What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I started out trying to write a practical manual for the next Chamber president. So much institutional knowledge existed only in people\'s heads, and I wanted the next person to have something to make their first few months in the job easier than mine was. But the people and experiences kept talking over the policies and processes. A procedure would turn into the story of the weekend we tried it, and the story would turn out to be the point. What began as a manual gradually became a novel. The people are what made me want to keep writing: the small business owners, the volunteers who keep saying yes, and the ones stacking chairs after everyone else has gone home. The scenery gets plenty of attention. I wanted to write about the people carrying the place.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)
“Panic” by The Smiths, for obvious reasons.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Fantasy, especially the epic kind. But, I don\'t think I could write it if I had to.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I\'m looking forward to picking up King and Straub\'s Other Worlds Than These. I\'ve been a Stephen King fan for years. I\'ve also been reading more about place and community; John Carr Walker\'s Spearwood, OR is a recent addition to that shelf, and I highly, highly recommend it.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The candidate forum. It’s a much more enjoyable experience on the page, where I already know how it ends.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I need noise. I wrote half the book in front of the television. This would be a much better answer if it involved a smoking jacket and a mahogany desk, but mostly it involved a chair, whatever time was left over.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
It seems like the obvious answer, but \"Embrace the local\". Get to know the place you live and the people who make it work. Care enough to take some responsibility for it, even when it’s inconvenient. Especially then, probably.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
“Places don\'t ask to be admired. They ask to be carried.” I hope readers remember the people doing the carrying. The volunteers, the small business owners, the people who keep showing up when they\'re already tired. Every community has them. Once you start noticing how much they do, it gets harder to assume someone else will take care of everything.
Glen Cantrell is the author of the new book Embracing the Local: Extension Cords and All
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