Q&A at Copperfield’s Books

With Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is the bestselling author of twelve books of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Her acclaimed novels include The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible. Translated into nineteen languages, her work has won a devoted worldwide readership and has received numerous awards including the National Humanities Medal.

Kingsolver’s newest book is titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which was co-written with her husband Steven Hopp and daughter Camille, and is an exploration of the modern food industry via a narrative of a year in which the author and her family attempted to eat only food they grew themselves or purchased from nearby farms.

Q: How was it to coauthor a book with your husband and daughter?

A: It was a totally positive experience. We each found our niche pretty quickly, so we wouldn't be repetitious or working at cross-purposes. After that, we exchanged copy often to get feedback from each other, and increasingly began to suggest topics and ideas to one another. So the whole project grew very organically. Just like our garden. I'm accustomed to working alone, so I really loved the camaraderie of having this whole project integrated so fully into my family's life. I'm also very impressed with my collaborators.

Q: What are you working on next?

A: A novel. I'm well into it but not yet ready to pin it down.

Q: Why do you request to have your appearances raise money for local non-profit organizations?

A: Because I'm allergic to self-promotion. Book tours never made sense to me until I figured out a way to connect with the communities I visit, and bring people together around useful things that are happening in their own back yards. It's the only way I can justify burning more jet fuel!

Author Barbara Kingsolver and Professor of Environmental Studies Steven L. Hopp will present Animal, Vegetable, Miracle at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts on May 16, 7pm.

This event will benefit the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, which is a nonprofit organizing and education center and organic farm in Sonoma County that has been teaching and developing collaborative, community-based strategies for positive social change and effective environmental stewardship since 1994, www.oaec.org.