A Pattern Story: August Book Club

 "...every story is a pattern story."  ~~ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders

According to George Saunders, no writer begins his or her great work of fiction with the idea, "I think I'll write a pattern story" or "What this story needs is pattern." And yet, no matter how funny, beautiful, complicated, or bizarre, every story is a pattern story.

Life, in itself, is a pattern story, though we rarely recognize repetition as part of the process. The same is true with stories. For example, all rags to riches stories follow the same pattern. The protagonist starts out with hard times, then an opportunity presents itself which leads to a change of fortune or the ability to overcome the original adversity. The characters and/or circumstances might be different, but the pattern is the same. The same is true for rebirth. The lead in the story is experiencing darkness - physical, spiritual, or maybe even other-worldly. He succumbs to the torture that is his life until an unexpected intervention breaks through the bondage. Once free, the main character begins to live life with peace and happiness. 

A pattern story can also be compared to the acts of a play. In comedy, the protagonist is characterized as pretty normal - the pizza guy, the beat cop, the lawyer, the dogwalker, or the loafer. Their life is upended by an unusual and unexpected conflict, which is perpetuated by their self-deluded desire to find a solution. The involvement of the main character usually results in even greater chaos, until he or she returns to normal life. In drama, the story follows an opposite pattern. Maybe everything is okay or great or even perfect in the beginning. Then a problem arises that usually descends from bad to worse. Finally, the story hits rock bottom. All hope is lost - or maybe not! Could there be a way out? A way to rise above the waves and make it to the shore? At the very end, once the main character finds salvation, he learns a lesson he never forgets - a gift that came out of the darkness.

As with the other exercises, once a reader begins to recognize pattern, it becomes difficult to overlook. Tragedy, mystery, adventure, romance - every story is a pattern story. If the main character is overcoming a monster (real or imagined), he restores peace and calm by facing down the foe that seeks to wreak havoc upon his society, his family, or himself. If the protagonist is beginning a quest, he answers a call to act, sets out on a journey, encounters troubles that threaten and overwhelm, and finally, by whatever means necessary, finds the inner strength or outside help to restore peace - usually accompanied by a new perspective of life or greater responsibility. 

When you strip a story down to its barest bones, similarities of pattern exist. Even the most original ideas for fiction follow a pattern, which is sometimes described as formulaic or predictable; however, readers are often creatures of habit when it comes to genre fiction. If readers prefer romance, they have general expectations of pattern. The protagonists meet, experience an attraction, reject the relationship on one or both sides, face a midpoint crisis, confess their deepest secrets and fears, break up completely, recognize their misery and loss, and complete the pattern with a declaration of love and a happy ending.

Pattern is expected in all genres; it is why readers read what they do. In fantasy, the pattern involves a hero's journey. In horror, the reader waits for the unexpected horrifying twist that is totally expected. If the reader is bored, he or she might choose adventure which provides an adrenaline high. Or maybe they want to read fiction that shocks the senses with its graphic realism. These novels still follow a definite arc with internal struggles laid bare for all to see. Armed with preexisting prejudices and judgments, realistic fiction combines the main characters' layers of motivations, fears, and desires with adverse external circumstances and internal conflict - creating what is known as the framed narrative, or the story within the story.

Saunders is correct in his statement: "every story is a pattern story." The best writers master the art of a pattern story, and readers return to their favorite genres and authors time and again to find that formula they crave. From Agatha Christie's crime fiction to Julia Quinn's regency romance to Michael Farris Smith's gothic Southern realism, pattern is what readers expect. The difficult task for the writer is to create an addiction to pattern from which the reader never recovers.

Please make plans to attend the Forest Public Library adult book club on Tuesday, August 24, at 6:00 p.m. as members discuss pattern in the books they are currently reading and in their favorite genres. Pre-packaged snacks, bottled water, and canned drinks will be provided.

The Heart of a Story

The July adult book club at the Forest Public Library focuses on the second exercise of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, entitled The Heart of a Story. According to Saunders, great writers use elements of structure and form to carry the reader to a pivotal point where they can't go any further without being fully engaged, wholly committed, and forever changed. He describes this place as the heart of the story, and he uses the example of a literal cart to reach that destination.

In the exercise, Saunders loads the cart with TICHN (Things I Couldn't Help Noticing). He explains that if readers pay special attention, they "enter into a transactional relationship with the writer." The reader begins to fill his TICHN cart with observations. These observations take the reader beyond the summary inside the front cover of the book.

In the beginning, the heart of the story is very much like a human heart. The reader knows that it is beating with a pulse, "What next...what next...what next," but it remains hidden from view. Sometimes it is buried within a file or dossier of information that the writer deems important to respect the reader; however, carrying the weight of too much information can cause the reading energy to drop.

At this point, the writer must shed the excess to protect the heart. How much of the back story is necessary? When is digression allowed? How much repetition is acceptable? What about causation - investigating the role, impact, or association of specific occurrences within the story? Is it important to present pages and pages of detailed descriptions about certain characters to fully introduce them to the reader? Does the reader need to know the tiniest details of each interaction or decision in order to be informed? How does this process apply to the more modern reader who prefers minimal descriptions - showing versus telling - the Ruthless Efficiency Principle or the Hollywood Version?  According to Saunders, "The writer revises, the painter touches up, the director edits, the musician overdubs."

And the heart of the story continues to beat...pounding, fluttering, racing. Over and over, the reader reviews his cart of TICHN. The writer and reader are moving closer towards the life force of the story. A bond is strengthened; all parties are engaged. No matter what happens at this point, the writer-reader agreement is solid - the heart of the story is opening. Even as the cavity is revealed, every layer is removed, and every consideration is critical, the reader trusts the writer to bring closure.

Finally, the reader reaches the final page. The contents of his TICHN cart have brought him to this place - the stopping place. If the writer has been successful, the book has become a thing of movement, of fear, of change, of love, of life. And that life is claimed by the heart of the story.

Be sure to register for either one of the July adult book clubs scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, at 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday, July 27, at 6:00 p.m. Both meetings are held in the Forest Public Library conference room and prepackaged snacks are provided. 

A Page at a Time

American author and epic fantasy writer Terry Goodkind said, "A book is read one page at a time. A shelf is read one book at a time. A library is read one shelf at a time." 

The most amazing journey of a reader begins a page at a time. Even as a small child, the act of turning the page is one of deliberate movement. Teachers witness the phenomenon all the time. As a child learns to read, he/she develops decision-making skills with each positive or negative reaction to a single page. A child cannot always identify where a story is headed, but they know almost immediately if they want to find out. If they are not interested by page one, they might not even make it to page two.

Adults are the same, even though our power of deductive reasoning has been strengthened over time with practice and repetition. In the book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders gives an example of how this process is so critical to the response of the reader: "In the first pulse of the story, the writer is like a juggler, throwing pins into the air. The rest of the story is the catching of those pins. At any point in the story, certain pins are up there and we can feel them. We'd better feel them. If not, the story has nothing out of which to make its meaning."

Each page presents the possibility of a pivotal moment for the writer and reader. The writer decides what will happen next, and the reader decides if he wants to know. Children understand this concept with their first bedtime stories. One page can introduce a warning, and they anticipate a pin drop. One page can create specific curiosity about a setting like a beautiful castle, or a dark wood, or a candy-coated cottage. One page can initiate a conflict that even the youngest listener recognizes as trouble. Saunders calls this "a linear temporal phenomenon."

In classic logic, formulas are fixed. Monday comes before Tuesday. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Everything is absolute - true or false. The simplest definition of linear temporal logic is that a condition is true until another fact becomes true or an expected condition will eventually be true if the path continues. However...if a subsequent path appears in time, one questions if the expected condition will remain true forever or never be true at all. Isn't that the very definition of reading?

That scientific formula is supported by the bowling pins example. We know they are up there - in the air - and we feel that we understand their trajectory. But, once again, what might happen, what needs to happen, or what will happen remains in the air until we turn the page.

If you are not able to attend the Forest Public Library book club in person, please enjoy the exercise presented in the book: Read one page and answer the following questions: Without looking at the page, 1) What do you know so far? 2) What are you curious about? 3) Where do you think the story is headed?

Consider this final quote from the book as we complete the first exercise. "It's kind of exciting to pause here and admit that, as things stand, it's not yet a story. Not yet. And I'm going to claim, right now, that by the end, it's going to be a great story. So, there's something essential to learn here about the form itself: whatever converts not yet a story into great story is going to happen any minute now, over this next (last) page."

Looking for your next read...

I am always trying to read a wide assortment of authors and genres because I enjoy a wide variety but also to assist patrons that are looking for a new book or author. Recently, it was a pleasure to read these three books. If you are looking for something new, I would recommend any of the three. The first two titles are actually first novels, and I will look forward to future books by these authors.

As I read Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly, my mind kept trying to decide if this was a horror story, psychological thriller, or a mystery. It definitely kept me thinking and engaged until the very end.

Twenty-five years ago, William Wheeler murdered his wife and three sons with an axe, then slit his own throat, leaving baby Dixie alive in their home. Dixie's childhood home comes up for sale, and Dixie impetuously moves in, furnishing the house with the original furniture that had been in storage since the tragedy. Dixie locates the police file on the murders and connects with the retired detective that investigated. Strange things start to happen; people begin to disappear. The many twists and turns will keep you turning the pages until late at night. Keep the lights on though.

Request a copy of Theme Music from CMRLS catalog.

Escape rooms are all the rage these days.  Normally, a group is given a mission then placed in a themed room to locate clues that will free them from the room. In The Escape Room by Megan Goldin, the escape room is an elevator inside a multi-story building where construction is complete but no tenants occupy the building. The participants, four coworkers at the top of their game in an investment banking company, receive a text to attend a team-building exercise at the location and find themselves locked in an elevator. They must put aside their differences and work together to solve the clues that will lead to their release...hopefully. These four have committed ruthless, unspeakable deeds to get where they are today, and these deeds are revealed as the game progresses. The question is not how will they get out of this elevator, but will anyone get out alive. This psychological thriller is a page turner.

Request a copy of The Escape Room from CMRLS catalog.

If you enjoy Jodi Picoult novels or time travel fiction, The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain will be a novel you do not want to miss.

Carly Sears is a young, expectant mother in 1970. Recently widowed, her husband was a casualty of the war in Vietnam. Now she finds that the baby she is expecting has a serious heart defect and will likely die shortly after birth. She discovers how far she will go to save her unborn daughter when her brother-in-law, a physicist with an obscure past, tells her there might be a way to save her baby. She must trust in the unbelievable and take a leap of faith to pursue her dream of having a healthy child.

Request a copy of The Dream Daughter from CMRLS catalog.

THE POWER OF SISTERLY LOVE HITS "HOME" IN PEARL!

The Chapter 1 Book Club has another great read for their September meeting at the Pearl Public Library. You don't want to miss out on this!

In Last One Home, famed author, Debbie Macomber, showcases the power of forgiveness and love in this story about the bond between sisters. Through life's trials, tribulations and family pain, the sisters realize when it's all said and done, they are still that.... family, and that they can really count on each other.

WOW! Doesn't this just fill you with familial hope!!! Dysfunctional relationships that you thought were beyond repair may not be! YES!!!!!

Come on by the Pearl Library Thurs., Sept, 10 at 6 p.m. and join in the Chapter 1 Book Club discussion. No registration or reservation required! You don't even have to be a member and you don't have to join either! Just stop in for a delightful time!

Copies are available at the Pearl Library Circulation Desk to be checked out.

We'll see you there!

THE "GREATEST" BOOK CLUB AT THE PEARL LIBRARY!

Common cause, honor, duty, economy, courage, service, love of family and country and the most important, responsibility for oneself. That's what united the generation that built modern America; those heroes and heroines who "came of age" through the Great Depression and WWII. You'll learn more as you read Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, a recounting/recording of  the stories from men and women of a generation that persevered through war and created the America of today.

It's Cecelia's July, Chapter 1 Book Club selection and couldn't be a better pick during this Summer Reading Program with the main theme being Every Hero Has A Story! The Adult Summer Reading theme is Escape the Ordinary! Nothing ordinary about the heroes of Brokaw's book.

You don't want to miss out. The Chapter 1 Book Club meets Thurs. July 9 at 6 p.m.at the Pearl Library. No reservations needed, and you don't have to be a member. Just come on by and join in the discussion As always, Cecelia will have door prizes and refreshments!

We'll see you there

A FAVORITE MS AUTHOR AT THE PEARL LIBRARY!

Popular, Mississippi author, John Floyd, will be the guest speaker at the Pearl Public Library's Brown Bag program Friday, Jan. 23 at noon. He will also be signing copies of his short story collection, Fifty Mysteries: The Angela Files.  Bring your lunch. Drinks and dessert are furnished by the Friends of the Pearl Library.

Floyd, a Rankin County resident and a graduate of Mississippi State University, has won the coveted Derringer Award for short mystery fiction.  In Fifty Mysteries, sheriff Charles "Chunky" Jones is up to his crime solving speed with retired school teacher, Angela "Angel" Potts helping him.

    

Floyd began writing professionally in 1994 and has published over 1,000 stories and features in widely-read publications like Woman’s World, Alfred Hitchcock's  Mystery Magazine, and The Saturday Evening Post. He teaches creative writing at Millsaps College’s Enrichment Program in Jackson.    Floyd is a former Air Force captain and worked for IBM Corporation for thirty years. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three grown children and six grandchildren and live in Brandon.

Come on by and join in the fun. The Brown Bag program is free and open to everyone.

We'll see you there!

CELEBRATE YOUR CHOICE OF READS AT THE PEARL LIBRARY!

Image from www.peterfaur.com

Do your New Year's resolutions include joining a book club or maybe checking out a book club? Here is your answer! Don't forget Cecelia's Chapter 1 Book Club at the Pearl Public Library is held every second Thursday of the month.  And, don't forget that January's meeting is reader's choice. Yep! It's your pick! The club will meet Thurs. Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. And, as always there will be prizes and light refreshments. You don't have to be a member or even join Chapter 1 to come on by and discuss some great reads!

We'll see you there!

PEARL LIBRARY'S BROWN BAG ENGAGING!

Left to Right: Eleanor Jones, Joe Lee, & Cecelia Sandifer

Mississippi author, Joe Lee, owner of Dogwood Press in Brandon, was the guest speaker at the Pearl Public Library's Brown Bag program on Friday. 

Director's Cut (2014) is Joe Lee's fifth installment of the critically acclaimed Oakdale suspense series. It is his seventh novel. 

"Joe Lee is a great speaker," said Eleanor. "He made me want to read all of the suspense series he's written! He really drew me in!"

There are always great programs going on at the Pearl Public Library. Don't forget the bag of books for $1 book sale going on right now. All the books you can fit into a bag. The proceeds go to benefit the Friends of the Pearl Library.

We'll see you there!

PEARL LIBRARY PRESENTS JOE LEE'S "DIRECTOR'S CUT"!

The Pearl Public Library presents popular Mississippi author Joe Lee as the Brown Bag program guest speaker on Fri., Oct. 24 at 12-noon.

He will be discussing his latest work, Director’s Cut, (2014) the fifth of the critically acclaimed Oakdale suspense series. It is his seventh novel. A book signing will follow.

        

Lee, owner and Editor-in-Chief of Dogwood Press in Brandon, has appeared at the library before, and is an audience favorite.  “We’re happy to have Joe Lee back at the Pearl Library,” said Eleanor Jones who's in charge of adult programming at the library.  “He’s such a great asset to the community and to Mississippi. We can’t wait to hear about Director’s Cut.”

In Director’s Cut, Tripp Kelly is a laid back film professor at the University in Oakdale. He has everything. He’s popular among the student and faculty body. He’s newly and happily married to a former student named Dana. He loves his work which includes spearheading an annual, well attended independent film festival. He’s just a happy guy, and couldn’t be happier. He’s also a serial killer!  

THAT got your attention didn't it!?  See, you do not want to miss this Brown Bag special. No reservations needed. The program is free; desserts and drinks are supplied by the Friends of the Pearl Library!

We'll see you there!

ELMORE LEONARD, A BOOK CLUB DELIGHT AT THE PEARL LIBRARY!

Photo from www.npr.org

It's all about famed author Elmore Leonard for the Pearl Library's  Chapter 1 Book Club's Thurs. May 8 meeting at 6 p.m.

It's not one particular title. It's any book by Elmore Leonard said Pearl Reference Librarian Cecelia, the group's leader, who is reading Forty Lashes Less One, a Western by Leonard. 

Elmore John Leonard, Jr. was born in New Orleans in Oct. 11, 1925.  He died less than a year ago, Aug. 20, 2013 in Detroit where his family had lived for years. He was 87.

Leonard's father Elmore John Leonard Sr. was a site locator for General Motors so the family moved around a lot finally settling in Detroit.

Leonard started out writing Westerns but went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers.  Many of his books and stories have been made into movies.  He was not only a novelist but a successful screenwriter as well. 

His writing style has been described as "gritty realism" and "strong dialogue."

Some of his popular books include:  Get Shorty, SWAG, Three -Ten to Yuma, Rum Punch, Hombre, Out of Site, 52 Pickup, Kill Shot, Split Images and La Brava.

Please do come and enjoy the discussion, light refreshments and door prizes. No reservation is needed, and you don't have to join as an official member.  Just come on by!

We'll see you there!

CHAPTER 1: SKYPE SUCCESS!

The Pearl Library's Chapter 1 Book Club's live author's visit was  a huge success and everyone had a fabulous time said Cecelia, the book club's leader.

The Skype visit took place on Thurs. Feb. 13. "It is so exciting to be able to visit live with a best-selling author," said Cecelia speaking of author Becky Aikman.  "Becky lives in New York but called us from Los Angeles where she was for a book signing."

Aikman must have been great, and really down to earth because Cecelia said, "I could hang out with her! Becky was friendly, funny, entertaining and very generous with her time. She updated us on 'The Blossoms' as the five, young widows dubbed themselves. They are still friends.  They keep in contact with one another and get together periodically."

Here's what Saturday Night Widows is about:  Journalist and former Newsday reporter, Aikman lost her husband to cancer when she was in her forties. Sad and lonely she tried a support group. All she felt was more sad, and that was not working for her. She knew she had to get busy reinventing herself.  

Aikman researched what had been written about dealing with loss. Later, she remarried, but the traumatic loss was still present so Aikman found herself putting the valuable research to work.  

By asking around, Aikman was able to form her own group of young widows. Remarried for four years by the group's first meeting, Aikman also had new challenges to tackle. As if grief issues weren't enough, she now had to deal with a "new life, new career,  new husband, new stepdaughter, new home and new dog," as she put it. 

Her mission was to balance a new life with memories from the past.  Not an easy feat, but with five new friends, a lot of laughter and a few tears, Aikman made it work!

A Skype visit takes a book club meeting to another level said Cecelia. "If you or someone you know is in a book club, a Skype visit with an author makes a very unique program," she said. "Many authors, especially new ones, will work with you on speaking to your group."

The Pearl Chapter 1 Book Club meets every 2^nd Thursday from 6:00 – 7:00 P.M.  All are welcome to attend. If you would like to read along with the group, inquire at the Pearl Library for the current month’s selection at 601-932-2562 or on our website at www.cmrls.lib.ms.us.

Saturday Night Widows Available At The Pearl Library!

Yes, another blog about the Chapter 1 Book Club's big night coming up Thurs. Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Pearl Public Library. 

 Just in today, 10 copies of Saturday Night Widows are now available at the Pearl Library's circulation desk! Don't wait too late to come check one out! You don't want to miss this!
 
 Cecelia has arranged a Skype (visual using webcam) visit with Saturday Night Widows author, Becky Aikman.  WOOOO HOOO! Go, Cecelia!

Journalist and former Newsday reporter, Aikman lost her husband to cancer when she was in her forties. Sad and lonely she tried a support group. All she felt was more sad, and that was not working for her. She knew she had to get busy reinventing herself.  

Aikman researched what had been written about dealing with loss. Later, she remarried, but the traumatic loss was still present so Aikman found herself putting the valuable research to work.  

By asking around, Aikman was able to form her own group of young widows. Remarried for four years by the group's first meeting, Aikman also had new challenges to tackle. As if grief issues weren't enough, she now had to deal with a "new life, new career,  new husband, new stepdaughter, new home and new dog," as she put it. 

Her mission was to balance a new life with memories from the past.  Not an easy feat, but with five new friends, a lot of laughter and a few tears, Aikman made it work!

Can you believe that you get an opportunity to meet and chat with this wonderful author via Skype?! Amazing!

The Chapter 1 Book Club will meet Thurs. Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. No registration is required, and you do not have to commit to joining the group. Just come on by and hear a very interesting story LIVE!

Pearl's Chapter 1 Book Club Hosts Live, Visual Talk With Author!

Author Becky Aikman and her Saturday Night Widows Group

Cecelia, leader of the Pearl Library's Chapter 1 Book Club, has arranged a Skype (visual using webcam) visit with Saturday Night Widows author, Becky Aikman. You don't want to miss it!

Journalist and former Newsday reporter, Aikman lost her husband to cancer when she was in her forties. Sad and lonely she tried a support group. All she felt was more sad, and that was not working for her. She knew she had to get busy reinventing herself.  

Aikman researched what had been written about dealing with loss. Later, she remarried, but the traumatic loss was still present so Aikman found herself putting the valuable research to work.  

By asking around, Aikman was able to form her own group of young widows. Remarried for four years by the group's first meeting, Aikman also had new challenges to tackle. As if grief issues weren't enough, she now had to deal with a "new life, new career,  new husband, new stepdaughter, new home and new dog," as she put it. 

Her mission was to balance a new life with memories from the past.  Not an easy feat, but with five new friends, a lot of laughter and a few tears, Aikman made it work!

Can you believe that you get an opportunity to meet and chat with this wonderful author via Skype?! Amazing!

The Chapter 1 Book Club will meet Thurs. Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. No registration is required, and you do not have to commit to joining the group. Just come on by and hear a very interesting story LIVE!

Author John Floyd to Visit Florence Library

Author John Floyd to Visit Florence Library.
Wednesday,  August 14, 2013
11:00 a.m. 

Author John Floyd will be discussing his latest book Deception. The short fiction of John M. Floyd has appeared in The Strand Magazine, Woman's World, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and many other publications. A Derringer Award winner and former Air Force captain, John spent thirty years with IBM and now teaches writing courses in the Continuing Education department at Millsaps College. He and his wife Carolyn live in Mississippi.Refreshment will be served. 

Deception 

by John M. Floyd 

Deception is not only the name of this book, or the title of one of the tales inside. It might be said that deception is also the central theme of the hundreds of short stories John M. Floyd has written and published over the past eighteen years. Many are mysteries and some represent other genres (fantasy, Western, romance, etc.), but all of them involve trickery and suspense and Hitchcockian plot reversals. In many ways, this collection picks up where his previous book, Clockwork, left off. Here are thirty more delicious stories of mystery, intrigue, and betrayal. And although Floyd has often said he loves twist endings, the surprises here are not limited to the final pages or paragraphs: they also happen throughout the stories. If his fiction has one common denominator, it is the uncertainty built into each tale, that tingling feeling of not knowing which direction the plot is about to take. In addition to all the standalone adventures, this collection features (as did the first three books) several lighthearted mysteries starring retired schoolteacher Angela Potts and small-town sheriff Charles Chunky Jones. But whether the setting is the Deep South or deep space, the characters are touch-me real and the plots are clever and fast-moving. If you are looking for pure entertainment, these stories are for you. Prepare to be deceived . . .