Reading Local Portland Interview: Margaret Erhart

Don’t miss novelist Margaret Erhart, who will be in town for a reading from her latest book, The Butterflies of Grand Canyon, at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, Monday, February 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm.

From the book description: “Set against the backdrop of the majestic Grand Canyon and the nineteen-fifties American southwest, novelist Margaret Erhart shares the lives, loves and long lost secrets of the residents of a small Arizona town, and the young housewife whose world reawakens during a summer visit, in her latest, The Butterflies of Grand Canyon (Plume Original/$15.00/January 2010).”

Recently, Ms. Erhart took the time out of her busy schedule to respond to questions sent via email.

Q: This novel was selected as an Indie Next List Notable Pick for January 2010. Can you tell us a little bit about this award and how it felt to be selected?

A: It’s always an honor to be selected for an award by those who care about books. The Indie Next List Notable Pick is a monthly award designed to bring attention to certain books. The choice is made by independent booksellers. My hope is that even though January is over, and The Butterflies of Grand Canyon was chosen for January, it will be an entertaining read for everyone in February as well!

Q: The description of this novel is intriguing. How would you classify it? Is a mystery, a romance, a historical novel, or a bit of all three?

A: Yes, it’s definitely a bit of all three. As an artist I’m poor at following prescriptions, hence a novel that does not strictly fit into a category. I believe I would be called a non-niche writer.

Q: I’m always curious where novelists get the ideas for their writings. What prompted you to set this novel in the 1950’s Southwest and to incorporate a mystery?

A: In the author’s note at the end of the book I tell the story of how the novel came to be. I live near the Grand Canyon so to set the book there was natural, in that natural wonder of the world. The characters who seemed most interesting to me happened to be living and working in the 1950’s, and the mystery in the book is an actual historical mystery, unsolved until quite recently (though not by Elzada Clover, botanist and fictional sleuth). The world of the national parks has changed tremendously since the 1950’s. Visitation has sky-rocketed but people these days don’t get out and walk around much, so the parks and nature in general seem mysterious and near-mythical and that creates an atmosphere useful to a novel. Think of Cormac McCarthy’s landscapes and you’re thinking mythical.

Q: As a historically based novel, how much research was involved in the writing of it?

A: Practically none. Well no, that’s misleading. I didn’t research any of the historical characters in advance, in order to give my imagination free range. Later, as I learned more about them from the fantastic collection at Cline Library at Northern Arizona University, I added more quirks and details to those characters. As for the butterflies, I was, at the time of writing the book, working with an entomologist from whom I learned just about everything I know about bugs. When I started writing the novel I didn’t even know that an insect had six legs. Did you know that? My last science class was in 6th grade!

Q: Two of your characters were based on the real-life botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter Cutter. How much liberty did you feel comfortable taking with their actions, as this is a fictional work?

A: In fiction a man can become a cockroach or a botanist can become a gumshoe, no problem. Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter were the first two white women to successfully run the Colorado River through Grand Canyon. A journey like that brings people close, as does staying up late at night around the plant press. It was in the spirit of a shared adventure that I fictionalized their relationship.

Q: Besides being a novelist and essayist, you also work as a hiking guide in the Grand Canyon, from which you drew some of your inspiration for this novel. How did you get involved with that?

A: Take yourself to the edge of Grand Canyon in your youth and you’ll be hard pressed not to become a hiking guide! I actually didn’t start guiding until my mid-fifties, but before that I had plenty of adventures, all of which contributed to my respect and familiarity with the canyon, and my desire to write about it.

Q: Do you have any new book projects in the works?

A: I believe Elzada Clover has more to say. She’s a fascinating character to work with because she keeps so much to herself. But judging from a few revelations that have slipped out (usually after a glass of something in the evening), my guess is that she may be spending more time with me on the pages of a book.

Q: We’re honored that you have chosen Portland to be one of the cities on your book tour. Why Portland, and have you ever visited here before?

A: Years ago, on my circuitous route to Arizona from the east coast, I came through Portland. It was raining. Every little place served tea and being a tea drinker that suited me fine. But I’m here for these couple of days for one reason primarily: Powell’s. It’s one of the most famous bookstores in the world, isn’t it? What an honor to read there! And maybe while I’m in the area I’ll check out the thrift stores. In Arizona we’ve heard the word about Portland’s resale.

From the author’s bio:

Erhart is the author of five novels. Her fourth, Crossing Bully Creek, won the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and in several anthologies, including The Best American Spiritual Writing 2005. Her commentaries have aired on National Public Radio. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, and teaches creative writing to elementary school students. She is a hiking guide in Grand Canyon.

Reading Local Portland would like to thank Ms. Erhart for her time!

Image credits Grand Circle Field School and IndieBound.