“I think I just went to a weird buffet dinner,” she said. Russell was interviewed onstage by Assistant Professor of Composition Jodie Liedke, answered further audience questions and read excerpts from both “Swamplandia!” and her short story “Reeling for the Empire,” which follows a supernatural scheme in Japan for mass silk production.Īsked how she celebrated “Swamplandia!” being a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Russell detailed her following day. Russell was introduced by Lakeland’s Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Daniel David Black, who met her when both were students at Northwestern University.
“If I’m really behind on mortgage payments or something, ask me again,” she joked.Īfter the Q&A, Russell signed books and spoke with spectators.
Russell cited short fiction writer George Saunders as an author she likes to read, along with her brother Kent Russell, a nonfiction writer.Īsked about a potential “Swamplandia!” sequel, Russell said she would be happy to leave that book’s universe alone for a while. It’s an organizational strategy that has worked for many other authors: The chapter,’” Russell recounted. “My editor, who was truly horrified but a gentlewoman, was like, ‘Karen, I want to suggest something to you. Russell garnered laughs by detailing the first draft of “Swamplandia!,” revealing that it was not separated into chapters. “It’s like, the Publix is right next to the parrot jungle, there’s just storms that are lifting the lid off of the tarantula place and raining pestilence down upon -like, there’s always wacky stuff going on.” “I don’t know if you guys have been to Florida, but it’s kind of like the magical realist state,” Russell said of the setting. “Swamplandia!” takes place in Russell’s home state of Florida. Asked how she develops her characters, Russell noted that she begins her stories with a setting and grows her characters from that setting. “Swamplandia!” is known for its oddball cast. She opened by reading an excerpt from “Vampires in the Lemon Grove,” a short story about vampires who feed on lemons rather than blood, before opening up to questions from the audience. Lakeland’s third annual Community Book Read event took place on April 12, with “Swamplandia!” author Karen Russell visiting to discuss her Pulitzer-finalist novel from 2011 about an alligator-wrestling family in the Everglades.Ī Q&A with Russell took place at 11 a.m.
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