Elizabeth McCracken -- fiction reading

Elizabeth McCracken, author of The Giant’s House and Here’s Your Hat, What’s Your Hurry read from her latest novel, Niagara Falls All Over Again, at the North Liberty Community Center on Monday evening, December 8th. The event was hosted by the North Liberty Community Library. Niagara Fall All over Again (Dial Press, 2001) was recently chosen as an All Iowa Reads Book.

In her stories, McCracken’s descriptions of the Iowa State Fair, the Orpheum Theatre in Des Moines, and the community of Valley Junction, Iowa fill one with a sense of nostalgia. This is because her family members on her mother’s side grew up in the Des Moines area, and she spent the two years prior to writing this book, gathering anecdotes about their lives. Her book captures the characters she learned to love from hearing the anecdotes, as well as that part of American history that witnessed the growth and demise of Vaudeville as entertainment.

The author read two excerpts from her book, one selection covering a time when Mose, the protagonist who becomes a Vaudeville player, is four years old; and one when Mose is 16 years old. Both selections revealed the poignant childhood experiences of Jewish familyhood, losing ones Mom at an early age, and disappointment—both being disappointed, and disappointing the ones you love.

After the reading, Ms. McCracken answered questions from the audience of approximately 20 people, many who had brought personal copies of the book for her to sign. Several print copies as well as an audiorecording, can be found at the North Liberty Community Library. This particular book is owned by over 1000 libraries worldwide and was reviewed by such major publications as the Christian Science Monitor, New York Times Book Review, and TLS (Times Literary Supplement).

Ms. McCracken is currently living in Iowa City, and teaching this fall at the University of Iowa, where she graduated from the Iowa Writers Workshop. This fiction reading will be shown on the North Liberty cable station later this month.