Ask Nan Cuba discussion

Since the novel contains detailed descriptions of the Texas settings, along with references to Texas history, one reviewer has called this a regional book. Do you think that's an accurate label? Why or why not?

I don't really think it is accurate. My grandmother was born and raised in Minnesota and only visited Texas a handful of times in her life, but she would have enjoyed the descriptions of Texas. She was interested in nature and it didn't matter to her where it happened to be located.

I also think that anyone who has dealt with a family that isn't always on it's best behavior can appreciate what these characters go through, regardless of where the reader lives.

Finally, it raises the interesting question of "What do we owe to someone whom we owe nothing to?" That is to say, no one really bears responsibility for Cornelia's care other her parents, yet Sam's family (at least some of them) seem to feel they should take care of Cornelia in spite of the fact that they have no real obligation to do so. The question "How much/what should we do to help our fellow man?" confronts readers the world over.

So, while the book certainly has a Texas flavor to it, I think it could have been set somewhere else (Arizona and New Mexico spring to mind) and been equally enjoyable because the issues it deals with transcend the boundaries of Texas.

Thanks, Jodi, for your candid response. I hope others will share theirs, as well. As you know (and here I should say that Jodi is my former graduate student), writers don't like being labeled. We resist the idea of our work being connected to any group, and as you've pointed out, prefer that the work appeal to a universal audience. One reviewer labeled BODY AND BREAD a regional novel, and I both liked and resisted that. Since Katherine Ann Porter is an influence, and her Texas cycle is obviously set in this state, I figure if she can do it, so can I. The difference, in my opinion, hinges on the ideas at the story's core, not the location.

In view of recent events, I get a bit nervous about having "former" appended to my graduate student status. Besides, I'm looking forward to taking another class with you next spring.

I think you're right about the key to the question being the strength of the core of the story. I'm a (huge) Doctor Who fan. The setting of the story is forever changing (as is The Doctor himself - Number 12 coming up). What doesn't change are the classic themes: "The Last Man" and "Good v. Evil." Anyone who has felt isolated can empathize with someone who is the last of his kind. Everyone can appreciate the idea of rooting for the good guy. It doesn't matter what planet he's on (or near) or what evil he's facing, we still want him to win. He also deals with one of the issues facing your characters. Doctor Who owes the human race nothing and yet, time after time, he seeks to save us from ourselves.

The setting isn't important. What's important is: Do we care about the characters and can we relate to the problems they face and (try to) solve?

Thanks, Jodi, again for your comments. I would like to riff on your mention of the universal theme of good vs. evil. In a recent marvelous essay by Rob Roberge in THE RUMPUS (http://therumpus.net/2013/08/the-sund...), literary fiction is identified as "ethically complex," and as fiction that addresses "non-conventional morality" and raises more questions than gives answers. I agree with that and urge you and others to read Roberge's essay. In BODY AND BREAD, I try to do that through the disagreement over whether the Peltons should have to share proceeds from their grandparents' estate with Terezie in order for Cornelia to have her kidney transplant. Hugh says he hasn't seen Terezie in over thirty years, that Cornelia is not Sam's daughter, and his responsibility is only to his wife and child. But Sam left instructions, which would be legal in court, to give his share to his widow. This ethical argument is never resolved, which leaves it open for discussion. Hopefully, that means my novel fits Roberge's description of literary fiction. What do others think?