Andre's in the House

Last night Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog (an Oprah Book Club pick) gave a reading and Q&A session here in Newburyport.

I love this town.

The charming Andre is a local who grew up in nearby Haverhill, and is pitching his new memoir Townie.

Instead of reading from the new book, Andre shared passages from his work in progress; a set of 4 novellas which he claims will not be marketable. (We'll see about that, with Oprah in his his contact list.)

He spoke to the audience about the process of writing, and the need to seek for the truth of the story despite an author's preconceptions.

A difficult task.

We want to write what we WANT to write, not what the story wants us to put down. And sometimes tales take us places we don't intend to go.

The Newburyport Public Library hosted this great event. I'm grateful to them. Guess I'd better join the Friends. And so should you.