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'Tale' author's initial talks draw sizable audiences
Friday, March 12, 2010
News
By Ben Beagle bbeagle@batavianews.com
BATAVIA -- Carol Smith of Batavia wasn't sure she wanted to read "The
Art of Racing in the Rain," the memoir-like story of the dog Enzo
on the eve of his death. Her own family's black Labrador dog, Chongo,
died after being struck by a car and apparently having its leash become
entangled in the car's axle.
"It was just a horrible accident. I didn't want to read about another dog's death," said Smith, whose family got another black Lab, Sophie
With friends encouraging her to read Garth Stein's best-selling novel and this year's "A Tale for Three Counties" selection, Smith said she has found a degree of closure in her dog's death that had been missing before.
"I really enjoyed the philosophy in the book. I liked that Enzo kept saying he can handle this. It really hit me that maybe there is more to what our dog is thinking," said Smith, a retired second-grade school teacher.
"I talk to my dog in a whole different way now," she said
with a chuckle Thursday night at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross
St.
Readers turned out in record numbers to the first two of four author talks and book signings.
More than 150 people, including a group of about a dozen students from Byron-Bergen Central School, attended the Thursday afternoon talk and booksigning at Genesee Community College. Before that, about 20 faculty, staff, students and guests attended the luncheon, where Stein informally chatted about how his writing career has developed and how having a best-selling novel has changed his life.
Or hasn't.
"I still cook dinner every night," Stein said at the luncheon. "It's just now when the phone rings it's Patrick Dempsey."
Nearly 200 more attended a riotously raucous evening program at Richmond Library that featured what was likely the program's most varied audience. Participants filled the Reading Room, its annex and adjacent doorways. About a dozen people sat in front of the podium, several others stood at the entrance or found additional seats in the front corner.
The arrangement gave those closest to Stein an almost theater-in-the-round feel for his three animated chapters, and he made sure to speak towards all of them as he read selections from "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and discussed his writing experiences.
There was much laughter generated by Stein's deliberate delivery, perfect punchlines and animated expressions. Late in the evening he even fended off a single ladybug that nearly flew into his eye.
"I don't know why I had never come before. This was really, really enjoyable," said Diane Fox of Clarendon and a member of a book club at Present Tense in Batavia.
Tale programs continue through Saturday. Today, Stein will have lunch with winners of a writing contest sponsored by The Daily News, and give a 7 p.m. talk at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, 620 West Ave., Medina. His final presentation is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at Perry Elementary/Middle School, 50 Olin Ave., Perry.
"The Art of Racing in the Rain" is the story of Denny Swift, as seen through the eyes of his dog Enzo, who is reflecting on the personal and professional challenges Denny and the family has faced.
Stein read several passages from the book: the opening chapter where Enzo introduces himself and readers discover the book's narrator is a dog, a chapter where Enzo is adjusting to the presence of Denny's wife ease, and a descriptive chapter where Enzo rides along as Denny screeches through several laps around Thunderhill Raceway Park.
The latter reading had some audience members thinking they were in the car, too, as they leaned slightly forward or to the side as Denny negotiated the turns at extreme speeds.
Stein shared some of the challenges he faced in getting the book -- which just completed 38 weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list and is in production for a movie starring "Grey's Anatomy" heartthrob Patrick Dempsey as Denny -- published in the first place.
"That was the best part for me, hearing his own obstacles he had in getting the book published. When he told the story, his voice sounded like Enzo," said Colleen Kelsey of Caledonia, who read "Racing in the Rain" after her grandfather raved about it; the book is now being passed among family members.
When Stein's agent told him to throw out his manuscript to "The Art of Racing in the Rain," Stein abruptly fired him "on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when the in-laws are coming to town..."
"Don't tell your spouse until after," he advised. "You'd be surprised how much dark meat there is on a turkey."
But Stein, with his own unique bent, also told stories about how his wife has supported his career. She is his first editor, the first reader and "The person who is there when things are tough, and the person there when things are good and you can share the joy."
Stein also identifies his wife as his muse.
"She inspires great things. Though she is not the kind of muse who sprinkles pixie dust on the keyboard. Think darker ..." he said, with a smile.
Stein joked about "... all the Ferraris that drive down Main Street in Batavia," as he explained how Enzo's name -- which he wanted to save for a child, and his wife did not -- came from famed race-car designer Enzo Ferrari.
And, he noted how the character of Enzo changed from a dark, sarcastic angry dog into the canine that has charmed readers in 31 languages.
"You couldn't sustain that for a novel. Too bitter," Stein said. "But as I wrote I realized that he's not trying to be angry, he's trying to figure things out."
Readers found many ways to connect with Stein and his novel.
Nick Rosone, a 10-year-old from Batavia, sought some writing advice from Stein while having his book signed.
"He said you have to start writing. And read, read, read. We have a lot of reading to do," Rosone said. "That was the question I really wanted answered the most."
Josh Black of Medina, who attended the Richmond session as part of an English class from Genesee Community College that used the book, said he connected to several events in the book as he is a single dad and had a family member die from cancer.
"The emotions," Black said, "were spot on."
Cheryl Kowalik of Batavia has participated in all eight years of the Tale program.
"This year was the most fun book," said Kowalik, who volunteers at a local animal shelter. "Even though it deals with death and dying it really has a lot of life. And Enzo, after a while you don't think of him as a dog. He becomes a person."
Daily News Staff Writer Brittany Baker reported from Genesee Community College.
Courtesy of Batavia Newspapers Corporation