One of the best things about the Napa Conference was being introduced to Peter Ho Davies, both to his work and to his Sino-Celtic self. He was so personable, smart as all get out, and funny to boot. And what a writer!About two weeks before the conference, I had begun his book "The Welsh Girl," figuring I’d give it an hour or so before bed each night. But I found myself captivated by the story, staying up til some pretty wee hours, not able to exit the story even though I knew (intellectually) that the morning would raise its ugly head sooner and then sooner. The way Davies intermeshed the three story lines had me snared. The characters were so uniquely themselves, the situation both historical and personal.
Here are two links, one to Davies’ own homepage, which has some interviews, plus some stories. One of the stories, "The Minotaur," (pronounced the British way: MY-notaur) he read at the Napa Valley Opera House (super tres elegante!) during the conference. This is a story that plays with the well known myth in a well-balanced combination of wry humor, inter-textuality, puns and poignant psychological truth. He paired that story at his reading with another, titled “Chance,” that I'll let you discover for yourself. Though I felt fortunate for the opportunity to hear it.
The second link is to another interview with Davies that I enjoyed with some questions about "The Welsh Girl."
and so, cheers, big ears!
