Saturday, June 12, 2021

So Where Is "The Botleys of Beaumont County" actually Set?


     Authors have to make a decision about the place. Robert B. Parker usually selected Boston for Spenser to solve crimes. Raymond Chandler placed Marlowe in Los Angeles. 

     What about Slerd Botley? Beaumont county is in the Southeastern United States. While the story could take place anywhere, I set it broadly within the region where I have lived since 2005. Legally since 2004, but I was deployed to Germany then. 

     William Faulkner had his Yoknapatawpha County, which really was the Mississippi Delta (where my wife worked for a few years, by the way ). John Updike based his Brewer on Reading, PA. I started reading him in earnest during my seminary internship there. 

     Not that I consider myself anywhere near the equal of these writers, but the latter two have particularly inspired me. Creating a fictional place, roughly based on a real place, gives me some latitude. 

     One nice thing is that I can add enough detail to be authentic, but I can be a little flexible now and then.

     Will I keep writing in this manner? Who can say? First, let me get this book out. And it will be soon, and it will be on Blurb.

   Can't wait to read something from me.? Links to my poetry: Pictures of most of them!


https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Turfa/e/B00YJ9LNOA%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

https://www.blurb.com/b/10335105-all-in-the-family-2nd-edition





No comments:

Post a Comment

"Epiphanies" from Alien Buddha Press- Available on Amazon- Read a story here

https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/author/alienbuddhapress/       I am so thrilled about this short story collection,, my first one. Ali...