Garth Stein at Copperfish Books -- Part 2

Stein with Cathy Graham and Serena Wyckoff

During Garth Stein's recent talk at Copperfish Books, he unabashedly acknowledged that he loves to have a microphone in his hand. And that's okay, because he's a terrific speaker. Despite having given what must be hundreds of talks about "The Art of Racing in the Rain" since its publication in 2008, Stein's patter felt fresh, and he was thoroughly engaging. Eventually, the audience let him get on to talking about his most recent book, "A Sudden Light."

In 2004, Stein wrote a play called "Brother Jones" that was produced at a theater in Los Angeles. "Brother Jones" tells the story of the Riddell family, with the drama centering around prodigal son Jones who returns home to the family estate outside Seattle after a 24 year absence. When Stein finished the play, he realized he wanted to continue to flesh out the Riddell family story. "A Sudden Light" expands upon the play's characters and issues.

The book's protagonist is Trevor Riddell, Jones' 14 year old son who makes the journey with him from Connecticut to the Great Northwest. Trevor has spent his whole life hearing about the Riddell family's timber fortune and the family home constructed from giant whole trees overlooking Puget Sound.  But, as is often the case, a significant gap exists between expectations and reality.

Redwood Climbing

The relationship between man and nature is one of the many themes explored in "A Sudden Light." Ben and Henry, two of the book's characters, share a passion for climbing trees. And when you're talking massive redwoods, gaffs and chains are required to make your way up to the canopy. In order to make the experience authentic in the book, Stein did some climbing of his own with Master Tree Climbing Instructor Tim Kovar.  (There's a picture on Kovar's website of Garth climbing, but this image gives you a better sense of what was involved.) Stein admits that he was pretty terrified at first, but said he's been back for additional climbs. To read more about "A Sudden Light" and the themes touched upon in the book, click here.

Stein also shared his thoughts about the writing process and the "inevitability" of a story. He compared writing a book to pushing a rock uphill. At first, his ego is in charge as he tells the story he envisioned. The point comes, however, when he gets to the top of the hill and the story is propelled forward of its own momentum. His job, he said, is to step aside from his own preconceptions and follow the story where it leads.

Stein also veered ever so diplomatically into some thoughts about the ongoing debacle that is our presidential race. He talked about the importance of civil discourse and respecting each other's ideas whether or not you agree with them. His analogy was a book group with dichotomous views on its latest read. An exchange of opinions can be passionate without becoming personal.  Sadly, when it comes to presidential politics, that line seems to have been crossed some time ago.  








 

Garth Stein at Copperfish Books -- Part 1

When Garth Stein's people contacted Copperfish Books to see if they'd host him for a talk while he was in the area, they jumped at the opportunity. What better way to get people into their fabulous new space than hosting the international bestselling author of "Art of Racing in the Rain"?  My friend and Book Expo companion Wendi was in town, and we snagged front row seats for Stein's talk. It was terrific.

Although Stein was technically promoting his latest book, "A Sudden Light," he kicked the event off with a discussion of "Art of Racing in the Rain." Here are some of the tidbits he shared:

--In Stein's former life, he was a documentary filmmaker. When watching a Mongolian documentary entitled "State of Dogs," he learned of the Mongolian legend that dogs can come back as humans in their next incarnation if they are ready. He later heard poet laureate Billy Collins' "The Revenant," in which a dog talks to his owner from the grave. (Click here to hear Collins recite the poem, which is decidedly not what most dog owners think of their dog's feelings towards them.)  Taken together, Stein came to believe that the smartest person in the world might in fact be a dog who can't talk or open a door. Enzo was born from this idea.

--Stein's original name for the dog was Juan Pablo. At the time he was writing the book, his wife was pregnant. In one of those "what should we name our child" conversations, he proposed the name "Enzo" if the baby was a boy.  His wife didn't think "Enzo Stein" had quite the ring she was looking for, though, and suggested he use the name instead for the dog in his book.  Marital negotiation at its finest.

--Stein had a lot of difficulty finding an agent willing to represent him in the sale of this book. The idea of a book narrated by a dog sounded too alternative and hard to market. "What do you know about being a dog?" his agent asked.  (Stein responded by asking what Victor Hugo knew about being a hunchback.) He fired the agent and went on the hunt for someone more open-minded. He was sharing his frustrations at an author event when Layne Maheu piped up. "You should talk to my agent," he said. "He's working with me on a book narrated by a crow!" The rest is history.  (FYI, Maheu's novel is called "Song of the Crow.")

--Enzo has proven so popular that Stein has written a book for middle schoolers ("Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog") and picture books for younger kids ("Enzo Races in the Rain!" and "Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt!")  The middle school adaptation required a few changes to make it more age-appropriate, but Stein drew the line at changing Enzo's references to "urinating" to "peeing." Enzo, he said, would never use that word.

--"The Art of Racing in the Rain" was on the New York Times Bestseller List for more than 156 weeks and has been published in 25 languages. Most recently, a Slovakian Reader's Digest version was published.

Next up will be Stein's insights on the writing process and his inspiration for the book he's actually promoting -- "A Sudden Light." 

Edgardo Carmona's Iron Giants in Fort Myers

"El Vendedore de Raspao" (Snow cone vendor)

If you haven't been to the Eiffel Tower lately, you might not have seen Colombian sculptor Edgardo Carmona's wonderful "iron giants." Twenty-three of his sculptures have taken a respite from an 18-city European tour to spend some time in Fort Myers. When the exhibit closes, the works will be disassembled and sent to Marbella, Spain.

You might be wondering how the exhibit came to be in Fort Myers. Allure condo developer Eduardo Caballaro is putting together two super luxurious towers on Fort Myers' waterfront. Caballaro and Carmona were childhood friends in Cartagena, Colombia. When Caballaro shared Fort Myers' history (particularly the role of the Caloosa Indians) with Carmona, the artist felt his exhibit--with its focus on people who might otherwise go unnoticed--would fit right in. The fact that he could help his friend promote his new condo development didn't hurt either.

Janice and I with "Brisas"

Fort Myers' Public Art Committee was tasked with determining where each sculpture would be located, ensuring that foot traffic wouldn't be impeded and dealing with other logistics. The sculptures are scattered across downtown and are fabulous. At each stop there's a brochure with a map and a short description of the sculptures to guide you. (You can also get a copy by clicking here.  Neither the images nor the pictures here do the sculptures justice.)

The iron giants stand between 7-10' tall and weigh in between 700 and 1000 pounds. (The cost of getting the works here must have been astronomical.) The rusted patina is intentionally created using a special sandblasting technique.

Janice and I had the chance to hear the inside scoop on some of the works with an Allure representative. "Brisas" shows the strength of both women and the wind. The wind has lifted the woman's skirt, showing off her shapely butt cheeks. She's not concerned, however, about appearing immodest. Instead, she is harnessing the power of the wind with her umbrella. When viewing the work, you get no sense that she is being overpowered. Her feet are planted firmly on the ground and there's a sense of defiance in her posture. It's kind of like Marilyn Monroe meets the "Game of Thrones" Mother of Dragons. Happily, "Brisas" will be staying in Fort Myers to welcome people to Allure.  

"Territorio"

"Territorio" proved a bit controversial when the sculpture was uncovered. (The sculptures were draped before the exhibit's grand opening rather than going on display piecemeal.) It's a bit hard to see in the picture, but the sculpture depicts both a dog and a man using a street post to take care of business. (In case you're wondering, the post is part of the sculpture.) This little detail about the man had escaped the Public Art Committee when they reviewed images of the sculptures. Although there was a bit of flack, the sculpture has become one of the exhibit's most popular.  Some people think it's humorous; others recognize it as a fact of life. A watercolor artist painted an image of the work and printed it on a t-shirt. The shirts quickly sold out.  (FYI, Public Art Committee member Carolyn Gora said they did not consider eliminating the work from the show.)

"Vendedora de Frutas"

The attention to detail in Carmona's works is amazing. Each sculpture has facial expressions, hair and clothing that fit the individual being portrayed, be it the studious look of a professor (who happens to be the artist's father), the corkscrew curls of a fruit vendor or the open vest of a drummer. All of the women are adorned with jewelry and, if barefooted, have toe nails. The shoes have laces and bags have texture.

One of the most exciting things about the exhibit is the conversations being sparked between strangers about the art. It's difficult to walk by a sculpture without stopping to take it in. And as others do the same, it's only natural to chat about what you are seeing. It's a very cool way to create community.

"Cadencia"

I'll definitely return to Fort Myers to enjoy the sculptures again before they head off to Spain (perhaps, as Janice suggested, with a step ladder in tow so I can get even more up close and personal with the works). The exhibit was originally scheduled to close at the end of the March, but rumor has it that it's been extended to the end of April. If you have travel plans in your future, Carmona's "Duo Sinfonica" is on display at the Fort Myers airport.

A huge thanks go out to Allure for bringing this special exhibit to our area. 

Creativity Abounds in Fort Myers Artist Studio Tour

I love artist studio tours. You get to poke around in creative workspaces and put faces with names of artists. And I've figured out that, for me, the quality of a tour isn't determined by whether I find a new piece of art for my home, but by the ability of the artists to speak thoughtfully and articulately about their creative processes. By all standards, the recent tour sponsored by the Lee County Alliance for the Arts was a great success. 

Jeffrey Scott Lewis

Dorrit and I started our tour with the artists in the Alliance's Edwards Building. Our first discovery was the work of Jeffrey Scott Lewis.  We were filing through his studio when I heard him say something about body paint. What???  Lewis' work for a gallery show entitled "Skin" began with a photo shoot of a guy painted from head to toe in liquid latex. The original concept had been for photographs of the painted body to be the art. But when the shoot was over and the model began peeling the paint off, Lewis kept clicking. The unplanned shots struck him as visually interesting while calling to mind the analogy of shedding layers of false identity. The work above Lewis in this picture is one example of the results. (In another work--included in the link above--you can distinctly see the model's shoulder and the sheen of sweat from wearing five layers of latex paint on a hot July day.) The photographs were then transferred onto metal, with the dye fusing into the material.  The final piece is an archival quality mixed media work. It's a perfect example of striking works made all the more interesting by knowing how they came into existence. 

"Mint Julep" by Mark Holman

When we walked into Mark Holman's studio space, a visitor who'd overheard me talking with Lewis said, "You're going to want to blog about this as well." Holman's shadow works were inspired by an evening walk with his dog. A convergence of yield and other street signs behind him projected an image that startled him into thinking an axe murderer was about to attack. (He said this only half jokingly.) After his pulse settled down, he started thinking about how the shadows created by light on a work can be more interesting than the piece on its own. Holman's work went through several iterations (all of which were on display) before he landed upon his current process. His sculptures are created by filling in embroidery hoops with theater gel on canvas. When unlit, the abstract white sculptures make their own statement. When lit, the works have a totally different look and feel. 

Carolyn Gora and Ava Roeder combine forces to present work under the name CAVA. The women taught together back in the 1970s and have both gravitated to art in their retirement lives, Carolyn as a fiber artist and Ava as a photographer and painter. A couple of years ago the duo went to Art Basel and were inspired by the collaborative artwork there. The women now work both individually and together, with Carolyn embellishing Ava's work with fiber that adds texture and a bit of whimsy. To make their point that the process is more important than the end product, tour-goers were invited to decorate tiles to be included in a collaborative work. Paints were available along with a box of photographs and some glue. My contribution was adding these two women from one of Ava's photographs to a tile that had the sunglasses already in place. Perhaps I have a future as a collage artist.

Reimenschneider and "The Black Keys"

Music played by a cool group of high school kids greeted us when we entered Eric Riemenschneider's exhibit space. Riemenschneider teaches design at a local high school and clearly inspires his students to express themselves in a variety of ways. (With my own appreciation for art instilled by Mrs. McKelvin, my high school humanities teacher, I know how important this influence can be.) I felt a bit stodgy when I didn't recognize the guys in his conte drawing as Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys (who have only been around since 2001). I did, however, recognize the skill with which Riemenschneider captured both their images and their personalities.

All in all, it was quite a fun outing. If your interest in checking out an artist studio tour yourself has been piqued, the 2016 Creators and Collectors Tour is taking place in Sarasota on March 11-12.  See you there!