AUTOBIOGRAPGICAL INFLUENCES

Bonnie Stanard

In preparing for an appearance at the SC State Library, I asked myself if my novel What MissingMeans is autobiographical. Without thinking about it, my answer was “no.” The events that occur in the book didn’t happen. I didn’t base the characters on people I know. But after some consideration, the certainty of my “no” has wavered.

The novel takes place on a farm in the midlands of SC, which is where I grew up. Childhood details, such as chinaberry fights, throwing sandspurs, climbing trees, that sort of thing, parallel my youth, but they were typical of any youngster on a farm, so does that make it autobiographical?

We see the story of the Reinhart family through the eyes of 12 year-old Lily. She is not me, nor anybody I know. While working on the manuscript, I wasn’t conscious of writing about any person. But now that the book is published, two characters are familiar, though their plot lines are not. Grandma Angeline is like Grandma Eliza Shumpert. Her unmarried daughter, Aunt Theda, brings to mind Aunt Winnie. Mmmm....

One character is named “Uncle Freeman” and I had an Uncle Freeman; he died when I was three years old. I knew of him but I don’t remember him. Despite the common name, they’re not the same. And I consciously named Lily’s cousin Ina Marie as a tribute to my sister Ina Jean, who died at the age of three.

The floor plan of the house where the extended Reinhart family lives is similar to that of Grandma Eliza’s house. I added two bedrooms for Lily’s big family. Does that make the book autobiographical?

The atmosphere and tone of What Missing Means, despite my intentions, wanders into the autobiography camp. To be clear, the plot is purely fictional, but the story portrays rural life in the 1940s, a time familiar to my family, and by extension to me. Only after the fact and after thinking about it do I realize how much my past provided background for the story.

SPEAKER @ THE CENTER

My thoughts on autobiography came from my preparations for a talk at the SC State Library, which supports local writers and publishers, especially through their Speaker @ the Center programs. Each month, an author is given the spotlight in the intimate environment of their recently remodeled conference room.

The programs are scheduled at noon, usually on Thursdays, to allow Columbia’s business community to bring a sandwich and take a literary lunch break. Parking is available in a multi-level garage located behind the Library building at 1500 Senate Street.

In today’s world where media is produced by far-flung and well-heeled concerns, it’s a challenge for underfunded artists to get a toe-hold of attention from either the press or the public. This makes the Speaker @ the Center all the more appreciated by writers like me. Thanks to Anderson Cook and the SC State Library for this service.