Dayton native finds creative voice as coffee novelist
Nov. 22—Novelists are encouraged to write what they know. Dayton native Jerry Vanschaik spent years in the world of retail coffee, so it's fitting he'll promote his recently published second novel, "The Trier," at Ghostlight Coffee in Dayton on Friday, Nov. 24.
The Indianapolis-based author worked for Boston Stoker and the Oregon Street Coffeehouse in Dayton in the 1980s before relocating to Chicago. His first novel, "Tripio," was based on his work experiences in the early 1990s.
"I started writing a book called 'Chicago Days' and it was going to be kind of like 'Quiet Days in Clichy' by Henry Miller," Vanschaik said. "I was looking through my old journals and every other page was something about Starbucks. I thought, 'Well, everybody knows about Starbucks. I'm going to be a Starbucks novelist.' In a sense that's what 'Tripio' is but it isn't.
"It's really about how a barista experienced Starbucks in the early days from '90 to '94," he continued. "So many of the Starbucks stories are about success stories they have or how Starbucks saved their life. Mine was a story of a brief experience with the company. It's almost like the zombies in 'The Walking Dead.' It's not really about the zombies but they're always there."
From the inside out
For his second novel, Vanschaik referenced earlier journals from his college days. He first started getting serious about coffee and literature while a student at Wright State University.
"I had five or six things I'd written years ago, and I figured the best way to tie them together was to set it inside a coffeehouse," he said. "I had a few stories that are flashbacks and then added some history of the Great Dayton Flood of 1913 to give depth to the book itself. I'm not a super serious writer. I'm not highbrow but I think I made a fun, engaging story.
"There aren't a lot of novels set in the world of coffee," Vanschaik continued. "I've run across a few people writing books like a murder mystery at a barista championship or a murder mystery at a coffeehouse, but my books are about coffee from the inside out. It's not product placement, like look at the trendy place where I set my book."
Vanschaik, who stopped working in retail coffee 10 years ago, still follows the business.
"I didn't want to come off as a phony, so I try to stay current with coffee literature and coffee trends," he said. "I read a great book called 'Where the Wild Coffee Grows' about coffee and coffee culture. I found out the plant itself is in pretty serious danger due to climate change. It's really hard to grow and people are struggling.
"I ended up subconsciously adding this green message of leaving a tribute for your coffee into the book," Vanschaik continued. "I'm an old school coffee guy from way back. It means a lot to me that people know that. I'm not just writing these books to cash in on this coffee craze."
Finding a niche
Vanschaik has wisely targeted his marketing efforts toward coffeehouses and coffee events.
"Coffee is everywhere," he said. "There are coffeehouses everywhere. There are coffee festivals everywhere. About this time last year, I got into the Cincinnati Coffee Festival. I went back there a month ago and killed it. I got a gig at Coffee Emporium in Cincinnati and Kidd Coffee in Cincinnati. I'm going to do the Coffee Crawl in St. Louis. That's where the writing has taken me. I feel so comfortable at those places.
"When I go to bookstores, I feel like I'm competing against everybody's favorite author," Vanschaik continued. "When I walk into any coffeehouse, I'm confident. I feel like I'm at home. At coffee festivals or coffeehouses, people are already interested and a guy selling a coffee book is fairly unique. The coffee community seems like really supportive people."
While he has written most of his life, Vanschaik didn't begin focusing on being a novelist until about eight years ago. He is currently working on his third coffee-themed novel.
"I always wanted to write," he said. "I always kept journals. I have 35 or 40 of them. Writing is just a practice, like yoga or meditation. I'm directing my mental energy towards this. It's something I'll always do."
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Author Jerry Vanschaik
Where: Ghostlight Coffee, 1201 Wayne Ave., Dayton
When: 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Nov. 24
Cost: Free
More info: 937-985-2633 or www.ghostlightcoffee.com
