By Matt Thacker
Native Kentuckian author Crystal Wilkinson read excerpts fromher book of short stories on Wednesday at the Speed Art Museum tokick off the Southern Writers’ Series at U of L.
Wilkinson read the introduction and two stories from heraward-winning book, “Water Street.” The book is basedon her life growing up in rural Kentucky. She selected a realstreet in Stanford, Ky. and replaced actual residents withfictional characters.
“I hope that I have captured that feeling of a small towncommunity,” she said.
Karen Chandler, an English professor at U of L, knew Wilkinsonbefore her book?s publication. “I’m looking forward toreading her books now,” Chandler said after attending theevent. “It’s very inspiring to see her achieving hergoals as a writer.”
Wilkinson deals with themes such as coping with the death ofparents, a quickly changing social climate in small-townAppalachia, and feelings of isolation.
The introduction to “Water Street” begins, “Weare almost southern but not northern at all. There are white folkshere like everywhere but Stanford’s black children thrivehere on this street. We are tucked snug down in these deep brownpockets. This street is our homeland.”
This sets the stage for the appearance of a variety of characters.She narrates from various perspectives about the experience ofgrowing up in Stanford. Many characters and events are drawn fromher life. Wilkinson used the death of one character’s parentsas a way to deal with her own mother?s mental illness.
“Growing up in Kentucky shaped my writing in every way,especially rural Kentucky,” she said. She was influencedgreatly by her family’s storytelling tradition. She considersToni Morrison and fellow Kentuckian Gayl Jones two of her biggestliterary influences.
“Water Street” was nominated for the Orange Prize andwas a finalist for the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard WrightFoundation?s Legacy Award in Fiction.
This opened as the first of three literature readings in theSouthern Writers’ Series this month. Sena Naslund, author of”Ahab’s Wife” and “Four Spirits,”will be speaking on Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Speed Art MuseumAuditorium. Ellen Gilchrist, who has won more than 20 national bookawards, will speak the following Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
“Students can hear books being read they never would haveread otherwise,” said Wilkinson. “It opens them up toother experiences. They can see another part of theworld.”
The Southern Writers’ Series is sponsored by the CommonwealthCenter for Humanities and Society and the Speed Art Museum.
