By James M. Jackson
I recently went to a Friends-of-the-Library event at a
nearby branch to hear Jeff Nania speak. He writes the Northern Lake Mysteries
set in “up north” Wisconsin (which is “down south” from my place in Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula). And then that night, I finished reading The Killer Sermon
by Kevin Kluescner, which is the first of a series featuring the FBI Special
Agent in Charge of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin office.
In addition to the authors setting their series novels
in Wisconsin, they both deal with hot-button issues. Nania is a conservationist
with a deep belief that people, especially children, need to connect with
nature. While all of us probably agree that we would like to breathe clean air
and drink clean water, politics as they are today means how we accomplish those
goals is a hot-button issue.
Two things surprised me about Nania’s talk before the
Library Friends, many of whom were already fans. He spent little time talking
about his books and a lot of time talking about his passion for environmental
work and getting kids out into nature. He’s a storyteller at heart, so it was
interesting (and I already look favorably on both causes). But I’ve always
found people come to events to learn some inside skinny about the author’s
writing process, how the books developed, struggles and successes, etc. In this
case, an interviewer asked questions, which were often related to such topics,
but Nania’s answers drifted away from his books to his passions.
The second surprising thing was there were no
questions from the audience. Not that the audience didn’t have them, but that
the moderator didn’t ask for them. Nania is quick on his feet, and I would have
been interested in learning more from him.
That evening, I finished Kluescner’s The Killer
Sermon, in which abortion and abortion providers are front and center.
There are few topics more divisive than that.
My approach as both an author and reader is that I am fine with controversial issues, provided I don’t think the author is preaching to me or making the issue black and white. It doesn’t matter if I agree or disagree with the author’s take on the issue.
I’ve involved illegal immigration issues in Granite
Oath (Seamus McCree #7), and the militia movement in both Cabin Fever
(Seamus McCree #3) and my current work-in-progress, Niki Undercover. In
the next in the Niki series, Niki Unleashed, I involve extreme
environmental activists. The third Niki book will also involve militias.
Those two experiences coming so close together got me
wondering how you as writers and readers feel about hot-button issues and your
reading preferences. I’m all ears.
* * * * *
James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. To learn more information about Jim and his books, check out his website, https://jamesmjackson.com. You can sign up for his newsletter (and get to read a free Seamus McCree short story).
I would rather hear more about the author's writing adventures or current trends in certain subgenres--not that conservation and connecting kids with nature aren't important. I write about assaults on women and human trafficking. My choice to write, my readers choice to read.
ReplyDeleteBoth comments make sense to me.
DeleteFiction reflects its time and the author's thoughts and experiences. Hot-button topics are part of life, and I expect to see them filter into stories. I have stopped reading books I felt were "preaching," even if I agreed with the author's stance.
ReplyDeleteIn my own work, I often present characters who live on the edges of society. Homelessness, the debilitating expenses of being on parole, domestic abuse--but I try to just present them as I see them, inviting the reader to form an opinion (or not) on the issues. I hope I succeed.
Issues come and go, which can influence what hits home to the reader. I like reading fiction set in the first half of the 20th century. The plight of many servicemen returning to Great Britain with limited employment opportunities was a very real hot-button issue. Stories that take that into account can be timeless; ones that make it the central issue and try to stir up indignation seem dated.
Talk about marches on Washington -- the WWI vets (Bonus Marchers) and their encampment and were a huge issue.
DeleteGreat topic, Jim. My current WIP in the Maine Lodge series deals with illegal immigration and drug dealing and police corruption. They are simply part of the story, no preaching or judgments involved. As a reader, I don’t object to hot button items as long as they aren’t gratuitous. I’m perfectly capable of drawing my own conclusions, and sometimes, what I read provides a different perspective. I’m always grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Kait. Learning while being entertained by a fine story is great.
DeleteHot buttons in fiction are fine with me, as long as the surrounding story is told well. Heavy-handed elements of any kind are a drag.
ReplyDeleteYep, heavy-handed anything is a drag.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with the integration of hot-button issues into a book. The only thing I sometimes fear for the author and the book is that too much without something else substantive can date the book.
ReplyDelete