Wild words

“Dear Readers,” writes Colin Meloy on the website for Wildwood Chronicles. “Back in the year 2000, Carson and I were living humble, impoverished lives in a warehouse in Portland, Oregon. I was thinking about starting a new band; Carson was doing oil paintings and selling them at fire-sale prices. We were kindred spirits. Since we’d met in college a few years prior, we discovered that our creative sensibilities lined up perfectly. Carson had done flyers for my college band. I sometimes suggested subjects for her paintings. We were looking for some way to create a real collaboration.”

That sweet story is the inception of a series written by Meloy (aka the singer and songwriter for The Decemberists) and illustrated by Carson Ellis (aka the acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society) — to whom Meloy happens to be married. Wildwood, or book I, was published in September 2012. In it, “Prue McKeel’s life is ordinary. That is, until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one’s ever gone in — or at least returned to tell of it.”

Book II, Under Wildwood, picks up with Prue after her return from the Impassable Wilderness. “In what will be their greatest challenge yet, Prue and Curtis are thrown together again to save themselves and the lives of their friends, and to bring unity to a divided country,” says the book’s synopsis. “But in order to do that, they must go under Wildwood.”

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

The third book in the bestselling fantasy-adventure series, Wildwood Imperium, is set to be released on Feb. 4. “A young girl’s midnight séance awakens a long-slumbering malevolent spirit,” says notes on the book. “A band of runaway orphans allies with an underground collective of saboteurs and plans a daring rescue of their friends, imprisoned in the belly of an industrial wasteland. Two old friends draw closer to their goal of bringing together a pair of exiled toy makers in order to reanimate a mechanical boy prince, as the fate of Wildwood hangs in the balance.”

Meloy and Ellis make a stop at Malaprop’s on Saturday, Feb. 8 as part of their reading tour. The 7 p.m. event is ticketed: Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here. The ticket price includes a $5 coupon toward the purchase of the book — “A Malaprop’s receipt for Wildwood Imperium is required to get in the signing line,” says the bookstore’s website.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.