A Southern Missive

12/24 I just completed The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. I discovered this book serendipitously. I think I first came upon the title in a small review of the book in one of those book review magazines you can get at Books a Million. Then, a friend told me of her love of Black Orchid perfume, and I thought the imagery might lead to a good poem or story, so I researched the perfume, then black orchids, then orchids, then orchid hunters. I kept coming upon the title of this book, so I read some more reviews and then ordered it.

I was not disappointed. The book is a wonderful example of creative nonfiction.
Of course, Susan Orlean is a fascinating writer, passionate for and dedicated to her craft. You can read a good bio and review of her writing here: http://www.bookpage.com/0101bp/susan_orlean.html or at her personal website:
http://www.susanorlean.com/

The book is captivating. In fact, if I were to ever teach a course in creative nonfiction, I would use this book. There is a prologue with Susan Orlean’s comments on the movie Adaptation and a helpful appendix containing an interview with Susan Orlean, reading group questions, and topics for discussion.
There are other books I would use in this course as well, but I’ll list those in a future entry.

The Orchid Thief is a record of a journey into the history and world of orchid lovers, and into the world of South Florida. Having lived in Naples myself for two years (1980-1982), it was intriguing to revisit so many places through her writing and through her very sharp reporter’s eyes. It is an informative read. Orlean says, “There is a part of me that likes the pedagogical part of writing. I like that challenge of bringing knowledge to readers, material they didn’t know they would actually want to know.” She succeeded. I furiously marked up this book in admiration for her prose and to mark subjects for my own future research.

Often, I have so many regrets as I look back over the years and think about the thirteen different cities I’ve lived in. I regret not seeing things, experiencing more, meeting more people and gathering their stories. I also realized that many of those lost opportunities were due to my ignorance, to my not knowing the facts that would have driven my curiosity to see or experience or take an adventure. Some missed opportunities were due to a tight budget or timing. Some adventures require money, and many require time that work and family responsibilities may prohibit. Some appear with small windows of time that can clamp shut very quickly. If you miss the window, you’ve missed the adventure.

Having said this, the reading of The Orchid Thief reminded me that I did have many adventures in South Florida. I fished in the waters around Key West, visited museums and small menageries, learned about chickee huts, hunted and fished in Golden Gate and the Everglades, killed and skinned my first rattlesnake, saw an alligator wrestler, swam in the ocean and baked on the beach, worked part-time for a plant nursery, learned Spanish, saw Naples’ famous swamp buggie races, gathered stories from Cuban immigrants (some were from the Mariel boat lift—heartbreaking stories), and sampled foods—common there, but I haven’t eaten them since. Perhaps I’ll develop and write about some of these in the future. There were some things I missed though, and one especially bothers me: When I lived there, I never remember looking at a single orchid.

I realize that living in South Florida changed me. I’ve returned there a few times—1990 when I was selling books, 1998 when I won the Ernest Hemingway Short Story competition, and 2000 when I met one of my best friends, Michael, for a wild weekend. Each time I returned, I realized I love everything about the region—including the heat. Susan Orlean says she is not a hot weather person, but I am. I could live there again in a minute. Why don’t I? I’ll have to give that question some thought. I do know that when the Hemingway conference was over in 1998, I almost didn’t get on the plane to return to Monroe.

I would recommend you read The Orchid Thief. Here is the correct bibliographical entry for the book in MLA style in case you ever need it:

Orlean, Susan. The Orchid Thief. New York: Ballantine, 2002.

This week Bastrop High School is giving semester exams. My exam for honors freshman and regular sophomores (I love the literal Greek meaning of “sophomore.” It means wise fool!) is a hundred question test centered on definitions, vocabulary, literary terms, and cultural literacy questions. 7th period was yesterday, Monday; today is 1st and 2nd; tomorrow, 3rd and 4th; and Friday, 5th and 6th.  I and the students are ready for the holidays.

 This week, I’ve been reading The Orchid Thief, and am absolutely enjoying it. Though nonfiction, the author has a captivating style. I didn’t realize flowers could drive people so mad! Ah, the things people become obsessed with. 

Here’s a quote from the book I really like: “For when a man falls in love with orchids, he’ll do anything to possess the one he wants. It’s like chasing a green-eyed woman or taking cocaine . . . .it’s a sort of madness . . . .’”

The past three days, I’ve read three of Jim Harrison’s novellas, and wanted to post some observations before the memory of the read fades. I read Revenge, The Man Who Gave Up His Name, and Legends of the Fall. Harrison seems to be a master of narration, his prose so tight and his diction so carefully selected that he doesn’t need to follow the standard conventions of using dialogue. Absolutely amazing writing. All three pieces had a dark side. After reading a couple of bios about him on the Net, I am even more impressed. He is the kind of writer I’d like to be. I’ve posted quotes from Revenge already. Though there were many I could have used, I want to post one quote each from the other two novellas in this trilogy I read that I thought might be worthy of reflection, and perhaps provide story ideas.

The Man Who Gave Up His Name: “[T]here was nothing particularly undesirable or repellent in his life, only a certain lack of volume and intensity; he feared dreaming himself to death” (114).

Legends of the Fall: “His heart ached over the confusion and pain he had caused on earth” (264).