SWEETGRASS: Then and Now

Almost six years after its nationwide debut, my Lowcountry novel SWEETGRASS is gearing up for a springtime comeback. This May will be the first time it appears at bookstores in trade paperback (It’s one of four paperback releases this year).

In preparation for this literary redux, the publisher has given the book cover a makeover (I think the pop of green and yellow color is eye-catching).

As for the story of Mama June Blakely-- her family’s crisis and unlocked secrets—I left the story untouched.

I was inspired to write this story by watching a woman’s strong hands weave together the disparate grasses into a work of art. How like a mother and her family, I thought. And in a flash I knew what my story would be about.

During Mama June’s tumultuous personal journey, the reader also learns about the intricate southern art of weaving sweetgrass baskets. The story raised many harsh realities about the current issues threatening this centuries-old craft.

I’m delighted to report that since its first publication in 2005, some progress has been made to help preserve the ancient African art of Sweetgrass basket weaving.

• Sweetgrass basketry was named South Carolina’s state handcraft in 2006.
• In 2006, the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was designated by Congress, thus helping protect one of Southern America’s unique cultures shaped by enslaved West Africans.
• In 2009, the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion opened at the new Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park in South Carolina, in an effort to help keep the basketmaking tradition alive.
• Local efforts have been made to encourage residents to plant sweetgrass for basketmakers.

However, commercial and residential development in coastal islands and marshes continue to make the indigenous sweetgrass difficult to find. It’s an ongoing issue, one that was prevalent when I was writing SWEETGRASS years ago and continues today. Southern coastal communities must continue to work to find ways to protect our precious coastal resources.

My hope is that anyone who reads or re-reads SWEETGRASS when it’s released in May will enjoy this family saga of a plantation family and come to appreciate the sweetgrass basketmaking culture.

If you don’t have a sweetgrass basket in your home, go out to the new Cultural Arts Pavilion in Mt. P, or to the Market in Charleston, or stop at one of the many basket stands along Hwy 17. Each sewer is a unique artist. By learning about the baskets, you’ll better understand the cost and appreciate that the baskets are a historic and impressive art form of the Lowcountry. I adore them and have them all over my house. 

Here's a photo of the baskets in my office. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Year, New Possibilities

Happy New Year! 

Are you like me in that when the New Year begins, you are filled with anticipation and hope? It’s a time for new beginnings. Three hundred and sixty five days of possibilities!

For me, 2010 will be an exciting year.  First, and most important, our family will soon be blessed with another baby-- my second grandchild!  Also, my two other children are embarking on new adventures.  My son, as I mentioned in last week's blog, will accept his commission in the Marines.  And my other daughter is training in Hawaii to become one of the top wave kiteboarding women in the world.  Way to go kids! 

I'm also looking forward to the releases of my books in paperback.

In May, SWEETGRASS will hit store shelves for the first time in trade paperback. This is the story of Mama June, matriarch of the Blakely family, who is rocked by a health crisis and rising taxes on the plantation. These two events lead to the revelation of family secrets that date back to the time of slavery. She must dig deep into her heart and history to find the truth that will bind her family together again. The Southern art of weaving intricate sweetgrass baskets is a metaphor for a mother weaving together the disparate strands of her family.

On June 8th, LAST LIGHT OVER CAROLINA will be released in trade paperback. This follows last summer’s wonderful success of the hardcover version, which hit the New York Times List and Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance’s best seller list. Both men and women alike seem to enjoy the story of longtime shrimp boat captain Bud Morrison and his wife of thirty years, Carolina. This haunting and touching tale unfolds over the course of a single day, when the captain is injured at sea, triggering a massive search for his missing vessel.

In July, SWIMMING LESSONS will be released as mass market-- a perfect size for your beach bag or suitcase! It’s the follow-up to THE BEACH HOUSE, with Toy Sooner now a single mother raising her young daughter at the beach while caring for injured sea turtles. The summer season evokes her abusive past and a parent’s worst nightmare, forcing Toy to find her own strength and courageously face her fears.

And finally, with great excitement I get to announce the November release of my first novel THE LONG ROAD HOME, which has been out of print since 1995. I have often jokingly referred to it as “the best book no one has read.” This is the story of socialite Nora MacKenzie, who is hit by both the shock of her estranged husband’s suicide and the news that his Wall Street dealings left her bankrupt. She flees to their small Vermont farm to sort out her life. This story of bank scandals and tough times is timely again. The only editing I’ve done is for anachronisms. Remember the “Walkman” or how everyone was called “Dude” back then? I think it is more interesting for my readers to see my writing early on in my career, and the story remains strong and compelling. And here’s a secret… The setting of the farm in Vermont is a depiction of our old family house there. I hope you enjoy the novel as much as I did reading it again after fifteen years!

As the books are released I will post more information on my website, so check in often. That’s where you can also find out about my scheduled appearances.  For those of you who live in the Naples, Fort Myers, Florida region, I’ll be visiting several stores in mid January. Then in February I’ll be attending the Savannah Book Festival. I’d love to meet you!

I’m also continuing this year to update my Facebook fan page.  It is a marvelous way, in our modern times, to keep in touch with my readers.  Plus, the weekly blog will continue to be a reflection on life and my books.  There will be one addition though.  My assistant, Angela, will periodically share her perspective about some of our many fun interactions and topics dear to my heart.

Meanwhile, I’m working on my latest novel, THE BUTTERFLY’S DAUGHTER. Those of you who have been visiting me on Facebook have seen photos of all the monarch butterflies that I raised last fall. This book will be released in hard cover from Simon and Schuster in 2011.

Expect to see a very special children’s book about butterflies that I’ve written, as well. This book will have beautiful photographs from Barbara Bergwerf, similar to what you enjoyed in TURTLE SUMMER.

Thank you for your love and support over the past years. I wish you a wonderful New Year full of adventure, joy, magic and peace.