"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."
---Ernest Hemingway
Departing The New Orleans Book Festival held at Tulane University earlier this year, I was exhilarated from the celebration, of books and more books - my bailiwick. With Christmas now approaching, I can only hope that Santa has several good books under the tree.
Back to the Book Festival, with more than one hundred sessions to choose from - Mercy me! - I was torn. But whittling them down, I selected John Barry, C. W. Goodyear, Amor Towles, and Michael Lewis as the four writers I most wanted to hear. Familiar with their fantastic works, having read much, I could not imagine anything more exciting than attending these authors' sessions. Though I was spellbound by others, including moderators during the presentations, these four are my focus.
For a bit of background, John Barry's "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America" and "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History" are two of my favorite works of historical nonfiction - absolutely riveting. Barry expertly places the reader in the place and era, about which he is writing. With my own edition of the former, I borrowed the latter from Dr. Whit Gallaspy. And I am pretty certain that I referenced it in this column, mid-pandemic.
C. W. Goodyear authored "President Garfield From Radical to Unifier," an outstanding book on the United States's 20th President who was assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled lawyer. While that was about all I heretofore had known about Garfield, who was said to be the last President born in a log cabin, Goodyear filled in intriguing details bringing Garfield to life. His was one that transcends time.
I would be remiss if I did not note that C. W. Goodyear, the son of Elizabeth and Charles "Chip" Waterhouse Goodyear IV, is the direct descendant of Charles Waterhouse Goodyear, who famously brought Bogalusa into being. The founder of Great Southern Lumber Company first came to town with his brother Frank Henry Goodyear and comrade William Sullivan, surveying our prodigious timberland in 1905. I had the privilege of meeting the author's mother Elizabeth at Tulane a few years ago.
Back to the book festival, renowned author Amor Towles penned two of my favorite novels -- "Rules of Civility" and "A Gentleman in Moscow" -- both of which held me spellbound. While his work "The Lincoln Highway" was not my cup of tea, I am preparing to sit down with his recent book "Table for Two" which I expect will hold me captive.
And while Michael Lewis, a New Orleans native, is an author I have heard speak before, I am never disappointed. "Liar's Poker" and "The Blind Side" are two books, in a litany, of his that found their way into my hands years ago - fantastic reads.
Amor Towles got my attention in short order when he brilliantly described what a legal brief, recipe, and newspaper article have in common. Having penned all three, I was all ears. The three exhibit an "economy of words," providing the reader with exactly what is needed - nothing more, nothing less. In the case of a legal brief, this would be just the "right amount of evidence to make the case" as Towles told the crowd. Having once burned the midnight oil working on legal briefs, I wholeheartedly agree.
While I do not have as much experience with writing a recipe, it provides the cook succinct instructions and the ingredients necessary to prepare the dish. In my youth, I jotted down my grandmother's recipes which she cooked without. And it was no small feat. Similarly, a newspaper article includes only that information pertinent to the topic. Just the facts, ma'am.
And while this sounds like the simplest route for the writer, it often isn't. I am reminded of what Blaise Pascal, the 17th century mathematician and philosopher, said, "I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter." So much easier to be verbose. Making a piece crisp and concise is time-consuming. And it does not happen just before deadline.
On the edge of my seat, I waited with bated breath for Towles to continue with the commonality of the legal brief, recipe, and newspaper article. There was a number two -- the reader "comes to the same conclusion." Everyone's take-away should be the same. No alternate theories.
Towles contrasted that with his novels which, depending on gender, race, social class, and time, can result in different meaning/a different conclusion. And he made the process sound so simple. As we departed McAlister auditorium, where thirty-five years ago yours truly graduated from law school, my better half remarked, with regard to writing, "He made it sound so easy." Well, it's not.
Reflecting all the way home, I realized why my genre of choice - both reading and writing - is historical nonfiction. The past is my passion. With it, I have no need to create characters or settings. Latching onto people, places, and things in Washington Parish, where I was born and raised, I have everything I need - always.
