I fell in love listening to the soulful harmonies of The Supremes when I was about 5 years old & they still entertain me with their stories about sweet talkin' men & love gone wrong.I recently fell in love with a new set of Supremes: Odette, Barbara Jean & Clarice, the main characters in Edward Kelsey Moore's novel: The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can Eat. This splendid tale is delicious on many levels & I highly recommend that you give the book your time. The book's setting is a small town in Indiana (which endeared me right there) and flashes back to the 60's, when Odette, Barbara Jean & Clarice formed a friendship that solidified through the decades and today. I found myself at times crying & laughing--usually on the same page. Edward Kelsey Moore's writing is poignant and heartwarming.
Next week, many libraries across the country are engaging in discussion of Mr. Moore's novel & I have the honor of hosting an evening at Evansville's Public Library - McCullough Branch, on Thursday, July 10th, at 6:00 p.m. My discussion will include some tasty food samples from my book: Recipe Records the 60's Edition, which is a perfect side dish to "Earl's." I'd like to thank Eleanor (not Roosevelt, who interestingly appears in the novel) at the library, who kindly invited me to take part in this book celebration.
My presentation will not only include food, but also the music of the 60's. I've had a blast compiling music to play that evening & of course, The Supremes are included. I look forward to seeing familiar faces & hope to meet a lot of new ones! Also at the celebration, I will donate 50% of proceeds from sales of my cookbooks to the Evansville Public Library.
You still have time to read The Supreme's at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat before the event & you can probably find a copy at the library, Barnes & Noble or at www.amazon.com Be sure you check with the library to see if the event has availability also: www.evpl.org
Visit the author's website at: www.edwardkelseymoore.com
worthy of receiving placement on the New York Times Bestseller list, among numerous other honors.
Lanea: "Where did you grow up & did your childhood memories contribute to your descriptions of the mythical Plainview, Indiana?"
Moore: "I grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis, IN. Plainview is a combination of Bloomington, IN, where I went to college as an undergraduate, and Summersville, the town in rural Kentucky that my mother's family was from. I went to Kentucky at least once a year for family events when I was a child and it stuck with me. Small town life seemed exotic to me back then and it comes up frequently in my writing now."
Lanea: "I found it fascinating that a male author could capture the essence of the female characters in the book...you were able to describe everything from menopause to the heartbreak of losing a child. Where did you get the insight to do this?"
Moore: "I'm glad that you feel I got the female characters right. My main goal was to allow the characters to speak for themselves without my own voice getting in the way. I think that male writers often treat female characters in a patronizing and judgmental way. I just tried to get my ego out of the way and to think of the women in my life and how they spoke and thought."
Lanea: "A lot of writers portray a bit of themselves into their fictional characters. What character in your book would most reflect you & your personality?"
Moore: "I suppose that Clarice is superficially the most like me. Like me, she is a classical musician from a very religious family. But the similarities end there. She is a much better musician than I am and her struggles are quite different from mine. The character I'd most wish to resemble is Big Earl. His kindness and unflappability are qualities I cherish. By the way, even though I didn't intend it when I wrote him, he is the essence of my father."
Lanea: "Who is your favorite character in the book & why?"
Moore: "My favorite character changes over time. Right now, my favorite is Dora. She was so free and outrageous that she was a real joy to write. I'm working on a novel now that continues the story of the Supremes and I'm at the point where it's still a struggle to get the words out. But Dora is never at a loss for words and it's a pleasure to write about her."
Moore: "I grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis, IN. Plainview is a combination of Bloomington, IN, where I went to college as an undergraduate, and Summersville, the town in rural Kentucky that my mother's family was from. I went to Kentucky at least once a year for family events when I was a child and it stuck with me. Small town life seemed exotic to me back then and it comes up frequently in my writing now."
Lanea: "I found it fascinating that a male author could capture the essence of the female characters in the book...you were able to describe everything from menopause to the heartbreak of losing a child. Where did you get the insight to do this?"
Moore: "I'm glad that you feel I got the female characters right. My main goal was to allow the characters to speak for themselves without my own voice getting in the way. I think that male writers often treat female characters in a patronizing and judgmental way. I just tried to get my ego out of the way and to think of the women in my life and how they spoke and thought."
Lanea: "A lot of writers portray a bit of themselves into their fictional characters. What character in your book would most reflect you & your personality?"Moore: "I suppose that Clarice is superficially the most like me. Like me, she is a classical musician from a very religious family. But the similarities end there. She is a much better musician than I am and her struggles are quite different from mine. The character I'd most wish to resemble is Big Earl. His kindness and unflappability are qualities I cherish. By the way, even though I didn't intend it when I wrote him, he is the essence of my father."
Lanea: "Who is your favorite character in the book & why?"
Moore: "My favorite character changes over time. Right now, my favorite is Dora. She was so free and outrageous that she was a real joy to write. I'm working on a novel now that continues the story of the Supremes and I'm at the point where it's still a struggle to get the words out. But Dora is never at a loss for words and it's a pleasure to write about her."
My Music Nugget for the Day:
I was hooked on the sounds of rock & roll at an early age. The pure sounds of the instrumentation & the raw vocals are unmatched in comparison to the computer generated junk that is regurgitated by today's mainstream record companies. Blues, R & B & soul music contributed to the formation of rock & roll and it started in the USA. Enjoy this song by the late Solomon Burke who was considered the King of Soul:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVM2lN-xjb4
Upcoming Events:
Don't miss rising country artist in Evansville, July 12 - read my article in the July issue of News 4 U. You can also go to his Facebook page to see pictures & video of Eric jamming with Country Music Legend Charlie Daniels.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+eric+paslay&FORM=VIRE11#view=detail&mid=EC64A23366746D736961EC64A23366746D736961
August 14-16 - The Fest for Beatles Fans - Chicago, Illinois
I will be giving several talks about my book Recipe Records - a Culinary Tribute to The Beatles .... sink your teeth into some delicious samples & turn off your mind, relax & float downstream with samples of sound as well.
www.thefest.com
September 19-20 - Beatles At The Ridge - Walnut Ridge, AR
It is an honor to participate in this fantastic Beatles event-I'll be giving a presentation about The Beatles & food. The Beatles landed at the airport in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, almost 50 years ago and the town celebrates this monumental event with MUSIC, authors, food & more. The fathers of this city roll out the red carpet for all the guests & you will not be disappointed at this event.
www.beatlesattheridge.com
Peace, Love & God Bless America,
Lanea Stagg
Recipe Records Cookbooks
www.reciperecordscookbook.com
www.rockblocks3.blogspot.com
Facebook: Send friend request: RecipeRecords Cookbook
Twitter: @Recipe Records
Instagram: Recipe Records
lanea@reciperecordscookbook.com
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