'Crawdads' author talks best-seller before Nick Linn lecture in Naples: Q&A
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Delia Owens, the woman behind the hugely popular “Where the Crawdads Sing,” is writing another novel, but you’ll have to wait a while to read it.
In the meantime, the author and wildlife conservationist is teaming up with Mary Alice Monroe, another best-selling novelist and environmentalist, to speak Monday, Feb. 20, in the Nick Linn Lecture Series for the Friends of the Library of Collier County.
The series concludes in March with two more luncheons and lectures, all fundraisers by the nonprofit Friends group to benefit the Collier County Public Library system’s 10 branches. (Tickets for this year’s series are no longer available. To become a Friends member and learn about next year’s series, go to www.collier-friends.org.)
This year’s remaining authors are Robert Dugoni, who wrote “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell,” and David Baldacci, a returning favorite of the Nick Linn Series whose latest work is “Long Shadows,” an Amos Decker Memory Man novel.
“Where the Crawdads Sing” was the debut novel of Owens, a Georgia native with a Ph.D. in animal behavior from the University of California, Davis. She had worked extensively as a zoologist and conservationist in Africa in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s and co-wrote three award-winning nonfiction books with her husband, Mark Owens, from whom she is now divorced.
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Her “Crawdads” publisher initially printed just 28,000 hardcover copies in 2018. Now, her publisher reports, the novel set in the North Carolina coastal marshes has sold a whopping 18 million copies and spent nearly 200 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.
After returning from Africa in the late ‘90s, Owens lived for many years in Idaho and became involved in saving the grizzly bears of the northwestern U.S. through the Owens Foundation for Wildlife Conservation. She now makes her home near Asheville, North Carolina.
Mary Alice Monroe, a fellow advocate for the coastal Carolinas and its creatures, has sold millions of copies of her “Beach House” series of novels that feature “strong Southern women.” The latest volume was “The Summer of Lost and Found.” Branching out, she recently co-wrote two books that are wildlife adventures for middle-grade children.
When she isn’t writing, the hands-on conservationist is involved with efforts to save sea turtles, dolphins, monarch butterflies and birds. Monroe has homes in both North Carolina and South Carolina, and says she is especially proud to have been a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for 20-plus years.
How did these “kindred spirits” team up? Read on.
Naples Daily News to both Delia Owens and Mary Alice Monroe: How did you meet and become friends?
Delia Owens: We met briefly at the Savannah Book Festival, and then sometime later after another book event, Mary Alice suggested we go to dinner together. It was the wine, not the books, over which we bonded!
Mary Alice Monroe: It all began with books. Of course! We were both appearing at the Savannah Book Festival. I was eager to hear Delia because I had read her book and loved her weaving of important science with a compelling human story. I very much wanted to meet her because I felt we had a lot in common. But we were slated to speak at the same time. Though disappointed, we sat next to each other at the book signing. Kismet. We met again when Delia came to Charleston for another book event and we had dinner. We found out we both had houses in or near Asheville, so we arranged to meet again. From then on, we were great friends and kindred spirits in our love of books, nature, the planet, long walks and Champagne.
NDN to both: Do you two plan to collaborate on a book?
DO: No. Mary Alice is much faster at writing than I am!! She has written 30 books to my 3! She would be waiting for my chapters for years.
MAM: No plans. We love to talk about books and what we’re writing and the publishing world, and that’s enough.
NDN to Delia Owens: Do you have another novel in the works? Or another nonfiction book?
DO: I'm currently writing another novel. Again, it will take years.
NDN to DO: You’ve talked about how Kya’s behavior in “Crawdads” was shaped by her lack of a family example, especially a mother to guide her. So, for her, it was natural to defend herself in the same way the firefly did. Is there a moral quandary about her getting away with murder?
DO: One of the major themes of “Where the Crawdads Sing” is that much of our behavior is instinctual. When we or our children are threatened, instinct often takes over and we behave as we did eons ago on the savanna. Such behavior is not guided by morality but by survival. Kya was rejected, discriminated against, and abused, so she had no one to defend her. Once she was threatened, she was compelled to defend herself. In nature and in Kya's mind, this was self-defense.
NDN to Mary Alice Monroe: Could you expand on a comment you made in a reader Q&A some years ago that your books always start with nature?
MAM: When I wrote “The Beach House” in 2002, I made a decision to use my writing to bring awareness or endangered species I volunteered to serve. I believe “if you care, you take care.” I set my books against a species I was involved with and wove my experiences and knowledge into a fiction novel. The first, “The Beach House,” was a success, and every book since, whether in that popular series or in a stand-alone novel, was written to bring my readers to the natural world. To answer your question, I do not have a story when I begin a novel. I have a species. I do research, talk with experts in the field, and then do extensive hands-on work with the animals. Through that process, a story develops. I create themes, plot, characters, dialogue and, of course, setting using the inspiration from the animals. I’ve written (a lot) about sea turtles, dolphins, birds of prey, water birds (pelicans), trout (fly fishing), sweet grass, monarch butterflies, trees. I’m currently writing a novel set against important issues of land conservation and habitat.
NDN to MAM: Will you be focusing more now on your books for preteens (“The Islanders,” “Search for Treasure”) than on your books for adults?
MAM: I love writing for this age group. Young kids are our future, and they are well aware of the challenges facing them with climate change. And they care! I love their spirit of can-do and their faith that they can make a difference. When I wrote “The Islanders” (with Angela May), we set the story in a remote area to challenge the kids to turn off electronics and get out into nature. Especially after our pandemic experience. The book debuted No. 2 on the New York Times (best-seller list), which speaks to how adults and children alike are eager to unplug and connect to the outdoors. We followed up with the second book, “Search for Treasure,” and the series will continue with the third installment in 2023, “Shipwrecked.” I will continue with the series. However, my adult novels are always in the forefront. I have been working hard these past years on my upcoming novel, doing immense research. I am excited about it. I know my fans are looking for my next book, and I hope it will be out in 2024.
WHAT TO KNOW
20th Annual Nick Linn Lecture Series
What: Author talks and luncheons sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Collier County
Where: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, 2600 Tiburon Drive, North Naples
When: Luncheons begin at noon. The author takes the stage at 1 p.m. Book signings begin at 2 p.m. after a Q&A session with the audience.
Upcoming authors: Delia Owens and Mary Alice Monroe, Monday, Feb. 20; Robert Dugoni, Monday, March 13; and David Baldacci, Monday, March 27
Tickets: Tickets are no longer available for this year’s series. Friends memberships begin at $40/year and also provide access and discounts to other programs. To become a Friends member and get information about next year’s series, contact Marlene Haywood at mhaywood@collier-friends.org or 239-262-8135. Website: https://collier-friends.org/events/nick-linn-series/
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 'Crawdads' writer Delia Owens one of two speakers in Naples this month
