Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2002)
My 5. 2QQ2 Amy Bloom Continued from Page 28 and em otions and desires are portrayed as they are— messy and com plicated. In the title story a mom awakens to her child’s real gender identity: “Jane knew that she had managed not to see it, as you manage not to see that your neighbor’s new baby has your hus band’s eyes and nose.” In “Light Into Dark," Lionel and stepmother Julia try to get through Thanksgiving, sharing the secret of an incestuous night together. “Running to Eden” follows hus band Charlie and lesbian best friend Ellie as they shape an unusual connection during the care of Mai, the third, ill member of their liaison. A strong smell of death and illness wafts through most of the book’s scenarios. This delib erate presence of imperfection adds instant des peration and unpredictability, stripping characters of their last pretenses (e.g., a mistress straddles her lover in his darkest hours of Parkinson’s disease) and liberating and intensifing each central love. And just when you think the gloom will never end, something beautiful sprouts out o f it. It’s but a tiny part o f Bloom’s vast insight into the quirks of the human heart, deriving, no doubt, from her long career in psychotherapy. To top it off, her astuteness is accompanied by a witty side, filling the collection with wel come irony: “She is now practically a profes sional observer o f gender, and she sees that although homeliness and ugliness won’t win you any kindness from the world, they are not, in and of themselves, the markers that will get you tossed out o f the restaurant, the m en’s room, the M ichigan W omyn’s Music Festival.” A Blind Man was nominated for the N ation al Book Award, and its title piece was chosen for The Best American Short Stories 2000. Bloom also wrote Come to Me (more short stories) and Love Invents Us (a novel). — Els Debbaut Auto, Home, Life & Business JH hen Sara Ryan learned that a woman whose daughter checked out her book Empress o f the World from a public library in Houghton, M ich., was refusing to return it because she didn’t think it was suitable for the public, the Portland writer sprang into action. She immediately contacted the library and offered to send an autographed copy. T he staff happily accepted. T he 30-year-old’s first book has received a lot of attention. Empress has been written up in USA Today, Teen People, Publishers Weekly and other periodicals, which have described it as a tender, compelling story about a first love affair between two girls attending a summer camp for gifted and talented kids. T he novel was also nominated for a Lamb da Literary Award in the Children/Young Adult category. (It lost to Julia W atts’ Finding H .F.) Ryan calls the whole thing “very exciting.” fJnsubtaAle/ bq vJack lurtelt he Michigan-born novelist’s literary habit began at a young age and became more focused when, as a teen-ager, she attended Clarion, a science fiction and fantasy writing workshop. She remembers it as very intense— 16 aspiring young writers and six instructors spent six weeks together at M ichi gan State University in Lansing. “T h e experi ence pushed me to becoming serious about w riting...it had a huge impact.” Ryan moved to Portland almost five years ago for her job in the Multnomah County Library’s school outreach program working with teachers and media specialists to provide resources for children and adolescents. She says she loves her job because she gets to put her ■ passion about books into action. U nlike similar gay-themed novels about young people, Empress “doesn’t deal with all the negative social ramifications o f ‘coming out’ to angry parents, prejudiced peers or disap pointed school counselors.” Instead, because Sara Ryan’s coming of age story was nominated the story is set in a place removed from the for a Lambda Literary Award usual hometown and family dynamics, it can because people would ‘know’ about her,” focus on the excitem ent and uncertainties of a Ryan shares. first love that “just happens to be lesbian.” A nother young woman reported that she Except for the incident in Houghton, the made her sister read Empress because “her book has received what Ryan believes is sur entire family was homophobic.” T h e sister’s prisingly little protest. As a librarian she is experience with thfe book “changed the whole keenly aware how many books with “contro outlook o f the family.” versial” content are under attack. Instead, most T h is is good news to Ryan, who identifies feedback is coming from encouraging e-mails as bisexual and lives with a male partner. “I written by young people and adults— gay and feel com fortable in my identity,” she asserts. straight— who find her account of love realistic “O n e reason I wrote the book is to make and convincing. space for people to be bisexual, as well as gay O ne girl “read the book in three successive or transsexual.” sessions in different bookstores. She didn’t Ryan has adapted one of the characters from want to buy it or check it out of the library p fu n s ra n c s Drivers wanted. "Your Independent Insurance Agency” Sew ing your real estate needs fo r... Elliott, Powell, Baden & Baker, Inc. CONDOS C rec C ray (760) 833-5434 M a rc B a k e r D o w n t o w n P o rtla n d (5 0 3 ) 2 2 7 -1 7 7 1 w w w .e p b b .c o m JACK T urteltaub is a psychologist , personal coach and free-lance writer who may be reached at turtelta@ e-z.net. ■ W 5 / 0 M inim um Paym ent ££C£0/ ■ Fully Indexed / 0 Paym ent $0 D ow n Loans P LU S $1347.13 principal & Interest on $300,000 loan $673.57 principal & Interest on $150,000 loan (3 .5 % minimum payment & 5 .6 6% fully indexed APR) • Is your mortgage paying your retirement account? • Is your home the best write-off on your federal income taxes? NorthStar M ortgage vdublisa@hotmail.com Herzgg-Meier Visit S ara R yan at wivw.sararyan.com . Call Russell Leggroan for a Free, professional consultation. Lisa Costello 503-372-3129 Personal VW Consultant V acation H omes H otel P roperties A partment B ldgs . Empress for a comic book story with her partner, illustrator Steve Lieber, for the magazine Cicada, which is geared toward teen writ ers. She also pens an occasional technical support column for Voice o f Youth Advocates, a publication tar geted at educators, librarians, coun- selors and other pro fessionals who work with young people. In fact, the reaction to Empress has been so positive th e writer is work ing on a sequel, w hich will focus again on the same young lovers. S h e ’s in no hurry, though, noting getting it on the shelves is less im portant th an making sure she “gets it right.” JFl Ir lfr tK Jfö ■REALTORS» 211E. Palm Canyon Paim Springs, CA 92264 5 0 3 -2 4 9 -0 8 4 3 north starmortaagiqwest. net www northstarmortaa0eontme.com
