Books festival
MEET THE AUTHOR/DISCUSSION Raymond Chandler, yet as poetic as
Melvyn Bragg Walt Whitman. The great storyteller comes to Edinburgh to talk about her
work. (Miles Fielder)
- Annie Proulx (Meet The Author) Post
Office Theatre, 22 Aug, 77.30am, £6
(£4).
CULTURAL ID/BIGGER PICTURE Herta Miller
A fortysomething Romanian, Herta MUIler comes to Edinburgh to discuss her novel The Land Of Green Plums. Years ago, Muller moved from the provinces to the city to become a teacher in Ceaucescu’s stranglehold dictatorship. After refusing to co- operate with the Securitate she lost her job and eventually found exile in Germany where she remains today. Her award-winning novel manages to be both autobiographical and abstract. Like Kurt Vonnegut Jr's After years of fighting on the frontlines Slaughterhouse Five, it describes
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Soldiering on: Melvyn Bragg
during World War II, Sam Reynolds is trauma and death in a quirky fashion, back in his home town, reunited with avoiding gratuitous depictions of his wife and six-year-old son. Things horror. Instead, Milller’s evocative have changed during his time away. language dips into an ocean of His wife has had a taste of mental images to create a sense of independence; his son can barely tension and isolation. remember him and Sam himself is As well as reading and discussing her seeing the world through different own work, she will be joined by Earl eyes. Lovelace and Andre Brink for
Based on his own background, International Writers On Democracy, Melvyn Bragg’s latest novel The where they will debate the theories
Soldier's Return is a subtle, well-crafted and realities behind democracy.
story of one family’s struggle to adjust (Ally Hardy)
after the trauma of the war. - International Writers On Democracy ’It is emotionally based on my life,’ he (Cultural ID) Post Office Theatre, 20
says, 'but it’s difficult to say how much Aug, 7pm, £6 (£4); Herta Mal/er
of me is in the novel.’ He himself never (Bigger Picture) Gap Studio Theatre, 21
had a problem returning to his home Aug, 3.30pm, £5 (£3).
‘I like Time Out’s City guides. In the town.'Thinyyearsagoiboughta
. . cottage eight miles away, so I never BIOGRAPHY/CULTURAL ID same way that the London listings really 'eft/ he explains ‘Thrsee of my Graham McCann oldest, closest friends are still there, ' ' and I consider myself very lucky.’ After writing successful books on such magaZlne can you more abOUt What '8 (Kirsty Knaggs) Hollywood luminaries as Woody Allen, ' ' ' I Melvyn Bragg (Meet The Author) Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant, the happenlng Culturally In the Cap'ta| than Post Office Theatre, 27 Aug, 77.30am, least obvious step for Graham McCann ' ~ - - - £6 (£4); The Art Of The Interview was a biography of British comedy any Other pUbllcathn! the City gUIdeS WI” (Discussion) Post Office Theatre, 27 legends Morecambe And Wise. ‘After - - - Aug, 3pm, £6 (£4). researching in Hollywood, this was glve you the blg plCtU re such a liberating feeling,’ explains . MEET THE AUTHOR McCann. ’l was getting so used to on be rs and ClUbS, gallerles and Annie Prou'x refusals, but with this, everyone was . happy to talk.’ museums, reStaUrantS and SGNICGS- Would it be an exa eration to sa The scope of the book takes in . Annie Proulx is the greatest American much more than JUSt Eric and Ernie They also seem to have reallsed there author working today? No, it wouldn’t. and their famed TV appearances: . . , With only three novels (Postcards, the 'Because they were so important it IS a larger aUdlence than Glther Rough Pulitzer Prize-winning The Shipping became almost a history of British , , News and Accordion Crimes) and two entertainment; they did it all - music GUldeS OI” Lonely Planet Caterfor, short story collections (Heart Songs hall, variety shows, radio, movies and and her newest book, Close Range: TV.’ Anthony Sattin ’The Sunday Times Wyoming Stories) under her belt, In addition to doing a talk on Proulx’s output is as sparse as her prose Morecambe and Wise and biographies, can be. McCann is taking part in a discussion And yet her writing has captured the with comedy writers Joe McGrath, lonely lives of lost souls in America Hugo Hamilton and Ian Rab C. Nesbitt more vividly than anyone else writing Pattison on laughter and cultural today. From the rainswept coast of identity. Definitely something to smile
Newfoundland in The Shipping News about. (Mark Robertson)
to the rugged heart of the Wyoming I Graham McCann On Morecambe big country in Close Range, Proulx has And Wise (Biography) Post Office nailed the land down to the page in a Theatre, 20 Aug, 3pm, £6 (£4);
City éuiéies
' , way few other authors have Laughter And Cultural Identity (Cultural www.timeout.com WWW- Dengwn -00m managed. ID) Post Office Theatre, 20 Aug, 5pm, Her tales are as hard-bitten as £6 (£4).
some usr 19-26 Aug 1999