I first met Jonathan Evison in 2012 at Hugo House in Seattle where he talked about what to expect if you hoped to become a published writer. Spoiler alert: It’s hard work, so if you’re seeking glamour and/or six-figure deals and/or constant admiration, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Case in point, fewer than 10 people attended the afternoon class, and one woman scurried out midway without explanation. Having never taught before, JE asked if he should personally refund her money. The rest of us thought it unwarranted, so he got back to business.
By 2012, JE had the distinction of being “the author you’d most like to have a beer with,” but what drew me to him were his posts on family life, especially one about the grief he felt from the recent passing of a beloved dog. That touched my heart.
If you’ve read any of his books, you’ll know JE doesn’t sidestep difficult subjects in his novels. At the time of the class, I’d read All About Lulu (1st) and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (3rd), and he was working on This is Your Life Harriet Chance (4th). I’ve now read that too. I also enjoyed Lawn Boy (5th), which is currently on the list of most banned books in the nation. (JE thinks that people who ban books should read them first to avoid spreading misinformation, but he knows that’s highly unlikely.) As for West of Here (2nd) and Legends of the North Cascades (6th), they’re on my shelves.
In 2016, JE taught a weeklong morning class at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference at Fort Worden, and I was among the first to enroll. Since then, I’ve come to know Johnny and his wife Lauren. I adore them both, along with their three rambunctious and talented kids. And, Lauren graciously read the manuscript for Katy’s Song before I found a publisher. For that I’m sincerely grateful, because it was a much needed vote of confidence after 100+ agent rejections. Therefore, this review can’t possibly be unbiased. Nonetheless, it is truthful.
I first read Small World in May 2020 when Johnny needed fresh eyes on the manuscript. Reaching out on FB, he requested two volunteers to read and critique 150,000 words within five days. For those who don’t know, most novels are around 80,000-100,000 words, so this was epic.
Heaven help me, even though I’m a slow reader, I jumped at the chance! Thank goodness the pages were already in fantastic shape. And, even though I broke my streak of completing the NYTs’s on-line daily crossword, I felt I’d been given the gift of a masters class in writing. That was enough of a thanks for me, but, as promised, my name was added to the acknowledgements. How cool is that?!?
Review: Small World, Jonathan Evison’s seventh novel, focuses on the ambition behind building the transcontinental railroad and how generations of people and swaths of land were touched by the quest to ease travel across the USA in mid-1800.
This story is timeless, asking two questions that plagued us then as they still do today. What exactly is the “American Dream?” And who is it for?
Small Word is a page turner, and I finished it faster than some books that are half its length. No wonder this novel was recommended by author Jason Mott (Hell of a Book) on The Today Show. Unfolding in two time periods (contemporary and historical) with eight POVs, the story might’ve been unreadable in unskilled hands. But every chapter held my interest, and I never felt confused.
Small World explores the complicated issues of innovation and “greater good.” Rife with contradictions, progress is defined by who’s telling the story and which details are included/excluded. Who holds the rights to rightness? Innovators vs. Necessary Workers. Indigenous vs. Transplants. Society vs. Individualism. Livelihood vs. Displacement. Nature’s Beauty vs. Nature’s Resources.
I could go on, but what I’d most like to say is that by the end of this novel, no character is left unscathed, including me as the reader.
One of the best books ever written!
Bit of trivia about Jonathan Evison: (1) He learned how to write by voraciously reading novels, starting at a young age. (2) One of his favorite authors is Dickens. (3) His third novel was adapted into the movie Fundamentals of Caring, starring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, and Selena Gomez (Netflix). (4) He was a founding member of March of Crimes (punk/pre-grunge) that also happened to be the first band for bassist Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) and guitarist Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam). (5) He was once a radio DJ and has an impressive/extensive vinyl collection, including albums from one of my favorite bands Wilco/Jeff Tweedy.
