Annie Proulx: THAT OLD ACE IN THE HOLE

Reaction to the book was mixed, with everyone noting a distinct separation between the Texas background and the characters frolicking in front of it. Robin, Caroline, and I loved the deep-dish description and sense of place, while Amanda (sending her critique by email when it turned out she would be detained at work – this is dedication!) felt enough was enough. Robin brought up Annie Proulx' atypical method – not "write what you know" but "write what you'd like to know", with all the research that entails. Amanda thought that effort showed obtrusively. A few other features were noted – the "we townspeople WANT a prison", "the Klan wasn't all bad" remarks – was this Proulx' "Get to know your fellow Americans, effete New Yorker readers" or "Don't be fooled by my cuddly, quirky characters"? And Proulx' frank sexuality in describing men. All in all, excellent food for discussion – thank you Robin!

Phoebe