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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 16 February 2019
'Small Island' author Andrea Levy dies of cancer aged 62

By DANICA KIRKA what to do with me. They
JILL LAWLESS didn't think there'd be a
Associated Press market for it."
LONDON (AP) — Andrea But "Small Island" became
Levy, a prize-winning nov- a classic word-of-mouth
elist who chronicled the success, helped by warm
hopes and horrors experi- reviews on Internet discus-
enced by the post-World sion groups.
War II generation of Jamai- It focused on people like
can immigrants in Britain, her parents — the post-
has died. She was 62, and war "Windrush generation,"
had suffered from cancer. named for SS Empire Win-
One of the first black Brit- drush, a former troop ship
ish authors to achieve both that sailed from Jamaica
critical and commercial to England in 1948 carrying
success, Levy was best hundreds of West Indian
known for her novel "Small migrants.
Island," which tells the story The immigrants, many of
of two couples, one English whom fought against the
and one Jamaican, whose Nazis in World War II, often
lives intertwine in London In this Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 file photo, British author Andrea Levy at home in north London. found themselves to be
after World War II. Associated Press unwelcome in Britain. Two
The saga of war and racism characters from the book,
won several major literary ing course in London. Her ers. spring. Gilbert and Hortense, are
prizes: the Orange Prize for first books "Every Light in the Her most recent novel, "The "When I started out, I was shocked by the racism they
women's fiction, the Com- House Burnin,'" "Never Far Long Song," tells the story of seen as a sort of marginal encounter, and by the re-
monwealth Writers' Prize From Nowhere" and "Fruit of a house slave in 19th-centu- voice — the attitude was alization that the "Mother
and the Whitbread Book of the Lemon" — drew on her ry Jamaica and was short- that only black people Country" is a shabby dark
the Year award. background as the child listed for the Man Booker would read the books," nation recovering from
Georgina Moore of Tinder of Jamaican immigrants Prize. She also published Levy told The Associated war.
Press said Levy died Thurs- growing up in London. "Six Stories and an Essay," in Press in 2005. "It was very "I don't really believe in
day after having been "ill Though critically praised, 2014, a series of short stories hard, because I was writing baddies and goodies,"
for some time." they failed to win a mass and a piece about her Ca- something a little bit differ- Levy said. "I don't believe
Levy, who grew up in pub- audience. That changed ribbean heritage. ent, in that I was just writing in good and evil. I think we
lic housing in a working- with "Small Island," which "Small Island" and "The Long about family, small stories. all have the capacity for
class north London neigh- made Levy one of Britain's Song" were adapted for At that time, the prevailing both, every one of us, de-
borhood, started writing hottest writers — discussed TV, and a stage version of trend was more sort of guns pending on circumstances.
fiction in her 30s when she in book clubs and read by "Small Island" is opening at and drugs and stuff, and I like to bring that out in
enrolled in a creative writ- droves of subway commut- the National Theatre this so they didn't quite know characters."q

Memoir of Northern Appalachia tackles regional myths

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS palachia and the area is stay," Ferrence writes. Such from his middle-class up-
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) more than its stereotypes. realities aren't signs of a bringing that sheltered him
— "Appalachia North: A In fact, to understand Ap- culture in crisis, according from poverty and family
Memoir" (West Virginia Uni- palachia, one must look at to Ferrence, but examples dysfunction Vance cited in
versity Press), by Matthew its history, its contradictions of perseverance amid a his memoir. Ferrence's fa-
Ferrence. and repeated attempts to changing economy. ther was a biologist and his
Since the 2016 election of redefine itself. Yet, it's also a place of pla- mother was a well-read pri-
President Donald Trump Using his personal story, Fer- teaus older than the Ameri- vate-school trained wom-
and the publication of J. rence takes us into a world can Southwest desert. It's an from Indiana.
D. Vance's memoir "Hill- defined by its bodies of wa- a place of animals and Still, Ferrence refuses to
billy Elegy" that same year, ter, its hills and its defunct solitude that helped Fer- pass judgment as others
Appalachia has returned coal mining industry. The rence fight a brain tumor. have on the struggle of Ap-
to the national spotlight closed mines have polluted Whenever he has lived in palachia residents and ap-
as media and academia creeks and destroyed the places like Arizona or Paris, pears to be in awe of how
struggle to make sense of economies of numerous Ferrence realized he was residents carry their strug-
the region and its people. communities. in exile, even though he gles. To him, those struggles
Who are the residents of Squatters and long-time never thought of himself have also defined him.
an area that stretches from residents remain in dilapi- as from Appalachia grow- "If I am writing through the
northern Alabama and dated homes others would ing up. No, Ferrence didn't recognition of myself as This cover image released by
Georgia, through Kentucky have given up on. "But ei- grow up smoking a corn- an Appalachian and also West Virginia University Press
shows "Appalachia North," a
and West Virginia, all the ther because they can't cob pipe or hearing stories through the process of see- memoir by Matthew Ferrence.
way to southern New York? or because they refuse to of moonshining. But that's ing myself as an Appala- Associated Press
Matthew Ferrence joins leave, people tack new not all that defines Appa- chian writer, I have to think
the debate with his new layers of tarpaper to the lachia. about journeys," he writes. gulfing prose brings to life
book, "Appalachia North: siding, or they duct-tape An English professor at Al- "Appalachia North" is a an Appalachia north of the
A Memoir," but he's here the broken windows, or legheny College in Mead- lyrical homage to a region Mason-Dixon line and he
to clear up a few things: slide concrete blocks un- ville, Pennsylvania, Fer- often misunderstood and does it with the eye of an
Pennsylvania is part of Ap- der the worst sags, and rence doesn't shy away overlooked. Ferrence's en- honest poet.q