Staff Picks: Books
Staff-recommended reading from the
KPL catalog.
American Salvage
Kalamazoo writer Bonnie Jo Campbell’s newest book is a collection of short stories titled American Salvage. It’s one of four books published this year by Wayne State University’s new Made in Michigan Writers Series.
American Salvage is thoroughly Michigan. Campbell’s stories are set in and around her Comstock stomping ground. The book’s cover art is a moody photograph by Kalamazoo artist Mary Whalen portending that something bad may be about to happen.
And bad things do happen in Campbell’s stories. The beating of a tow truck driver left for dead in the snow is the subject of “King Cole’s American Salvage.” At her KPL appearance on August 5, the author was asked by a guest why she writes about such tough subjects as methamphetamine abuse, alcoholism and criminal behavior when these stories can be hard to read. Another audience member responded that she appreciated how Campbell addressed grim topics because they provide an honest reflection of society.
Campbell said that as a writer “You cannot otherwise digest these things going on around you. I write about what bothers me most.”
To illustrate how a writer might respond to a grim event, Campbell used “King Cole’s American Salvage.” The story was based on a real incident that occurred in Comstock. Campbell first read an essay that featured the real names and facts of the incident. Then she read from the short story, explaining that it was her way of exploring the motivations and circumstances of the characters. Campbell’s third treatment of the story showed the driver’s beating distilled into a short and vivid poem.
In its starred review of American Salvage, Booklist said “Campbell’s busted-broke, damaged, and discarded people are rich in longing, valor, forgiveness, and love, and readers themselves will feel salvaged and transformed by this gutsy book’s fierce compassion.”
book
American Salvage
9780814334126