Kingsolver writes “The Lacuna” After 9/11 Criticism
Shortly after the attacks on September 11, 2001, author Barbara Kingsolver published a series of op-ed pieces in several major U.S. newspapers calling for a meaningful national dialog and asking leaders to consider dissenting opinions, and was shocked at the harsh criticism and hate mail she received. “A lot of people were frightened, and when people are frightened, they want to burn witches. They want to run somebody up the flagpole…,” she explains in an interview with The Guardian. “It was really one of the worst times of my life.” A few months later, Kingsolver decided to channel all that fear and anger into something positive and started research on a new project, which would grow to be The Lacuna. “I have to make something of this,” she thought at the time. “I have to take all this bile and hatred and make something beautiful.”
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Amid the nation’s economic woes, the publishing industry has enjoyed a boom this September. With the debut of Dan Brown’s new blockbuster The Lost Symbol, Ted Kennedy’s autobiography True Compass, and a little help from Oprah, book sales have soared past comparative totals from last September. Let’s hope this surge in sales instills the public with a lasting interest in reading good, old-fashioned books.
Did you know that To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter, Catcher in the Rye and The Bible have all been banned books? The American Library Association is celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week (Sept. 26−Oct. 3, 2009). Check out one of the titles on ALA’s