We Interupt This Midweek Geekiness to Bring You…a Book Launch Recap

I had a piece on Tumblr half ready for posting, but yesterday proved too good to pass up.  Chadwick Ginther had his book launch for Tombstone Blues, the sequel to the Aurora Award-nominated novel Thunder Road.  McNally Robinson once again hosted the event, and once again it was well attended.  While friends and family sat in the audience, I heard a new wrinkle showed itself at the launch.

Chadwick had readers.

The support of your circle is one thing for a writer, but to hear about actual readers must have made everyone smile with pride.  He took his act on the road and spread Thunder Road and Tombstone blues far and wide.  At least as far and wide as a writer from a small press can spread.  Next on Chadwick’s itinerary is a reading at Word on the Water in Kenora. Booksellers and Library folk talk about the one author they watch as they started out and grew over the years.  Keeping my fingers crossed for his continued growth.

In fact it made me think about reading a bit more locally.  We all talking eating locally, those food grown here in Manitoba.  However, nobody thinks really hard about reading locally.  For a few years Manitoba authors dwelled in the ‘literary’ realm.  We have David Bergen, and while there’s nothing wrong with his work, such thinking implies that’s all people read.  In my view a good story is a good story.  While I enjoy structure and craft, if I see it getting in the way of the story the book gets put down, and rarely picked back up.

The Manitoba literary landscape has room for writers like Chadwick Ginther and Susan Rocan, both spinners of fantastical tales, to go along with the David Bergens and the Miriam Toews of this setting.

In the mean time look for a book talk to follow…