BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed

Subject: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 01:41 PM

In the What Are You Reading thread?, some authors, like Tony Hillerman come up repeatedly. There are books and trilogies that have been mentioned several times. How about contributing some of your favorite authors that might not be all that well known, and give some idea what kind of books they write, and why you enjoy them.

I'll start out with a couple:

Clyde Edgerton: Edgerton is a wonderful novelist who "evokes the North Carolina Piedmont vernacular masterfuly... His mix of love for his characters with dry pinches of skepticism about them works beautifully." (from The Washington Post Book Club)

Edgerton is a funny author, who creates memorable characters and scenes that stay with you, long after you've finished the book. He also has an old-time string band, which has released recordings. Perhaps my favorite of his novels is Walking Across Egypt. That's the favorite hymn of one of the main characters in the book... a hymn that Edgerton wrote, and includes the music for at the end of the book.

Other favorite books of his that I've enjoyed are Killer Diller and Raney. The raves for Edgerton are right on target.

The phrase "Killer Diller" by the way, comes from a verse of a song recorded by Memphis Minnie:

"He's a ugly little something on a scout
He's a terrible little something, hush your mouth
He's a awful little creature
He's a killer diller from the south."

If you're suggesting an author who may not be commonly known in here, please take a couple extra minutes to describe the genre and common settings of the stories, and why you enjoy the author enough to recomment him.

I've already ordered a book recommended by Cool Beans, from the other thread I started, and am always looking for new (to me) authors... or one's like Peter Matthiessen who is another favorite author of mine who I'd kinda forgotten about, who was mentioned in the other thread.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 09:27 PM

Hey, c'mon! Where are the readers?

Enlighten me.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Gypsy
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 10:18 PM

Adriana Trigiani....more chick type books, but i like the way she thinks. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, for historical horror. Morgan Llewellyn, for anything Irish and historical.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 12:57 AM

My old (late) friend Louis Owens wrote some wonderfully complex and riveting novels.

Wolfsong
The Sharpest Sight
Bone Game (sequel to Sharpest Sight)
Nightland
Dark River

He also wrote a couple of books that included autobiographical essays, short fiction, and scholarly essays about things that he was interested in but that weren't always going to get published in peer review journals:

Mixedblood Messages
I Hear the Train

His oeuvre included American Indian literature and Steinbeck scholarship. Along those lines, he wrote two books of scholarly essays:

Steinbeck's ReVision of America
Other Destinies: Understanding American Indian Literature

For those not inspired to literary scholarship but with the ability to work a little when you read, the novels are excellent. The autobiographical stuff is interesting and funny and more than a little sad. The literary scholarship, in particular Other Destinies, is stunning in it's completeness, and is considered a seminal text in the field. But don't let the brains scare you away from the novels. They're as witty and funny and intriguing as any you'll find anywhere. He has been called "a novelist's novelist," because he didn't write according to a publisher's formula.

He died in 2002.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 01:03 AM

Jerry, I didn't quite get the title of this thread; I mean, how could an author be my favorite if I've missed him? But I'm glad I opened your note...so I'll give my candidate.

David Liss: he has written three (to my knowledge) books. Two take place in 18thC London and involve a Jewish pugilist cum detective; they are "A Conspiracy of Paper" and "A Spectacle of Corruption". The third book--actually the second published--takes place in the Amsterdam of 16thC; the protagonist in this book is a collateral ancestor of the main character of the aforementioned titles. This book is "The Coffee Trader". The books get a little tedious at times, as a main theme of theme all concerns trading companies and commodities speculation, but there is, throughout, a very good sense of time and place. I recommend them.

P.S. I got a great kick out of a passage in "Coffee" when the protagonist takes a barge on the Rosengracht (a canal). The Rosengracht is, today, a street in Amsterdam (the canal having long since been filled in) where my son currently resides.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 04:00 AM

I've found a few new good ones, lately, Jerry. I'll have to dig up the rest of them, but to hand is Julie Kaewert and her "A Booklover's Mystery series." Not knowing they were a series, I started out of order and the first I read, Unprintable, remains my fav. Her books are full of fun characters, implausible plots, and tons of very interesting info on printing, publishing, old books, politics, etc. All set in and around the Bloomsbury area of London. The main character, Alex Plumtree, inherited old Plumtree Press which has a reputation of integrity, discretion, and a seeming mystery each time they bring out a new especial title! Great fun and fast reads. I found the info about old letterpress, etc. just fascinating!

Another recently discovered author is Peter Tremayne. I knew him as Peter Berresford Ellis, a well-respected authority on the ancient Celts and author of over twenty scholarly books including The Druids.

His novels, under the pseudonym of Peter Tremayne feature a Sister Fidelma, mid-7th century. She is not only a religieuse, but also a "qualified dalaigh, or advocate of the ancient law courts of Ireland" AND a sleuth! The first one I read was Shroud for the Archbishop and takes place while she is visiting Rome. Brilliant and beguiling, Sister Fidelma is intrepid in her search for truth. Incidently I was amazed to read in his explanation of "Fidelma's World, at the beginning of each novel, at how balanced power was...women were truly equal with men in all ways in ancient Ireland.

It seems Sister Fidelma is quite a hit. I found a website with all kinds of info, including the explanation of her world which one may read by clicking HERE. Quite a phenomenon...I see they are about to make a series of it for tv!

One more, then to bed:-), Lindsey Davis, writes detective novels set in ancient Rome. The one I've read, Poseidon's Gold, is a hoot and chock full of daily life one never hears about in the history books. One may read more of "Sam Spade in a toga" by clicking HERE.

Have fun!

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: open mike
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 04:34 AM

Just tonight i was introduced to a Canadian author
Grey Owl. He wrote several books: among them,
Pilgrim of the Wild. He was (maybe i shoulden't
give his secret away) a British fellow who went
to Canada at age 17 and wanted to live off the
land and live as a Native (first nations) tribal
member. He was adopted by a tribe and learned to
hunt, fish and trap and live off the land. later
he became one of Canada's greatest conservationists,
and went on a book-promotional tour of England with
50 speaking engagements. He married a Mohawk/Iriquois
woman named "Pony" and he ws born Archie Belaney in
Hastings, U.K. but it was only after his death that
his true identity was revealed to the public. Many
believed him to be an indigenous canadian. His story
was filmed by Attenborough, i think it was 1999.
Although he had made a living as a fur trapper, he
later went on a campaign to save the beaver as he
realized that their numbers were dwindling.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 06:41 AM

Thank you so much... The Grey Owl books and those by Louis Owens sound particularly interesting.

I just popped in to read a couple threads... will add another author or two this afternoon.

And you're right, John, the title is confusing. Too late to change it now.

Alright... a quick one.. Glendon Swarthout (have to check the spelling.) Two novels of his come to mind, both of which were made into movies. Bless The Beasts and Children was a lousy movie made from a good book about a summer camp of unwanted kids who become obsessed with a herd of buffalo that are going to be killed and attempt to save them. The Came To Cordura is a fine book, made into a fine movie with Gary Cooper (one of his last movies) and Rita Hayworth. Cooper is an officer in the Army during the Mexican American War who has been been taken off active duty because of cowardice, who is escorting several soldiers back top home base to receive a medal for their courage in battle. This is not an "action" flik, or book, but one that examines what makes men do courageous acts in extreme conditions (or fail to.) These aren't great books, but very enjoyable, thoughtful reads.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 08:48 AM

Sena Jeter Naslund's bestseller, Ahab's Wife struck me between the eyes as a masterpiece out of the void; but it turns out she has written other books (Four Spirits, Sherlock in Love) which I have not read.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: MickyMan
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 09:49 AM

Cloudsplitter - by Russell Banks
   A wonderful historical novel about the family and activities of abolitionist John Brown, written in the voice of his one surviving son. Doesn't start out as a quick easy page turner but it has real substance once it grabs you.

Jerry... just ordered Walk Across Egypt online. Looking forward to it. I'll send you my impressions some time later in the winter when I expect I will finally get to sitting down and reading it.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 10:54 AM

MickeyMan: I gave my youngest son Aaron Walking Across Egypt and Killer Diller as Christmas presents. He is an avid reader who is always widening his scope.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 12:06 PM

What's funny here, though, is that Gray Owl was considered a fraud--thus untouchable by American Indian scholars and writers, so Owens wouldn't appreciate being lumped together with Gray Owl!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Boab
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 03:42 AM

Interesting thread--
Anybody share my admiration for the work of McKinlay Kantor in "Andersonville" and "Spirit Lake"?
Or Louis Lamour's work before he discovered that he could make his fortune churning out lower-range stuff?
   Or the historical sagas of James A, Michener?
[And some folks might be amazed---all American!!]

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:14 AM

Good additions, Boab.

And then there's Bud Shulberg... one of my favorite authors of many years ago. His novel, What Makes Sammy Run? even made the prestigious Modern Classics collection back in the 60's. He also wrote The Harder They Fall and Knock on Any Door... all good, gritty underbelly of life novels that gave me a feeling for a life that was as foreign to me as a novel set in India... back when I was living in a small Midwestern town. Shulberg became a successful screenwriter in Hollywood in the 50's and 60's... makes me think I should go check out Amazon.com and see what else he wrote, and what is available in paperback.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:38 AM

Boab, Kantor's "The Voice of Bugle Ann" is sheer poetry, so to speak...a beautiful, poignant little book.

And L'Amour's "Walking Drum" is also one of the best novels ever!

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 10:36 AM

There is a national author who writes consistently good books, all nonfiction, who is probably under most people's radar. Shana Alexander writes beautiful prose. (Some will remember her from 60 Minutes and the Point-Counter-Point debates).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 01:58 PM

Alistair MacCleod is the most under reated author on the planet. Check out his wonderful novel..No Great Mischief..A great story about a Cape Breton Family. In The Heart of the Garden by Helen Wiggin..an English plot of ground and the women who tended it over hundred of years. Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim...a great read.Kathryn by Anya Seton, an historical novel about Katherine Swynford, the mistress of John of Gaunt.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 02:15 PM

Whoops... Schulberg didn't write the screen play for Knock On Any Door (although it has the feel of his work.) He did write the screenplay for a little movie that Marlon Brando did.. On The Waterfront. I checked Amazon.com and see there are only a few of Schulberg's novels in print.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: GUEST,peedeecee
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 03:03 PM

Pat Barker wrote the Regeneration Trilogy which made her famous, but some of her other lesser-known books are equally good.

For those of you who haven't read the trilogy, may I suggest you drop whatever you're doing and rush out to buy all three. Regeneration; The Eye in the Door; Ghost Road. I've re-read them many times.

Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Authors you Might Have Missed
From: Boab
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 05:10 AM

katlaughing---thanks for those two---I didn't know they existed. There will be an early search----