On Thursday, October 29th, Booking through Thursday asked:
Who’s your favorite author that other people are NOT reading? The one you want to evangelize for, the one you would run popularity campaigns for? The author that, so far as you’re concerned, everyone should be reading–but that nobody seems to have heard of. You know, not JK Rowling, not Jane Austen, not Hemingway–everybody’s heard of them. The author that you think should be that famous and can’t understand why they’re not…
I don’t know that any of the authors I read are particularly obscure, but I do think both Kathleen Norris and Lauren Willig are underrated. Kathleen Norris’s most famous work is The Cloister Walk which had quite a lot of media coverage when it originally came out, but her other works, most notably Dakota: a Spiritual Geography tend to be underplayed, and her poetry is just amazing. She’s one of the authors I would most like to meet. If you like poetry, consider a copy of Little Girls in Church.
Lauren Willig, on the other hand, is prolific and amazing. I don’t know what kind of anti aging product she keeps hidden in her bathroom, nor do I understand where she finds the energy to be an attorney and write historical novels, about a book a year, in hardcover, but as a long-time fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel, I was instantly hooked on Willig’s work when I picked up, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation several years ago. The newest book in the series, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily is new this month.
I, honestly, haven’t heard of her…but I like historical story, I’ll write it down so I can check Willig’s book when I find it
I was blown away by Kathleen Norris’ prose when I read Dakota several years back. It doesn’t surprise me that she writes poetry, although I wasn’t aware that she did. I’ll have to check that out.
Thank you for giving me new titles to read. My BTT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/01/booking-through-thursday-21-january.html
Haha great answer! Mine is at The Crowded Leaf.
I’ve heard of both, but never read anything by them. I’ll have to look them up at the library… My favorite relatively unknown author is Brian S. Matthews. Here’s my full response.
I am intrigued by ‘The Secret History of the Pink Carnation’ after your Scarlet Pimpernel reference! I have never heard of either – but will look into them!
Here is my response:
http://www.plottings.net/2010/01/booking-through-thursday-favorite-unknown.html
I gave my mother The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, and I thought it looked interesting. I completely agree about The Cloister Walk–that is such a lovely book. More people should read it.
I have a suggestion for anyone looking for fun, sometimes blasphemous, reading. His name is Russell Greenan and he was active in the 60s & 70s. His novel, “It Happened in Boston?” is particularly fun. It’s about an anachronistic artist and his quest to have a little chat with God. Jonathem Lethem wrote the intro to the latest edition of this quirky masterpiece.
I read Dakota years ago, and enjoyed it immensely. I’ve heard of Lauren Willig, but not read any of her books yet.