Detailing The Flavor Of A City

At the top of Art Hill in Forest Park

Yes, I'm somewhat into self-mortification. Last week, before I pressed "publish" on my latest novel, I actually looked at the reviews of the first one. The one that started it all. For a variety of reasons, I'm reworking it, and since it is free, I need to add it to an online retailer that hasn't ever carried it. So, I wanted to know what needed to be fixed.

One review was amazingly disheartening as the reader completely missed the interplay between the characters and went straight to objecting to their faith demonstrations. Okay, maybe I overdid it with all of that, but when it comes to "write about what you know," that's what I know.

In a way, though, all of that detail was supposed to be a reflection of the character of the city. My hometown of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede, a Frenchman who came up the Mississippi to set up a fur trading post. One of the first buildings built was a church. As a friend who is not a native put it, in STL Catholics still rule the roost. We have two St. Patrick's Day parades, a Mardi Gras celebration second only to New Orleans and maybe Carnival in Brazil, the open container law in the state is you can't be the driver and have an open container...and then there are the Lenten Fish Fries.

Yes, I poured on the fish fries a bit thick in the first book, but when I say there are websites dedicated to posting which parishes have one which week during Lent, and listings in the newspapers, I'm not kidding. Radio stations do remotes from them. St. Ferdinand, which is mentioned in the book, is legendary for being the best of the best. St. Mary Magdalen actually has a drive through every week. My parish does two. They're big fundraisers where everyone pitches in and has fun - and it is part of the culture.

Perhaps that wasn't explained well, but there it is. EVERYONE goes to the fish fries. EVERYONE.

And so it is, as I go to write the tenth installment (started the first draft today), this one takes place in August and September. Honestly, for the first three weeks of August NOTHING happens around here. It's hot, and a lot of people are out of town. September, on the other hand, is one festival or event after another. Trying to work all of that in is going to be a challenge. Greek Fest, the Japanese Festival, the Clayton Art Fair which is a nationally judged event, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. These are the weekend events by which we mark time.

It also speaks very much to the culture of the city, one that is not well understood outside of it. There is so much to do here, it's not even funny.

I'll try to work more of that in.