The title to Tuesday’s post got me thinking about a way this blog could provide an avenue for all of you to “rave” about local authors that you know and love. I try to cover as many as I can, and am constantly adding to the list, but prompting you to join in on the effort seems like it may allow more of our great local talent to get the attention they deserve.
So the easiest solution seemed to be providing a post where you could use the comments below to share with everyone who some of your favorite local authors are, and why they have had an effect on you. Or if you are a local author yourself, and would like to use this post as a way to share with others what you have been up to, by all means go ahead. I will make sure and add any to the list that are shared, and aren’t already on there. Depending on how this goes, it could become a weekly or bi-weekly post that allowed readers to continue sharing new authors they have found.
So to get it started I would like to “rave” about David J. Morris. I was unaware of this newcomer to Portland before last night’s Loggernaut reading, but came away from his fifteen minutes highly impressed with his combination of wit and wisdom as it pertained to his chosen topic, the war in Iraq. Morris is a former Marine and the author of Storm On The Horizon: Khafji-The Battle That Changed the Course of the Gulf War, as well as the forthcoming book preliminarily entitled “The Big Suck.” You can read some of Morris’ essays that have appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review here. He has also contributed to Slate and Salon.
What local author would you like to share with everyone? They can be someone well known, or a hidden gem. Remember any comments left get you one point closer to winning the Reading Local Contest.
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Katherine Dunn, of course. For her writing on boxing as well as 'Geek Love'.
Neva,
Great choice! 'Geek Love' certainly catapulted Dunn to a lofty status among Portland writers. She has been out and about quite a bit lately, including a May 21st reading with Debra Gwartney as part of a Graduate Literary Organization event.
I saw her read at L&C recently. I'm looking forward to reading her new book!
Neva,
I find it compelling that she writes about boxing as well. I haven't read any of her writing on the sport, but can only imagine it must be spectacular. I wanted to make it out to the L&C event, but couldn't quite sneak away. How was it?
She was wonderful! Very down to earth, yet classy. And the setting was very intimate with people sitting on couches and the floor.