The Friends of the Scarborough Public Library will kick off its 2016 programming this Sunday, Jan. 10, with a visit by award-winning Maine author Bill Roorbach.
Roorbach is a bestselling novelist, short story writer and journalist. He has received the Flannery O’Connor Award for short fiction and his latest book, “The Remedy for Love: A Novel,” was published this past fall.
In addition, Roorbach’s bestselling book, “Life Among Giants,” is now in development at HBO for a multi-year drama series. And his book “Temple Stream,” winner of the Maine Prize for nonfiction, is about to be reissued in paperback by Down East Books.
A “Life Among Giants,” is described as a “funny, exuberant novel (that) captures the reader with the grand sweep of 7-foot-tall David ‘Lizard’ Hochmeyer’s larger-than-life quest to unravel the mystery surrounding his parents’ deaths,” on the Amazon website.
Roorbach’s short works, both fiction and nonfiction, have also been published in such well-known publications as Harper’s, The Atlantic Monthly and The New York Times Magazine.
His story “Big Bend” was also featured on the “Selected Shorts” program sponsored by National Public Radio. And actor James Cromwell read the story for radio broadcast at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
Roorbach has taught at the University of Maine at Farmington, which first brought him to Maine, and later at Colby College and Ohio State. His last academic position was as the Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters at the College of the Holy Cross. He’s been writing full time since 2009.
While Roorbach and his family currently live in Farmington, the plan is to move gradually into a newly purchased home on the marsh in Scarborough while his daughter finishes her career at Mt. Blue High School.
Roorbach’s wife, Juliet Karelsen, is a painter. The couple’s daughter, Elysia, is 15 and “way into dance and theater and music,” he said. He also said the household in Farmington includes “a lot of animals.”
This week Roorbach spoke with the Current about his writing career and his upcoming appearance at the Scarborough library.
Q: What is your educational background?
A: I hold a master’s degree in fine arts (fiction writing) from Columbia University, where I was also a teaching fellow, but my real education as a writer came from my younger years working as a plumber, bartender, cowboy and musician and from various outdoor adventures all over the world.
Q: Did you always intend to be a writer?
A: I asked Santa for a desk for Christmas when I was 5 and told him I wanted to a writer. I have no idea where that came from, though my mother read to us extensively.
Q: What do you most enjoy about writing for a living?
A: I love being inside stories and novels – watching the lives of my characters develop.
Q: Do you enjoy writing fiction or non-fiction more?
A: It’s pretty much equal, though in recent years I’ve published mostly novels, including the bestseller “Life Among Giants” and most recently “The Remedy for Love.” My non-fiction includes “Temple Stream” and “Into Woods” both with brand-new paperback editions from Down East Books.
Q: How do you get your ideas for writing subjects?
A: Just paying attention, I guess. Pretty much everything interests me, so the real problem is deciding which story I want to tell. Usually it starts from a small incident or idea, one that I can’t quite shake.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s always wanted to write a novel?
A: Quit thinking about it and get started.
Q: What do you most enjoy about visiting libraries and meeting readers?
A: I love libraries. They continue to be the center of so many Maine towns, and even in this digital age have proved themselves relevant, resilient, from WiFi to film equipment to meeting rooms to social spaces and still, of course, books, books, books.
My daughter reads about a book a day. We couldn’t possibly buy all those. And then there are the librarians – full of knowledge and better than a Google search for digging deep into any subject under the sun.
Q: What do you have planned for your presentation at the Scarborough library?
A: I’m going to talk about what I’m working on now, read a little from past work, discuss the long process of adapting “Life Among Giants” for HBO, talk about writing both fiction and nonfiction, ask the audience what they’d like to write about and maybe give a little advice. It should be fun and funny, and I hope inspiring. Plus I get to meet new neighbors. I can’t wait.
A CLOSER LOOK
The Friends of the Scarborough Public Library will host a visit by Maine author Bill Roorbach on Sunday, Jan. 10, at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. See www.scarboroughlibrary.org or call 883-4723 for more information.
Award-winning Maine author Bill Roorbach is set to visit the Scarborough Public Library on Sunday, Jan. 10.Send questions/comments to the editors.
