Acclaimed lesbian author Jeanette Winterson was in Chicago April 12 to promote her latest book, Lighthousekeeping. The reading, held at Northwestern University's Thorn Auditorium, was sponsored by the Chicago Humanities Festival with the support of Women & Children First Bookstore.
As her fans have come to expect, Winterson's eighth novel is another gem based both on unusual characters and powerful storytelling. It is set in Scotland and brings to life Silver, a young orphan who is taken in by a blind lighthouse keeper. After acting ( more than strictly reading ) a handful of passages, Winterson invited the audience to comment or ask questions.
In a session that lasted almost an hour, Winterson touched on her own childhood in the north of England, the effects of success, and some aspects of her writing process. She was generous with her answers and her witty remarks caused the audience to burst out laughing several times.
She spoke with resigned humor of the day when her austere adoptive mother burned all of the 77 books she was hiding under her mattress. She said that this traumatic experience subsequently convinced her of the need to build 'an internal library that nobody can take away' by memorizing the plots of classic tales as well as verses of poetry. Even today, she added, she never goes anywhere without a collection of poems to exercise her brain. Being able to purchase any book she desires is what Winterson considers the most amazing luxury success has brought her.
To a woman who wondered why all of her novels are relatively short ( usually 250-280 pages ) , Winterson replied that she thinks, 'it's bad manners to write long books.' After the laughs subsided, she went on to explain that she meticulously strives for an economy of words so as not to burden her readers. 'With so many demands on our time in the 21st century, if you've got something to say you can probably say it concisely,' she declared.
After making a second reference to poetry and pointing out that her Web site showcases a different poet every month, she was asked if she could recite a few verses by heart. To the crowd's delight, Winterson launched into four rhyming pieces. The first three were clever and funny, but the last one ended on a more somber tone. 'You don't like this one, do you?' she asked with a smile before thanking the audience for their presence and interest in her work.
Following the discussion, Winterson signed books for the hundred or so ( mostly ) women who lined up. All seemed happy to wait for their opportunity to meet the author in person and exchange a few words.
For more information on Winterson's current and past writing projects, see www.jeanettewinterson.com .
