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SCSU becomes Olson's new planet
The best-selling author discusses her move to SCSU, comparisons to Bridget Jones and a life-long fascination with Barry Manilow
By Derek Sullivan
Published:
Monday, April 11, 2005
Media Credit: Adam Hammer
Shannon Olson poses outside her office in Riverview. The Minnesota author recently joined the creative writing department. She´ll be reading from her new book 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Atwood Quarry.
Shannon Olson has made a living writing about being a single woman from Chaska, Minn.
Her teaching career began as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and SCSU. Last year, she was chosen from a long list of candidates to become a full-time member of the creative writing faculty at SCSU.
Her first two books, "Welcome To My Planet, Where English Is Sometimes Spoken," and "Children Of God Go Bowling," has taken her all over the globe to sign books and conduct readings. Her next reading will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Atwood Quarry.
Before the reading, she sat down with the University Chronicle, and in between hamburger bites, answered a few questions about her move from the Twin Cities, the location of her first two books, to SCSU.
University Chronicle: When did you decide to make the transition from the (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities) to SCSU?
Olson: I was teaching at the Loft Literary Center (in 2003). It was a weekend workshop on dialogue and (SCSU professor) Bill Meissner was taking the class. He invited me to come teach as an adjunct. I was working on "Children Of God Go Bowling" and didn't have time to teach full-time, but I wanted to teach part-time. So, I thought sure. I love it here.
UC: A lot of the characters and situations in your books are real. Did you ever consider writing a pure non-fiction memoir?
Olson: When I began writing "Welcome To My Planet," I was in grad school at the U of M and wasn't sure if I was going to specialize in fiction or non-fiction. But I got really interested in non-fiction and that ended up being my emphasis for my (Master of Fine Arts). My impulse to write comes out of the material in my life, but not everything in the book is true. I don't think my life is interesting enough.
UC: Were there some situations where you thought, I would really love to do this? If I can't, maybe the Shannon in my books can?
Olson: One of the great things about writing the books as fiction is you can take five different characters or disparate situations and make them into one single scene. With "Welcome to my Planet," my editor wanted (Shannon) to have some romantic success, some window of romantic hope. And I thought, 'wow, this really is fiction.'
UC: A lot of critics put your books in the chick-lit category, but you write about some difficult issues. Do you feel like your books are little more dramatic than critics give you credit for?
Olson: I think they have had trouble marketing my books. They always wind up looking like chick-lit by the way they are marketed. But they aren't as breezy as chick-lit. I think if people pick up my book and expect a happy beach read, they are disappointed. They go into deeper emotional terrain then people are expecting.
UC: During workshops, when your class would get into circle and discuss your work, did any students ever criticize "Planet?"
Olson: For me, workshops are a lot like childbirth. After awhile you forget how painful it is. I remember getting a mixed bag. When my book was published, I did have some professors come up to me and say, "Wow, I couldn't believe how you got all those disparate parts to fit together."
UC: You were able to publish "Planet" quickly and with much success. How stunned were you when your editors sent back your initial copy of "Children of God" and told you to start over?
Olson: Yeah, that had never happened to me before. With ("Welcome To My Planet"), I had the luxury of being in grad school and having advisors. It was in good shape when it came out. With the second book, I really felt like I was alone writing it. When they sent it back, I was like 'oh my gosh, can I quit?' But I was lucky to have two really good editors (Karen Murphy and Carol Desanti) at Viking (Publishing Company) that took time to nurture the book and help me figure out what to do when I was starting over. I just wasn't being brave enough the first time around.
UC: What were the reactions of real-life characters in the book?
Olson: My mom is the only person spotlighted in the books. People will see themselves in it, if they want to, whether they are in the book or not. My brother felt he was shortchanged in the first book, so I tried to give him a bigger role in the second book. My friends are big promoters of the book. They will take it off the shelves and put it on the new arrivals table and the recommended table.
UC: Does your mom think she is a celebrity now?
Olson: A little bit. She has her own little cult following.
UC: What is your writing style? Do you write everyday?
Olson: I'm more of a binge writer right now. I am trying to get in the habit of writing just a half-hour a day. But, I can't say I always stick to it. But when I'm writing, I write a lot for a long time. I write until I'm exhausted. Until I can't write anymore.
UC: There are rumors that you are a huge Barry Manilow fan. Is that true?
Olson: I am a "Fan-ilow." Yes. When I was writing the first draft of "Children Of God," I was listening to my "Barry Manilow Greatest Hits" CD over and over again.
UC: Do you ever read a review and the critic will say, 'Shannon Olson reminds me of a second coming of this writer?'
Olson: People compare me to Helen Fielding (author of Bridget Jones' Diary) and they compare my books to Bridget Jones. But, I finished my first draft of my (first) book, before (Bridget Jones' Diaries) came out. It wasn't an influence at all. People called ("Welcome to my Planet") the Midwestern Bridget Jones. But then when people buy the book and expect that they are disappointed.
UC: If someone asks you what you do, do you say you are a teacher or a writer?
Olson: Right now, I say I am a professor at SCSU because I'm so proud of myself.
UC: When you're doing a reading of your book, do you ever feel like you are a stand-up comedian?
Olson: You do kind of feel like a comedian. I want to say, 'thank you, I will be here all week or chirp, chirp.' I try to find material in the book that will appeal to that audience.
UC: What are some of the places you have read or signed books?
Olson: I think the coolest thing I got to do was a book signing at Harrods in London. That was pretty cool. I have read in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, New York and Chicago. So I have been all over the place.
Festival of Words
If you go...
Who: Shannon Olson
Where: The Atwood Quarry
When: 7-8 p.m. April 12
Cost: Free
Information: Open mic night following reading.
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