Barbara Kingsolver in Asheville: “I’ve never had time for writer’s block”

Barbara Kingsolver spoke tonight at Asheville High School. Here’s the event, via Twitter.

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Rich Rennicks tweeted, “800 people going to Kingsolver’s event at Asheville HS right now & not one is tweeting? C’mon people. I want pics.”

What Rennicks got was stream of tweets from @MountainXpress, who was on hand to cover the event. Here they are, pretty much as they happened, 140 characters at a time:

Hiking a mile to get to Asheville High, which is slammed with barbara kingsolver fans.  6:55 pm

kingsolver is making her first stop on her new book tour here in avl. She is reading from her new book tonight — “the lacuna.” kingsolver’s book is partly based in asheville. “Lacuna” means “what’s missing”.

barbara kingsolver has taken the stage at asheville high. malaprop’s is the sponsor. asheville high auditorium is packed to the gills with book-toting fans of barbara kingsolver. let there be no doubt: Asheville is a town of book lovers.

kingsolver says she specifically asked her editor to allow her to open her book tour in asheville. She says half of her novel takes place in asheville, with scenes right here in avl high auditorium. She’s celebrating a birth, really, and asks all to hold up their books and wave to her.

“ashvegas loves you,” someone yells to barbara kingsolver.

kingsolver says her novel is presented as a series of journal entries; a diary. kingsolver, in calf-high brick-red boots and long, blood-red scarf around her neck, starts to read. She tells the avl high crowd she’s thrilled to read to an audience after years of writing her novel.

kingsolver now reads a section of her new novel, “The Lacuna,” set in asheville. kingsolver character describes the biltmore estate in ‘41;

The AVL high crowd listening to Kingsolver is the definition of “hushed.” She finishes reading her 1st section.

kingsolver says she loves criticism from her braintrust during revision process. Revision is my favorite part of writing. It’s where the art happens.  The best thing is that nobody sees first drafts. For me, writing fiction feels like being in love, kingsolver tells asheville audience. 

kingsolver is now taking audience questions.
“If you want to pay 50 cents to see a million dollars, you can.”

kingsolver on who she reads: doris lessing… steinbeck, dickens, jane austen, george elliot.

kingsolver: my meditation is: i knit. 

i’ve never had time for writer’s block.

kingsolver on being a working mom: you work when you can. when i get to my desk, i dont waste time

kingsolver says many parts of her book have easily been rewritten more than 100 times. Nov. 2, 8:42 pm