A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life. ~Norman Cousins
I’ve told you before how much I owe to libraries in helping to form me into a writer of books. Without my regular trips to the library when I was a kid, I doubt I would have found as much success in sharing my stories with readers like you. It takes books to grow a writer. And in spite of owning few books, I held many in my hands. All because of the blessing of having a library in my town and a mother who would take me there. Books are to writers what sunshine is to plants.
So you can understand why I so happily accept invitations to libraries for book talks and other events. I’ll be visiting two libraries this month. Later this month, on August 25th, I’ll be at the Paul Sawyier Library in Frankfort for their “Gathering of Authors.” A roomful of writers will be ready to talk to readers about their books. But first, on Tuesday this week, August 7th, I’m off to Springfield, Kentucky to the birthplace of the idea for River to Redemption. .
One of the questions I’m asked the most wherever I go is “Where do you get your ideas?”
That’s a hard question to answer because ideas can come from everywhere for me. From other books. Stories in newspapers. The stories told to me. Places I’ve been. My characters as they share their stories. From my head. Out of the blue. That’s just to name a few ways I might get ideas for my stories.
Oftentimes, I can’t pinpoint what starts me down this or that story road. But with River to Redemption, I know exactly the initial idea that inspired me to write the story. Well, maybe not exactly since I can’t find the book with the story about Louis Sansbury and Springfield. I looked for it last week. I’m pretty sure this book that told little known stories about mostly unsung Kentuckians who had done remarkable things, is on my bookshelves or in a stack of books around here somewhere. But wherever the book is, I can credit it for introducing me to Louis and prodding my imagination to create a story around his real actions back in 1833 when he, a slave, buried the cholera victims in the town of Springfield, all fifty-five of them. The town of Springfield stars too as they repaid Louis for his actions with freedom.
So it is going to be fun to go to the Washington County Public Library in Springfield, Kentucky to talk about writing this story. I’m hoping that whoever might show up to listen to me talk about writing River to Redemption will understand my story is fiction wrapped around a nugget of truth. I also hope they will like how my story brought Louis to life. While Louis is not exactly a main character, the story still revolves around him. That’s why many readers mention Louis in reviews they write about the book, such as this Amazon review by A.R.S. “I really liked slave Louis, who is described in the book as an uncommon man who walked with the Lord. His love for people, no matter what color or who they were, was heartwarming.”
That was the Louis I imagined from the research I did after I discovered him in that book several years ago. An uncommon man. Plus the town of Springfield did an uncommon thing in buying his freedom. That’s what I hope to talk about when I visit the library in Springfield, Kentucky on Tuesday this week. If you’re in the area, come on out. We can talk books and history and fiction. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say.
Do you love libraries?