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‘Meet Me’ offers a look at the other side of writers
(by Jennifer Alexander - June 23, 2010)
Meet Me: Writers in St. Louis is a collection of interviews conducted by local author Catherine Rankovic and published by local publisher PenUltimate Press. Rankovic interviews a wide variety of writers, including poets, essayists, novelists, a biographer and a memoirist. Rankovic’s interviews show respect for her subjects and a deep curiosity about the writing life in general. Through her choice of writers and her consistent tone, she creates a valuable portrait of literary life in St. Louis.
Each of the 13 writers profiled has a different bond to St. Louis. Rankovic interviews novelist and playwright Ntozake Shange, who was raised in St. Louis but has lived most of her life elsewhere. She also speaks to several writers who came to St. Louis to build their careers, including poet Donald Finkel and mystery novelist Qiu Xiaolong. Kathleen Finneran was born and raised in St. Louis, lived in New York while she was writing her family memoir, and returned to her hometown.
In some cases the tie to St. Louis is slight. Poet Tess Gallagher was interviewed during her first visit to the city. Jean-Claude Baker coauthored the biography Josephine: The Hungry Heart. He was an unofficial member of entertainer Josephine Baker’s extended family. His only connection to St. Louis is his interest in her unhappy childhood.
Some of the writers profiled are well known such as essayist Gerald Early and former St. Louis Post-Dispatch critic Harper Barnes. Others are less known. Poets John N. Morris and Jayne O. Wayne both speak of a desire to keep a low profile and the effect that has on a writing career.
Each chapter begins with a photograph of the writer and either a poem or an excerpt from a longer work. Rankovic introduces each interview, placing it in context of each writer’s career and noting where and when the interview was originally published. A few of the interviews were conducted for this collection, to fill what Rankovic calls “inexcusable gaps in the record.”
Meet Me appeals on many levels. You may learn something unexpected about writers you already know. You may be introduced to poets and novelists you don’t know. Rankovic’s questioning style prompts original responses. She uses an unusual technique in her interview with Shange. She read from a character analysis based on the numerology of Shange’s birthday, asking the writer to respond to each statement. This indirect approach successfully elicits frank observations.
In the preface, Rankovic writes of her good fortune in having the opportunity to conduct these interviews. “Communicators by profession, tuned to their inner promptings, writers are a pleasure to interview,” she writes.
One theme that emerges from the interviews is a writer’s struggle to make a living, or achieve recognition. Eddy Harris published his highly praised book Mississippi Solo in 1988. He speaks about the discouragement he felt before he decided to canoe the length of the Mississippi River, calling it the hardest time in his life. “But emotionally it was tough, because I’m writing and writing and writing, and you never know if you’re ever gonna get around the bend or over the hill.”
Poet Morris talks about getting a rejection from Poetry magazine with a note encouraging him to try again. “Well, that was as good as the Nobel Prize to me, I suppose; in any event, very heartening.” Wayne describes her feelings when her first book was published. “I felt relieved that now when people asked me what I did, I had an answer.”
Rankovic introduces her collection with a quotation from Mark Twain: “Every man is a moon and has a side which he turns toward nobody; you have to slip around behind if you want to see it.” Meet Me: Writers in St. Louis offers many insights into individual writers and the life of letters generally. In this absorbing collection, Rankovic “slips around behind” to reveal a fascinating side of St. Louis life.
• Meet Me: Writers in St. Louis is in stores now.
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