Dec 2007
Alison Clement, Yaaay!
06/12/07 00:15 Filed in: Literary
News |
Commentary
I'm
really happy and delighted to congratulate Corvallis
novelist Alison Clement for her 2007 Oregon Book
Award. Her novel, "Twenty Questions" took the Ken
Kesey Award for the Novel prize at an awards ceremony
held Sunday, Dec. 2 in Porltand.
Congratulations, Alison! Or did I say that already?
For those who don't know her work, "Twenty Questions" is Alison's second published novel (her first book, "Pretty is as Pretty Does" would have been equally deserving). Both novels feature Alison's gift for strong characterization and finding real drama in rather ordinary situations that still manage to turn her character's lives upside down.
"Twenty Questions" is about June Duvall, a cafeteria worker at an elementary school who, after her car breaks down, declines an offer for a ride home. The next day, she reads that a woman has been murdered and the accused killer is the same man who offered her the ride. Feeling that her escape led to the death of another woman, June attempts to pay off her assumed karmic debt by befriending the daughter of the slain woman. But as she soon learns, karma is complicated and works in ways that are even stranger than June could have expected.
I don't think the word karma appears in the book, BTW. That was just the best description of the story that I could think of.
I'm especially pleased by Alison's success because I have had the privilege of watching her progress through so many levels. I was in a writing group with her while she was working "Pretty Is As Pretty Does" (then called "Queen of Palmyra" and reading that work for the first time was thrilling. It was obvious from the start that Alison had talent. Her character, Lucy Foshee, had such a strong and original voice. She was so narcissistic, and almost unlikable at first; she could make strong observational points about people, yet at the same time you could see all the ways her viewpoint was also working against her; that people and situations were more complex than she could incorporate into her outlook. It was a brilliant piece of writing.
In closing, once again, congratulations to Alison, and to everyone else I say that Christmas is coming. Here is a link to her website where you can buy her books. Just sayin'...
Congratulations, Alison! Or did I say that already?
For those who don't know her work, "Twenty Questions" is Alison's second published novel (her first book, "Pretty is as Pretty Does" would have been equally deserving). Both novels feature Alison's gift for strong characterization and finding real drama in rather ordinary situations that still manage to turn her character's lives upside down.
"Twenty Questions" is about June Duvall, a cafeteria worker at an elementary school who, after her car breaks down, declines an offer for a ride home. The next day, she reads that a woman has been murdered and the accused killer is the same man who offered her the ride. Feeling that her escape led to the death of another woman, June attempts to pay off her assumed karmic debt by befriending the daughter of the slain woman. But as she soon learns, karma is complicated and works in ways that are even stranger than June could have expected.
I don't think the word karma appears in the book, BTW. That was just the best description of the story that I could think of.
I'm especially pleased by Alison's success because I have had the privilege of watching her progress through so many levels. I was in a writing group with her while she was working "Pretty Is As Pretty Does" (then called "Queen of Palmyra" and reading that work for the first time was thrilling. It was obvious from the start that Alison had talent. Her character, Lucy Foshee, had such a strong and original voice. She was so narcissistic, and almost unlikable at first; she could make strong observational points about people, yet at the same time you could see all the ways her viewpoint was also working against her; that people and situations were more complex than she could incorporate into her outlook. It was a brilliant piece of writing.
In closing, once again, congratulations to Alison, and to everyone else I say that Christmas is coming. Here is a link to her website where you can buy her books. Just sayin'...