The Calling

by Sterling Watson

The Calling is the story of Blackford "Toad" Turlow, an ambitious, impressionable young man who aspires to be a writer. The voice in his head is that of Eldon Odom, a famous — sometimes infamous — novelist to whom Toad apprentices himself.In the beginning, Toad devours every morsel from Odom, both words and actions. But along the way he learns far more than the art of crafting fiction. He discovers that behind Odom's genius is a warped human being who abuses himself and those around him with alcohol, drugs and debauchery. Instead of teaching his eager disciples about writing, Odom uses them to fulfill his base desires.But Toad listens carefully to "The Old Man," the writer who years before was Odom's own mentor and who describes himself as "just the strange boy who cared to write things down." Toad is also influenced by the echoes o f his reckless, lovable dead sister, Trish; Odom's lean and lusty girlfriend, Lindy Briggs; Odom's loving and patient wife, Miss Sully; and by Toad's own girlfriend, the knowing Ardis BainesFrom this boozy, brilliant cast of characters, Toad eventually learns that a man and his art are two different things, that the worth of one may far exceed the other, and that there are dangerously thin lines between creativity and madness, between dedication and obsession. The Calling is beautifully written and thoroughly engrossing novel of passion and purpose — one that tells much about the calling and the called."The characters ...are vividly realized, resistant to stereotypes. And the story's three female leads — Ardis, Toad's sometime girlfriend; Missy Sully, Odom's wife; and Lindy, Odom's current mistress — are complex individuals who play out their expected roles in unexpected fashion," said Nancy Pate in her review for the Orlando Sentinel.And, the Winston Salem Journal wrote, "Watson has much to say about life and art, about creativity and obsession, about the danger of violating reasonable bounds. He says it very well."

Genres: Fiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

STERLING WATSON is the author of seven novels, including Deadly Sweet, Sweet Dream Baby, Fighting in the Shade, and Suitcase City. Watson’s short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Prairie Schooner, the Georgia Review, the Los Angeles Times Book Review, the Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Southern Review. He was director of the creative writing program at Eckerd College for twenty years and now teaches in the Solstice MFA Program at Pine Manor College in Boston. Of his sixth novel, Suitcase City, Tom Franklin said, “If this taut literary crime novel doesn’t center Sterling Watson on the map, we should change maps.” Watson lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Committee is his latest novel.

Reviews

[Nic Schuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing was good. I wish I wouldn’t have known it was about Harry Crews before I started reading it, but then again, I would’ve never herd of it if it wasn’t. I was a bit biased going in to it and it feels a bit scummy coming out of it. It was almost like the writer was trying to get back at Mr Crews. It treated him as a caricature instead of a flawed human being.

[Steve Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, great character development.

[Chet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned about this work from the chapter notes in a book about writing novels. It was recommended that one read this for insight into writing as a career, pursuing one's craft.

First, a positive: If Watson were a baseball pitcher, you'd say he really has good stuff. Strong command. As a writer, he's an extremely talented technician and employs a clean, muscular writing style. His writing really pulls you along.

(I suspect he is, as the old saw goes, probably a good writer but -- more important -- a fantastic editor. The problem with "The Calling" for me is that it appears the story was edited very strongly to ensure a great start, but that things were then allowed to just ride, after getting deeper into the book. This is unfortunate.)

Second, another positive, as already alluded: The book has a powerful start, two great scenes. The visit to the famous local author, living nearby, is perfect. Even the threat of the just-barely-controlled guard dog keeps you reading with nervous tension and a sense of dread. His booze-filled session with Odom is excellent, and sets up for what one hopes will be a fascinating interaction over the remainder of the book.

Third, another positive: The first writer's class he attends continues to spin the tension and introduces a handful of fascinating characters and continues to build up the mysterious locally famous author, the protagonist's hero. I loved this scene.

Fourth and so forth: Unfortunately, after that the book loses its way. The promise of a look into the writing life disappears as Watson starts taking us to parties run by the odd other writers, dives into the weird sex life of Odom and company, gets deep into a boring relationship the protagonist has with a poor little rich girl. The famous mentor author becomes something of a caricature and the plotlines get all tangled up in romances and weird paramilitary goofball parties and the like.

Generally speaking, I am very disappointed in how this book played out. The author started it promising one story, but then fell off that track and morphed the tale into a completely different one, and one that has been told many times: wild college fraternity parties, Mrs. Robinson-style seductions of young men, etc. I found the middle and end of the book totally boring and found myself skipping over pages and wanting it all to end. Rather than the story of a writer, it gets into emotional traumas (the protagonists dead little sister), the twisted other writers, the mentor's bizarre marital situation, etc.

A real pity, as Watson has the talent to have made this into a superb piece of work, had he stayed the course and gone for the less dramatic. Instead, he needed to inject "big topics" into the book (death, betrayal) which to me says he wasn't confident that he could pull off a story based upon a writer's life.

I am sure many will disagree with me, but that's okay. I just expected more from this talented writer and was deflated when he took the easy way out.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every novelist should take the opportunity to read this book.

[wally · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one is about 'the calling'. that urge that grabs some and makes them want to produce stories for others, the life that is about...university life. writers, aspiring writers, and at least one instructor, possibly a reading or two, or maybe not....memory, don't shoot me.

some sex if that interests you, say if you like the peeping-tom aspect, as that is how it is portrayed.

this one, i believe, had more than a few pundits theorizing biographical info that may or may not be a part of the story.

i enjoyed the story.

[Tanya Coovadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Sterling Watson's "The Calling" with tears in my eyes. It's beautifully told, and will especially appeal to budding writers who will recognize themselves in its characters.