A lot has been made of the way novelist Marcel Proust used the sense of smell to open up a universe of memory. In “Swann’s Way” — the first book in Proust’s opus, “Remembrance of Things Past” — the odor and taste of a particular French cookie causes the narrator to suddenly recall a scene from his childhood in magnificent detail. The bittersweet memory fills in piece by piece, just as brush strokes fill a canvas, until the narrator’s entire past life is conjured, vivid to the point of reality.
It’s all very powerful, yet there is something even more compelling going on in Proust’s work: namely, a strong sense of place. Without the wonderful names of the towns, districts and neighborhoods where all the action takes place, the author’s remembrances would be indeterminate and lacking in weight. Place/names, as they are called, ground a story in reality, give it life and local, sometimes exotic flavor; and it is not a paradox that in the specifics, literature is granted its universal appeal. Folks like to know where they are, even if they’ve never been there.
The new anthology by the Whidbey Writers Group, “Take Our Words for Whidbey,” finds its greatest appeal in a profound sense of place — a celebration of locale that at once re-enchants the familiar and investigates the complex mystery of people’s ties to the region they call home. Perego Lagoon, Cultus Bay, Paulson’s Beach, Maylor’s Dock, Long Point: these are not just dots on a map but places that teem with memory, history, anecdotes, folklore.
Obviously, you simply can’t rattle off a couple of destinations and call it art. It takes the hard work of writing to conjure the stories that hide behind the inert landmarks of the world, and then it takes a little something more to make that story breathe with life. Many of the writers in “Take Our Words for Whidbey” prove themselves adept at the art of storytelling or poetry; some are downright fantastic, showing a real verve for what it takes — imagination, guts, vulnerability, daring — to make words work. Indeed, one might be surprised to discover such authentic talent sequestered away on this lovely island.
There’s much to relish here. Standouts include Herb McDonald’s short story “How Grandpa Lost His Driver’s License,” a funny and sad meditation on aging which brings to mind the work of Depression-era author John Fante, as well as Dorothy Read’s story “Travellin’ Man,” a bawdy, hilarious and surprisingly deep tale of redemption that takes place among the in-fighting inhabitants of a convalescent home.
Fiction is not the only treat offered in this anthology. Ann Gerike’s non-fiction meditation “The Log” is a supple piece of naturalistic writing, with a little philosophy thrown in for good measure. Bill Wilson’s short poem, “First Orcas,” evokes the thrill spotting whales after years of watching.
As with any anthology, there’s some hit-and-miss here. Once in a while, the writing can get a bit too precious or ponderous for its own good, with schmaltzy sentiment overwhelming sound artistic judgement. This is a minor criticism, though. “Take Our Words” is full of good, even great stuff, enticing writing in a variety of modes and styles, all rooted in and around Whidbey Island. It’s rare for a writers group to evince such a preponderance of inspired pieces.
Members of the Whidbey Writers Group will be reading from and signing copies of their new anthology this Saturday, 7 p.m., at Island County Historical Museum in Coupeville. Editions of “Take Our Words” for Whidbey are available at local bookstores, or may be ordered by calling member Rowena Williamson at 678-6058 or Gull Rock Publishing, 1-866-309-8588.
Here’s more local literary news. James Corkill will be signing copies of his new thriller, “Dead Energy,” today from 2-4 p.m. at Daily Grind, 1351 SW Barlow St., Oak Harbor. When not writing, Corkill is a firefighter at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. “Dead Energy” is his first published novel.
Whidbey Allied Arts is hosting a free public exhibition at the Coupeville Recreation Center starting today and running through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Somewhere around 25 artists from around the area will be featured, with works done in oil, watercolor, pastel, collage, photography, pen-and-ink, and so on. A drawing for an art print will be held each day of the show.
North Whidbey Lions are taking entries for their Aug. 10 Car Show. Cost to enter a classic or antique car is $12 before, or $15 the day of the show. Registration forms are available at Oak Harbor Auto Center and Wallgren’s Les Schwab. For more information, call 679-1595 or (360) 320-0402.
