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BOOKMONGER
A salute to Brian Doyle
Brian Doyle’s fertile
creative spirit has not only
produced a dazzling array of
essays and novels, but also
guided the editorial content
of Portland Magazine for a
quarter of a century.
With an abundant vocab-
ulary, dashes of philosophiz-
ing and twinkles of humor,
Doyle has spun prolific tales
of boys, girls, women, men
and wildlife endeavoring to
live with dignity and purpose
and even tenderness. His
work often has a whimsi-
cal flavor, but it is never
inconsequential. The author
perceives a world utterly
jam-packed with tidbits of
beauty and wisdom and com-
fort — if only we will take
notice of them.
His latest work, “The
Adventures of John Carson
in Several Quarters of the
World,” is true to form. With
this novel, Doyle ventures to
get into the mind of 19th cen-
tury Scotsman Robert Louis
Stevenson, who in 1880 had
traveled to San Francisco to
await his true love’s divorce
from her first husband. In
a matter of months, Fanny
Vandegrift Osbourne would
become Stevenson’s wife.
While he bided his time in
a Bay Area boarding house
— this is a true story — Ste-
venson became friendly with
his landlady, Mrs. Carson,
and her seaman husband
John Carson, themselves
recently married after living
separate and remarkable
lives that had ranged across
continents and oceans.
Stevenson and Mr.
Carson became especially
close after spending many
evenings together, smok-
ing and swapping tales in
front of the parlor fireplace.
Carson’s globetrotting
adventures were so splendid
that Stevenson hoped to bind
them together in a pica-
resque novel, but that never
came to pass.
That’s where Doyle has
stepped in, deftly braiding
together some of the strands
of Carson’s exceptional life
— his work with British nat-
uralist Alfred Russel Wallace
in Borneo, his involvement in
the Battle of Gettysburg, and
so on — with Stevenson’s
own enthusiastic explorations
of his temporary home in the
city by the bay.
In 1880, Stevenson was
also working feverishly to
get his career as a writer off
the ground in order to pro-
vide for his soon-to-be wife
and her children. The tales he
The Adventures of
John Carson in Several
Quarters of the World –
Brian Doyle
St. Martin’s Press –
240 pp – $36.99
heard from Carson provided
him with succor and inspira-
tion, and also confirmed the
vitality of story.
Granted, in our age of
what another Northwest
writer, Timothy Egan, calls
“McNugget time,” some
readers may find that their at-
tention spans are taxed by the
languid unspooling of these
tales. More’s the pity.
No matter who else sits
down with “The Adventures
of John Carson,” anyone who
fancies himself or herself a
writer will be incalculably
enriched by the observations
in this book on the craft and
imperative of storytelling.
Throughout this and his
other works, Doyle’s writing
has tended toward a sunny
outlook, but he has never
ignored life’s shadows. And
here comes the bad news,
for those who don’t already
know: Doyle is dealing with
brain cancer and has entered
hospice.
The impulse to mourn
is instantaneous, but let’s
also remember to celebrate
this last book — a gift from
a generous writer who has
always reveled in the “profli-
gacy of creation.”
The Bookmonger is Bar-
bara Lloyd McMichael, who
writes this weekly column fo-
cusing on the books, authors
and publishers of the Pacific
Northwest. Contact her at
bkmonger@nwlink.com
Suzanne Elise Assisted Living
invites you to an Art Exhibit
with Seaside’s artist:
Lisa Sofia Robinson
Friday, June 2 nd • 5 PM to 7 PM
Visit Suzanne Elise Assisted Living at 101 Forest
Drive in Seaside to see this beautiful artwork.
Light refreshments will be served. If you have any
questions please call Heather at 503-738-0307.
101 Forest Drive, Seaside
503-738-0307 • suzanneelise.com