Authors Paul LaFarge and Kit Reed read from their upcoming and new novels for the first lecture in the Distinguished Writers/New Voices series last Wednesday at Russell House. Director of Writing Programs Anne Greene introduced LaFarge’s reading from his as-yet-untitled book, highlighting his numerous prestigious awards, while the Yale University grad interjected that he dropped out of grad school. Greene presented Reed’s reading from her new novel “The Baby Merchant,” saying that the word “remarkable” was created for the newly appointed Resident Writer at Wesleyan.
“Resident Writer is a lot like Resident Evil. You never know when it’s going to strike,” Reed quipped.
Reed’s novel centers on the practice of stealing babies, which she was inspired to write about after reflecting on the popularity of fertility clinics and the pressing need some women have to bear a child. Reed read that the need tears through some like a forest fire, and discussed how having a child has become a “status thing,” going along with a job, a house and a car.
The reading of her story, focused on baby-stealer Mr. Starburg and written in the second person, was intense and fast-paced. Starburg is keenly aware that the women who turn to him for a baby, the “mothers-in-waiting,” are doing so because they’ve ignored their biological clocks. Starburg carefully assesses his clients to make sure their intentions are strictly parental.
“Book readings can be so hit-or-miss,” said Liz Friedman ’08. “The content of her reading was interesting.”
Presumably stunned by Starburg’s careful and strategic system of stealing babies from unassuming mothers in supermarket parking lots while wearing a postal service uniform, one student in the audience asked Reed, “How do you write something about stealing babies without being ill?”
Reed seemed not the least bit offended, and answered that she was totally immersed in her character and got fully into his head, enabling her to write as she did.
LaFarge read from the middle of his book, about the adventures of a young student who got into an all boys private school on a scholarship for underprivileged kids. LaFarge’s main character is fortunate enough to have a teacher (who the students think is a “disciple of the pipe”) that says if his students only get one thing out of American history, it must be that “violence is serious.”
“Sorry this also contains some…language,” LaFarge said in an endearing way, before reading a line that included the words “fucked up the ass.”
LaFarge got laughs out of the audience when he read a part in which students make up a story about the discovery of America, all the while worrying that making up a story is plagiarism.
Their teacher, after listening to their report on how the Chinese discovered America, tells them that while sometimes the things they learn in history are indeed things someone made up, it’s still important to make up a good story. The students said there were a lot of Chinese food restaurants in California, so they were sure the Chinese had established a colony there.
LaFarge was delightfully self-deprecating and charming when he stopped mid-sentence and remarked, “This is mostly autobiographical. Why have I done this?”
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