those things were, you’d be really jealous. I moved to the Big Apple for school. I’m currently working on a Master’s in Publishing at Pace University. Feel free to call me Master Lauderdale.
My blog is about something New Yorkers have probably never struggled with: boredom. Growing up in a small town, most of the time there is absolutely nothing to do. And with boredom, comes disaster. Once I was bored and I ended up with 24 stitches on my face. There’s more to that story, it includes football and teeth, but the moral is that boredom is a national safety hazard. So, how do small town kids combat the negative effects of boredom? We read. Well that’s not true. I probably shouldn’t speak for all small town citizens. Let’s just say, I read.
During school semesters, my days started to feel a lot like Groundhog Day – the Bill Murray movie, not the actual holiday where we think it’s acceptable to annoy a magical groundhog for our own personal gain. Every day is the same: wake up at noon, leave the castle, arrive at school, return to the castle, force butlers to finish homework, eat a nutritious snack of chicken wings and cupcakes, and finally hang out with Emma Watson.
Life in a small town is tough people.
If only!
My life was a constant cycle of school, athletics (because everyone in Texas is sporty), home, homework, and sleep. Repeat! School, athletics, home, homework, sleep. It doesn’t take long for this to become dreadfully monotonous. The only way I was able to reach beyond this lackluster loop was by reading.
When I was reading I didn’t have to be small town Riley that had algebra homework due and no movie theatre for miles. I didn’t have to be 16, surrounded by adult rules, and drowning in high school politics. I could be anywhere and anyone. Heck, I didn’t even have to be human. I went through a pretty serious fairy book phase in high school.
But I’ve realized that just because I’m “technically” an adult and have moved to the greatest city on the planet, I can still feel stuck in my situation. Now, instead of reading books about grand adventures, I look for Midwestern settings, small town characters, and mentions of Texas. Books have the never-ending power to transport you to wherever you want to be.
Thanks for reading!
Maybe next time I’ll tell you more about my stitches.
Riley,
Hello everyone! I’m the newest intern at Spencer Hill Press, hailing all the way from Philadelphia! The timing of this blog couldn’t be more perfect for me, as I’m finishing up my graduate thesis on Censorship in Children’s Literature. How lucky for me that my first blog post gets to be about Banned Books Week!
I remember the days when I was so blissfully ignorant to the fact that books were still so widely challenged. Once I found out the truth, I made it my mission to read as many of these “banned” books as I possibly could. For the most part, I’ve found that the reasons for the challenges are silly. In other cases, I’m not that surprised. One thing always remains the same, though: books should never be banned. Besides the fact that it’s strictly against the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, anyone?), it’s unfair. Sure, it’s necessary for some parents to monitor what their children have access to. But, that by no means, means they should tell everyone else what they can and can’t read. There are always alternate reading assignments given for summer reading lists, or books read in schools if a parent feels a particular way about the subject matter. Taking it away from everyone is simply not fair.
When considering a work of fiction, it’s important to consider the work as a whole. Banning a book because you don’t like the paragraph that talks about teenagers having sex is ignoring the rest of the wonderful qualities of the book. Take Judy Blume’s Forever… for example. That book has been challenged since it was published decades ago. And after reading it, I understand why. But, disagreeing with the sexual relationship between the teenagers in the book is not a good enough reason to remove it from circulation. Because, it also has great information about birth control. The main character in the book is responsible and smart. That’s what we should be focusing on when we read books like that. What can it teach our society’s children?
Don’t like a book with homosexual themes? Don’t read it. But, you should let your kid read it. I promise you, it won’t turn them gay. Because that’s impossible. They either are or they aren’t. What it will do is teach them tolerance and acceptance. As human beings, it’s our nature to disagree with certain things – even to judge certain behavior. But, it’s also our responsibility to take care of each other. Just because we disagree with someone’s lifestyle does not give us the authority to bring them down because of it. Telling kids they can’t read books on certain subjects is telling them that those subjects are not okay. Teaching kids that it’s not okay for someone to be gay only perpetuates the horrible cycle we’ve fallen into of intolerance.
Sheltering kids doesn’t help. Educating them does. We’re failing the next generation and we have to stop it.
Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll tune in for the next one!
-Spencer PHilly
Ginger Snaps (Beaufort Books, May 2015) is Webb Hubbell’s second in a series of legal thrillers featuring Attorney Jack Patterson. Set once again in Little Rock, Arkansas, this page-turner explores the political intrigue surrounding the dubious arrest of Dr. Douglas Stewart, an old acquaintance of Jack’s, for possession of marijuana. As Jack investigates the matter, he discovers that the case is of a far greater scope than he had first imagined. He soon finds himself in the thick of a federal conspiracy in which both the Stewarts and the government are hiding secrets–secrets that connect to a past that Jack, and all involved, would rather forget.
As former Mayor of Little Rock, Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and Associate Attorney General of the United States appointed by former President Bill Clinton, Webb Hubbell is well- versed in the intricacies of the US government and our criminal justice system. He has first-hand experience as an attorney and as a judge, and brings this unique knowledge and experience to every page.
Ginger Snaps received advanced praise from the following:
“Ginger Snaps is a wonderfully intriguing crime mystery, involving the potential abuse of our post-9/11 national security apparatus; the medical use of marijuana, and its potential to help cure cancer; the often dark world of commercial sex; and the corrupt practice of allowing criminal prosecutors to seize private property from individuals who may never be charged with a crime. Hubbell tells a great story with vivid details that lure the reader deeper and deeper into the mystery.”
— Keith Stroup, founder NORML
“Captivating from the beginning and never without intrigue, Ginger Snaps transports readers into the dark channels of Arkansas’s political and criminal landscape. Webb Hubbell vividly evokes the sights and textures of Little Rock while delivering a knockout story in this engrossing mystery thriller.”
—Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief, Talk News Service
“I don’t know how Webb Hubbell learned to write, but I sure know he did. He fashions masterful, stories of intrigue and human cupidity that hook me from page one. Ginger Snaps is the second Jack Patterson novel I’ve read and I’m committed to whatever other adventures of Jack’s leak out of Webb’s pen. His characters are human enough to make me love them, and just smarter enough than I am to make me stick with them and see how it all turns out. Put me down as first in line for the next one, Webb.
—Peter Coyote actor and author of Sleeping Where I Fall and The Rainman’s Third Cure
“Jack Patterson is back and once again unwittingly swept up in another Little Rock firestorm involving tough attorneys, crackpot scientists and a cancer-cure breakthrough that has the Feds on edge. Webb Hubbell’s extensive experience in government lends a frightening air of authenticity to this suspenseful, twisted story.”
—B. Brandon Barker, author of Operation EMU
“These wives are deadly! I’m telling you all husbands better read this book, or they’ll end up underwater. Sometimes I think—I’m in the Lake!!”
—George Lopez, comedian
[New York, NY] Emmy award-winning executive producer of NBC’s longest running drama series Days of our Lives, Ken Corday, releases his much anticipated novel, Ladies of the Lake! With over 30 years of experience in television, Corday brings his renowned talent for compelling drama that has kept the fan-favorite serial thriving for going on 50 years from the stage to the page in his latest release.
Corday brings to life the dazzling, yet sinful, gated community of Avalon, where nothing is quite what it seems and wealthy families keep their dysfunction under wraps…until they can’t. The story begins with a member of the community named Hudson being accidentally decapitated by a descending garage door during a fight with his wife. The other wives of Avalon look on with jealousy as Hudson’s widow finds herself rich, single and rid of her late husband. As more and more husbands of the community die suspicious deaths, all of which are connected with the group of close knit Avalon wives known as the “Ladies of the Lake”, their children and the police begin to suspect that Avalon may not be as utopian as it seems.
From mystery and murder to glamour and passion, Corday paints a riveting world that keeps us captivated to the very last page. Ladies of the Lake is the perfect summer read!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Corday was only a teenager when his parents, Ted and Betty Corday, first created NBC’s daytime drama Days of our Lives in 1965. A year after the show’s inception, Ted passed away, and it was up to Betty to carry on the show. Ken became his mother’s support system as she taught him everything he would need to know to continue the family legacy.
Ken received his bachelor of arts in music from the University of California, Santa Cruz, before receiving a master’s degree in music from San Jose State University. Prior to taking over Days of our Lives as executive producer in 1985, Ken worked on the show for almost ten years, first as a composer, then as assistant producer, and finally as producer.
He has received two Emmy Awards for Music. He has also received eight nominations for an Emmy Award for Best Daytime Drama. Days of our Lives won the Emmy Award for Best Daytime Drama in 1978, 2013, and 2015, and Ted and Betty Corday received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 1995.
In addition, Days of our Lives has won four People’s Choice Awards, two TV Guide Awards, and ten Soap Opera Digest Awards: four for Favorite Show and six for Outstanding Daytime Serial.
Ken Corday lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.
A plot-driven story is fun to read and to write because it’s easy to lose yourself in the rhythm. However, if the characters involved aren’t well developed, I tend to roll my eyes with the more dramatic plot twists. My ability to suspend disbelief is damaged by a character that feels flat. So I place a lot of emphasis, or at least try to, on voice.
Here’s my favorite writing spot in my house. My own teensy forest grove in the city.
When my characters are developed enough, I can anticipate what they might do in each nutty situation I throw at them. I know if they will react on instinct or pause to think while digging the dirt out of their ears, throw a punch or run. And if they run, I know if they’re the type to sneak back to loosen the saddle straps or wet down the gunpowder. That being said, Elise and Adelaide still surprise me all the time. I’m pretty gullible like that.
People don’t usually think about the limitations of the past, and I think that’s too bad because in all social classes, women struggled. In the lower classes, women often faltered. Any time I read historical fiction, I feel a bit nostalgic for the past—the clothes, the conversations, the endless knitting and needlework. I imagine long walks on expansive estate lawns with my hand on a gentleman’s elbow, rooms lit with candles and a warm fireplace, dinners that last long into the night, maybe a ballroom with a string quintet in the corner. I get caught up in the romance, and that annoys me, later, when I pop back from the book into real life and consider how those women must have smelled.
Instead of a picturesque Austen landscape, I wrote my heroine into a tavern with no running water, no closet full of gowns, and a front lawn that’s nothing more than a wet, reeking, manure filled alley. My message is to enjoy the present, because nostalgia places unrealistic veils of gold over the past.
I tend to write in a variety of spaces. I took this photo in a cafe in San Francisco where I wrote a lot of The Quiet Woman.
Despite the grim landscape I created (or maybe because of it) I laughed a lot while I was writing. I hope my reader is as entertained reading The Quiet Woman as I was writing it.
Advice is something I look for too. I always keep Stephen King’s book On Writing and Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life within reach at all times. I also read blogs that dole out tips for writers.
Here’s my bookshelf. I’ll spare you the photograph of the books piled next to my bed with all the wine glasses, dirty dishes and unmentionables.
One thing I’ve read in a couple of different places is the caution not to tell anyone about your novel in progress. It’s a conversation killer at a party, they say. You’ll be as dull as someone who starts a conversation with, “I had this weird dream last night…” Furthermore, people will have their own ideas about the path of your novel and will veer you off course. Don’t tell anyone because you’ll end up writing a book by committee and will lose your own voice.
I think this is bad advice for aspiring authors. Even if you live a dull life, as a person who enjoys stringing words together you’re probably a great conversationalist, so it’s doubtful you’d bore people with details about your novel. Also, most artists aren’t easily steered from their vision by Committees with Other Ideas. If they were, they wouldn’t be artists. It’s why artists are interesting (stubborn).
Go ahead and give yourself permission to be obnoxious. Tell everyone. Talk about your novel constantly. Be enthusiastic and excited. Imposter syndrome is real, and when you’re just starting out it can make you want to give up. Talking about your novel undercuts self-doubt because you’re practicing saying the words, “I’m writing.” It’s positive reinforcement.
From a business perspective, the more people you tell, the more anticipation you build for the product you’re developing. Not only are you creating a market, but you’re also networking. You never know if a friend of a friend of a friend has the name of an agent in their address book.
Hello readers!
Today is my last day as a Beaufort intern. It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight weeks, but something tells me the people who give out visas don’t particularly care about how time “feels”, so back to Canada I go.
These past two months have been really amazing. New York is a fantastic place and I’m so glad I got to spend my time here working at Beaufort. I’ve learned a lot about everything from proofreading to editing to marketing and social media and even a little bit about design. Every day I spend in the office, I am consistently amazed by how many parts a book can have. The sheer number of things that have to happen before publication can happen is mind-blowing – and if even one of them is done improperly, it could compromise the future of the book.
For a reader, books seem to pop into existence fully formed with the express purpose of finding a place on your bookshelf (or in the pile of books on the floor next to your bed that you SWEAR you’ll read soon, you promise, it’s totally fine to buy three more books to add to the pile because you are just about to go on a total reading binge, you really mean it this time). Every book is personal to the reader, of course, but they’re also commodities, each volume one among a huge number. HarperCollins recently printed two million copies of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman. Two million people will receive that book and have ostensibly the same experience in reading it. Being on the business side of books makes you look at them in a whole new way.
On one hand, this new understanding of how publishing works depersonalizes the reading process a bit. The book is no longer simply mine. It’s something that was or was not designed properly, was or was not edited properly, did or didn’t make money. On the other, I am now hyperaware of just how much work goes into creating that thing, that impossible, beautiful, miraculous medium beloved by so many for so long. The singular experience of reading a good book happens as a result of the work of a whole pile of people – editors, copyeditors, proofreaders, layout designers, cover designers, sales teams, marketing experts, and accountants (and maybe even an intern or two). Sure, I’ve lost some of the magic, but I make up for it in appreciation for just how much has to fall into place for each and every book at the store to exist. It’s kind of beautiful.
With that, I bid my Beaufort cohorts adieu. I will be forever grateful for my experience here!
Much love,
Violet BEAUdelaire
Hello Readers!
I’m one of the new interns here at Beaufort and I will be writing under the name Violet BEAUdelaire, after my favourite (note that spelling – yes, I am Canadian and no, I will not be giving up my Canuck roots while I’m here in NYC) character from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. As a kid, Violet was a huge inspiration to me; in times of hardship, she was strong, smart, and resourceful. The Unfortunate Events books are all about being able to make the best out of a bad situation and the lessons those books taught me have carried through my whole life.
My alter ego in her usual state of distress…
While this is my first week in the Beaufort office, I actually started my internship last Tuesday. That’s right, folks, they threw me right into the raging fire commonly known as Book Expo America. Over the course of 72 hours, I left the small prairie city where I grew up, moved into my residence in New York City, and found myself right in the centre of the biggest publishing event in North America. BEA is amazing and exhilarating, but it’s also overwhelming, confusing, and terrifying – especially if your entire life has just been uprooted. This is where my Violet Baudelaire skillset came into play.
In the books, Violet is represented as a talented and passionate inventor. She takes what is available and makes it into something better, something useful. She sees what looks like nothing and creates something amazing. When I arrived at BEA, I felt like I didn’t belong. I was new to Beaufort and new to the publishing world at large. I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t quite know what my role was at the expo. For the first couple of hours, I wandered aimlessly, unsure if I was allowed to talk to people or check out the piles of free merch.
What I looked like at BEA probably
Finally, I decided to channel Violet; the difference was that instead of making a welding torch out of a fireplace poker or a stapler out of a tap shoe, I invented a new, confident persona for myself. I talked to people. I talked about Beaufort’s books like I had been working here for months instead of just a few hours. Suddenly, I wasn’t out of place at all.
That, I think, is why so many people are captivated by the written word. Reading allows you to reinvent yourself in a way that no other medium really can. When I’m reading, I’m not myself, I’m living in some between space where I can feel the experiences of another person. That sensation is absolutely singular and the amount of passion one sees at events like BEA proves how intensely it can affect people. Whether we’re moving countries, starting a new job, or simply opening a book, to reinvent ourselves is what being human is all about.
I’m still spelling “colour” with a U, though.
Best wishes,
Violet BEAUdelaire
Good Afternoon Readers,
But the excitement is bittersweet, for today is my last day in the Beaufort office. I’ve been here since the first weeks of January, but, cliche as it sounds, I truly feel as if I have just started. I’ve learned so much about the various processes that must occur before a book can be published, as well as all the publicity needed in order for it to be successful. I’ve read countless manuscripts and my input has always mattered, I’ve proofread, created press releases, and managed to fit lengthy ideas into 140 character tweets. I’ve loved interning here at Beaufort where I’ve learned not only about the editorial and publicity sides of publishing, but even a bit bit about distribution. A small company was really the best introduction into the publishing world because of all the different aspects I was able to learn about. I also could not have asked for friendlier or kinder people to learn from.
I’m going to miss it here, but I’m looking forward to whatever it is that awaits me next.
So long for now!
BEAUlores Umbridge
Good Afternoon Readers,
As a Creative Writing major and a Children’s Studies minor, I am greatly interested in children’s and young adult literature. I’ve also grown up loving Dr. Seuss. My elementary school always celebrated Dr. Seuss Day, March 2nd, with green eggs, ham, and green bagels, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, cartoon version) was one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up.
I also recently read, for the first time, The Lorax. The story is told by the unseen Onceler who, upon moving into a land that is home to Brown Bar-ba-loots, Humming-Fish, Swomee Swans, Truffula trees and the Lorax, decides to begin a business venture. In order to make knitted “thneeds,” the Onceler must cut down Truffula trees, which he does throughout the book, despite the Lorax insisting that the trees are vital to the survival of the other creatures and the land.
In so many of Seuss’s stories, amidst the colorful places, creative characters, and memorable rhymes, there is an important underlying message. In the case of The Lorax, these messages are the necessity of taking care of the environment and the consequences of greed. This ability, to write stories that teach lessons in a way that is not patronizing, is amongst the reasons why Dr. Seuss is still such a celebrated children’s author and why so many people are looking forward to July.
This July, as is already known by most I’m sure, a recently found manuscript of a book Seuss wrote many years ago will be published. What Pet Should I Get? will be released by Random House on July 28, to many readers’ delights.
Since it is only February, though, there are five months until the book’s release. So while you wait, why not pick up a different children’s book? And if you’re at a loss as to what you should read, below is a list of some of my favorite children’s books which, hopefully, you will enjoy too.
1. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. A couple of nasty aunts, some magical beans, and an adventure with some friendly, oversized insects.
2. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who send Meg and her genius little brother through time dimensions to save their scientist father.
3. The Giver by Lois Lowry. The precursor to children’s dystopias and I will say no more.
4. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. A book of Silverstein’s fantastic poems. Like Seuss, Silverstein had a knack for embedding important messages within his colorful, and often humorous, poems.
5. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. A recently deceased multi-millionaire named Sam Westing with a will that leaves his fortune to whichever of his 16 possible heirs can solve his murder.
6. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Bored Milo’s journey through various punny lands as he tries to reconcile the King of Dictionopolis with his brother, the King of Digitopolis by bringing Rhyme and Reason back into the kingdoms.
7. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. A series that I’m currently rereading, starting with the aptly named The Bad Beginning. This series follows the three Baudelaire orphans as they attempt to outwit and escape their dreadful distant cousin and guardian Count Olaf, who is intent on procuring their vast inheritance.
8. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. To leave Dr. Seuss off this list is unthinkable, and while I definitely prefer other Seuss books to this particular story, One Fish, Two Fish features a brother and sister…who will be the main characters in What Pet Should I Get?
So, happy reading and Happy (early) Dr. Seuss Day!
BEAUlores Umbridge
Hello Readers,
I’m one of the new interns at Beaufort and I will be writing under the pen name BEAUlores Umbridge, a nod to my least favorite character in the Harry Potter series. Why? You might wonder. Because, despite being one of Harry’s main antagonists, Umbridge is an incredibly fascinating character to read about. She’s ruthless and power-hungry, but she hides all of her horrible motives under a love for the color pink and kitten plates. She is the quintessential unlikable antagonist, but think about how dull the stories would be without her.
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1637886_1638263_1638844,00.html
Some of my favorite characters in literature also serve as relatable role models. Hermione Granger (who is easily the antithesis of Umbridge in every possible way) is the brains behind the trio, is exceptionally compassionate, and is constantly seeking equality. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice is an independent thinking, voracious reader who turns down two marriage proposals during a time when marriage was pretty much a necessity for women, simply because she refuses to settle. We often read to find characters we can understand, or as C.S. Lewis says in Shadowlands “We read to know we are not alone.”
And yet…There is something oddly fascinating when reading about the lives of characters we cannot and do not want to relate to. While she can be interesting to read about, Dolores Umbridge is an antagonist in the book series, and as such, she is expected, at least on some level, to be unlikable. It’s the protagonists in stories who are the ones we usually root for. And this is what I really want to talk about today: the unlikable protagonist.
What happens when the character we’re supposed to root for and relate to is someone we cannot stand? Enough times we end up closing the book before it’s finished, but there are times when an unlikable protagonist is so interestingly complex that such a character stays in our head long after all of those likable heroes and heroines have faded from memory. Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert from Lolita, Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, and Amy Dunne from Gone Girl are all characters we would never want to be friends with in real life. They’re characters who, as we read their stories, only make us angrier and angrier because of the choices they make, and yet we continue to read their stories anyway because they fascinate us. Because isn’t that the other reason we read? To learn that not everyone sees the world the way we do.
Classic, goodhearted heroes and heroines will always be well-loved. They’re the characters who, if real, we’d be best friends with. But without some unlikable characters, their stories are boring. And sometimes we need a reminder that not everyone is good and predictable. And when this happens, the unlikable protagonist finds a spot on our bookshelves.
Until next time,
BEAUlores Umbridge
BeauRegards to all,
It’s been reported that Harper Lee is going to have another novel published. It is titled, Go Set a Watchman, and has been described as a sequel of To Kill a Mockingbird, featuring many of the same characters twenty years later. When I first heard this I was shocked—as I’m sure most were. Frankly, I had assumed Harper Lee was dead. Her name had heretofore resonated in my mind as the author of that great classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, that played a formative role in my childhood; I vividly remember reading it in 8th grade and being challenged by my teacher to think deeply about big themes like race, hatred, innocence and gender–really for the first time.
Thus it was more than a little puzzling to hear this news, as it immediately begged the question (in my mind) of why it has taken so long for this novel to be published. The answer to that question cannot ultimately be known (although I think it’s fair to say that Lee didn’t want it published, considering it was written in the 1950s), but the circumstances surrounding the publication are known and are, frankly, quite suspect. For one thing, Lee’s sister–a lawyer who had apparently been a careful advocate for Lee, protecting her publicity-shy personality—passed away merely 3 months before the news of the novel’s publication came to light. Secondly, Lee’s current attorney, Tonja Carter, has stated that “Lee has a history of signing whatever’s put in front of her.” Couple these things with the fact that author suffered a stroke in 2007,whereby she was left forgetful and nearly blind and deaf, and the story becomes, indeed, very suspect.
Nevertheless, the novel is slated to be published in July of 2015 and thus we, as readers, are faced with something of an ethical dilemma in our approach to it. As much as it pains me to say this, I don’t think I will read it, as I don’t think I could ultimately get past the nagging feeling that it very well might be the case that the only reason the book is in print is because the publisher manipulated a defenseless author into agreeing to it. I suppose one could argue that a work of art takes on a life of its own once created; that it isn’t owned by the author in the same way a child isn’t owned by his or her mother. That argument may have some merit, but ultimately the means by which the novel appears to have been published don’t justify the end, in my estimation. I could be wrong, though.
January 26th, 2015
Hello all,
As I am new to the Beaufort Blog, I will take this time to introduce myself. My name is Francis; I come from the town of Dobbs Ferry—a suburb of New York; and I bring to Beaufort a great passion for words and ideas, as I see my foray into publishing as, (to some extent) a continuation of my interests in literature and philosophy—my two majors in college.
And now for something completely different.
Today is a nervous day for New Yorkers, as we await what could be, as Mayor Bill de Blasio assures us, “the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city,” (much to the chagrin, surely, of weather reporters, whose actual job it is to comment on these things.) As amusing as it is when weather reporters (or mayors) get it completely wrong (as they seem to have done so often in the past), there is certainly an atmosphere of worry that’s settled over even my small town of Dobbs Ferry. The owner of my local deli greeted me with a foreboding—yet warmly humorous —“Stocking up?”, as I paid for milk and bagels enough to last a couple of days. This sentiment—I think—really catches the spirit of gearing up for a blizzard: we are nervous at the prospect of being snowed into our homes—and rightly so—but there’s a part of us that can’t help delighting in the snow and in the promise of having an excuse to be confined to our homes for an unknown period of time. In other words, to have what the Danes call hygge; a wonderful word that resists direct translation into English—which makes it all the more interesting—please do look it up!
But the delight is perhaps greatest of all for bookish people, many of whom look for any chance they get to curl up with a book. And without the burden of having to commute to work, and without friends prompting us to leave the house to be social, I’m sure many of you are like me and will thoroughly enjoy—when you are done working, of course—the lazy pleasures of reading over the next couple of days.
Stay safe, everyone—and warm!
BeauRegards,
Francis