Unearthed while researching Chicago for the Al Capone story “Blood and Sand” – Chicago’s Navy Pier (originally named “Municipal Pier”) opened to the public on July 15, 1916. It was intended as a dock for freighters and passenger traffic, and a space for indoor and outdoor public recreation. Indeed, many events were held at the pier, including expositions, pageants, and other entertainments. Less well known is that in the summer of 1918, the pier was used as a jail for World War One draft dodgers. To read more unusual history lessons, see BEHIND THE STORY.
Month: August 2017
Learn History Through Fiction: Unusual Weather We’re Having
Researching the story “Undark” (winner of the Sewanee Review 2017 Walter Sullivan Prize), I discovered that New Jersey, site of the Radium Girls tragedy, experienced two atypical weather events in 1928. It was unseasonably warm during the week of January 7 to 15, with many days in the 50s. Conversely, there was a freak snowstorm on April 12, when temperatures dropped from a daytime high of 59 to a nighttime low of 30 degrees, when 1.2 inches of snow fell. The next day, temperatures went back up to 62 degrees. BTW: “Unusual weather we’re having” is said by the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz movie when the good witch creates a snowfall to awaken Dorothy and friends, put to sleep in a field of poppies by the wicked witch. If you’re a fan of Oz, see my forthcoming book A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. in NOVELS. To learn more interesting facts that don’t always make it into my fiction, peek BEHIND THE STORY.
It’s the Story, Stupid
When I write historical fiction, I keep the focus on the characters. The settings and events around them frame the narrative, but readers must care about the people experiencing them. This is equally true of engaging contemporary or futuristic fiction. Good fiction writers relegate their research, however fascinating it may be to us, to the background of the tale. Whenever something I learn about history motivates me to write about it, I first ask myself “What is the story I want to tell? Who is it about? How do the players act and how are they acted upon?” Answering these questions is how I bring history to life in my fiction. Read more of my thoughts about the art and craft of writing in REFLECTIONS.