|
Nicholson
Former Sylva resident and novelist Scott Nicholson
will be at City Lights Bookstore at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12,
to read from his new novel, "The Harvest."
Set in the Southern Appalachians, "The Harvest" uses
suspense, horror and a sprinkling of science fiction to explore
the conflicts of growth versus preservation.
When an alien entity lands in the area, the residents of the nearby
town of Windshake find their way of life threatened by something
beyond their comprehension and control.
"The book on one level is an allegory of the impact that
progress has had on the rural mountains," said Nicholson,
son of Bobby and Delores Nicholson of Webster.
"On another level, though, 'The Harvest' is an entertaining
thriller that twists the hillbilly stereotypes around. In my novel,
the banjo boy from 'Deliverance' would be the good guy."
Readers will meet Tamara Leon, a college psychology professor,
who receives telepathic messages that make no sense; Chester Mull,
a moonshine-swilling farmer who is suspicious of the green glow
in the woods behind his shack; and Herbert DeWalt, a disillusioned
millionaire who is desperate for spiritual truth. The three team
up to take on the alien in a remote forest where even nature itself
seems to be an enemy.
"In some ways, I'm telling modern mountain folk tales,"
said Nicholson, an amateur folklorist and ghost story collector.
"It's the kind of stuff you'll hear around the campfire –
a bit of the supernatural, a dab of romance and a healthy does
of suspense."
Of his writing, the Boone newspaper reporter says, "I am
grateful for the opportunity to serve as an advocate for the Appalachian
region. Sure, there's a perception that we're a bunch of barefoot
hicks who don't appreciate civilized society," he said. "But
the region's settlers were highly adaptive, self-reliant and creative,
through there's also an ingrained suspicion of city folk. Just
because we tend to talk a little more slowly doesn't mean we don't
do a whole lot of thinking."
If you have any questions about this event or if you would like
to reserve a book, call City Lights at 586-9499.
|
