Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Tennessee Williams ~ Baby Doll

I’m close enough to MD living in Northern Virginia that I think La Nora can take VA too.

I think Thomas Wolfe would be a good choice to represent NC, most likely with Look Homeward, Angel.  I hate to admit it, but I haven’t actually read any of his works (not a shining moment for this UNC grad with an English degree, but oh well).

I think Stephanie Laurens for Victoria, Australia
but that’s an easy one…

I’m glad I don’t live in Massachusetts.  That would be a tough pick.  But I do think that Hawthorne is a better choice than Melville, just because more people have actually read Hawthorne in high school than read all of Moby Dick.  (Which I have and which I loved…but the Scarlett Letter was still better.  Not to mention the House of the Seven Gables actually exists in Salem.  Plus, Hawthorne was briefly a state employee.  I don’t think Melville ever was.)

For Florida, I believe it would be Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s The Yearling, though I hated the book, it is a great reflection of old Florida.  And it was written by a woman.  Always a plus.  Or we could go the misogynistic route and pick Hemingway.

Alabama’s would be easy, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird. Linda Howard would probably be our official romance novelist.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s The Yearling for Florida.  It’s read by all the schoolchildren and gives a good overview of Cracker life.  Their Eyes Were Watching God was the pick for a community wide reading program in Florida a few years back, and presents a glimpse into the African American community and women’s issues. 

I would also recommend Patrick Smith’s A Land Remembered as an example of a classic Florida novel.

Oh, and for Florida romance authors?  Let’s see…there was some broad who wrote about pirates in Key West and St. Augustine, and Crackers and smugglers following the Second Seminole War, but dang if her name isn’t slipping past me….[g]

For New York- it would be The Wizard of Oz. I really can’t think of anything else that would come up to it in popularity. the yearly Oz Festival is always packed.

We have lots of romance authors- Carly Phillips and a whole list of them. That would probably be a much harder choice to make.

Did Atkins actually just try to compare Louisa May Alcott to Herman Melville?  For real?  Let me throw out a hearty, “Bitch, please.”

As for a state book of Michigan, we don’t seem to have that many famous authors.  Maybe something by Edna Ferber.  Or Chris Van Allsburg.  We could claim Jumanji as our state book, I guess.

As a Marylander, who even went to the same high school (I believe she was in my sister’s year) as La Nora, I’ve got that one covered.

As a gal who grew up in and around Boston, I have to say: “face my constituents?” Eh?

I haven’t heard much about this on the state-wide news, although I’m sure somewhere in literary circles there’s a huge kirfluffle.

But I can’t help but imagine that any “constituents” who might confront Atkins about this injustice would be crazy old ex-hippie professors and therefore loony as fuck. In which case, I do not envy her having to face them.

Actually, I do. They sound like my kind of people. :)

For my home state of Michigan, I would almost certainly have to pick the novelization of “RoboCop”.  Anyone here ever been to downtown Detroit?  Yeah.

I’m currently living in DC, and I won’t bother to pick one novel to cover all of the malarkey that goes on here.  It’s just too bad that “A Confederacy of Dunces” takes place in New Orleans and not DC.

For Connecticut, I would nominate either Susan Cooper or Maurice Sendak.

Sounding in for Illinois here. I would suggest Ray Bradbury… but I don’t know what book I’d choose. Illustrated Man, perhaps?

For Oregon, it would absolutely have to be Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. 

But since it’s Oregon, someone would start arguing that no, it should be “Sometimes a Great Notion.” 

Next thing you know there’d be a ballot measure, annoying tv ads, and somehow Bill Sizemore the Ass Hat would get involved and try to cut funding for something essential.

Maybe we should all meet up at Powell’s for a focus group?

I live in Texas so if there was a state novel it would probably be something by Larry McMurtry if they want to go the literary route- my pick would either be ‘Texasville’ or ‘Lonesome Dove’ because those are my two favorite McMurtry novels.

As for the romance route… there have been so many romance novels set in Texas and there are so many great Texas authors that I’d have to do some thinking on that one.

I don’t believe anyone’s ever written a great novel about Essex, which is a shame since historically it was home to both the Witchfinder General and Oliver Cromwell.  Plenty of rich pickings.  Cambridge, yes.  London, oh my yes.  The bit in the middle?  Not so much.  I was born in Yorkshire, where there’s plenty to choose from; there’s even an Arts and Literature section on the Wikipedia page.  Essex doesn’t have one of those.

However, I do recall some Betty Neels romance novels set in the area.  And I set my books locally sometimes.

When I was young—and dinosaur roamed the earth—- if you were out of school and lived in New York State you wanted to live in New York City.  Though it’s the movie, not the book that put us in motion,  I would have to say ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’ by Truman Capote.

Proposing that as the State book might be just about the only thing that could get our reps to face their constituents.

For Montana, I think A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean would be a good pick.

I actually live in Massachusetts and am saddened.  First, by how lame it is that my state’s reps would waste time and paper passing a bill for a state novel.  Second, Moby Dick has considerably more haters than fans so I feel that it doesn’t have enough mass appeal to say this is the state’s novel…but then there are those stiffs who say mass appeal diminishes the literariness of a novel.  I had only read a VERY abridged version of it when I was younger and had found it a boring.  It boggles the mind to think people are actually reading it at full-length.  I would put a vote in for Hawthorne too- but maybe his stuff is too interesting to be considered a state novel.

As for romance novelists in my state: LISA KLEYPAS with her novel, Dreaming of You though I liked Then Came You equally well too.

Cat, what about FLAMBARDS? Didn’t Peyton set that in Essex?

Loved that book.  And for Illinois, yes, Bradbury, though Chicagoans would probably insist on something by Studs Terkel. One of our more dedicated Chicago navel-gazers.

For romance, I’d have to say Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She lives somewhere west of the Loop, but I’d say she qualifies.

Ohio has a shit ton of options. For non-romance, Sherwood Anderson if you want to go the dead white guy route. Toni Morrison, if you don’t.

Romance is easy—Jennifer Crusie all the way.

For Florida, I would have to nominate Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen.  It serves as a much-deserved skewering of our current political climate,and a wonderful commentary about development gone wild.

Y’all can just keep your serious literary classics. Here in the Land O’ the Grey (Ohio) where our state rock song is “Hang on Sloopy” by the McCoys (seriously), we should be known as The Birthplace of Romantica, Home of Ellora’s Cave.

Sounding in for Nebraska here (although I’m from Texas and living in NE thanks to the USAF)

Romance Novelists - Victoria Alexander and Cheryl St. John all the way! They’re both members of my writing cahpter and are two of the best ladies I know. Funny, take no shit, no holds barred - that’s them. :) Oh yeah, and their books rock too.

How about Steinbeck for California?  And for romance…maybe Jackie Collins?

Kansas would like to reclaim The Wizard of Oz from New York.  True, L. Frank Baum may not have lived here, but every Kansas resident has been asked at one point or another, “Do you know Dorothy?”  or “How’s Dorothy doing?”  If our whole state is going to be associated with Oz, then we get to claim the book.

As for romance, Rebecca Brandewyne all the way!

I’m with Mingqi—Mody Dick is boring (and also the name of a rather less boring gay bar in Dallas).

What the heck are these knobs DOING spending their time and their voters’ tax money on this when there are much more serious topics that need addressing.

Is the state’s educational system getting all the money and equipment it needs?  Are the teachers getting the pay they deserve? Are the libraries getting enough funding?

(Well who cares about THAT crap, we have to pick State Novel and pose for pictures!)

I’ve heard of pork barrel projects. Does this qualify as blubber barrel?

I’m all for recognizing great writers, but this blog alone proves that picking just one book per state to be a time-consuming if not impossible task. Everyone has a favorite.

To judge by some politicians I seriously doubt they’re capable of making such a judgment. The lot in MY state has likely never opened any kind of reading matter unless there was a centerfold within—and I’m not talking National Geographic maps!

For the Virginia state book, I nominate “Janice Meredith,” by Paul Leicester Ford, a “romance” of the American Revolution. Published in 1899, it was a best-seller in 1900, and was the basis for a popular play in 1901-1902, and a movie in 1924—the movie starred Marion Davies as Janice. The novel was written at Colle, a farm that is located a mile from Monticello, here in Albemarle County, Virginia. If you wanted to read the novel, it is available free as an ebook at http://arthursclassicnovels.com/arthurs/fordp/jmere10.html

Ah, you other Michiganders are so wrong with your suggestions. The perfect pick for this state is Rivethead by Ben Hamper - it’s got the decaying auto industry, it’s funny, it’s bitter….but there is a notable lack of romance in it.

Steve Amick’s The Lake, the River and the Other Lake has some romance in it, as well as some seriously dysfunctional relationships.

But for romance, I can only suggest Colleen Gleason or Jennifer Armintrout. And what does it say about our state that the only romances authors that come to mind are those that write rather dark paranormals?

I was wondering the same thing when i saw this, about state reps having too much time and money on their hands, but then I remembered that when you’re talking MA politicians you’re usualy dealing with idiots wiht too much time and money and no concept of what to do with it.

As for the state novel, I guess Make Way For Ducklings isn’t considered a novel, though I thought it was our state book and there was some serious fighting when that won out over a Dr. Sues book, so really you’d think they would have learned not to go there again.

I’d say Little Women hands down. No other book shows MA values so well. Of course this is such a “woman’s” book that I am not surpised that it isn’t considered.

And for Illinois, why not Trash, Sex, Magic - by Jennifer Stevenson?

Well, I don’t know about Alabama romance novelist, but our mystery novelist should be Anne George (maysherestinpeace). Love the Southern Sisters books…

Enough with the dead white guys already! Pam Ward for California.

Ken Kesey’s the only real choice for my state, Oregon. Cuckoo’s Nest is the most famous, but Notion is more Oregonian.

Michigan has Elmore Leonard from the Motor City. Maybe Florida and Michigan could share him.

Wasn’t Willa Cather a Nebraskan? I’d nominate her, although I’ve only read two of her books.

Can’t imagine what New York and other writer-heavy states will do with their embarrassment of riches!

As for Moby-Dick: ick.

A difficult choice. Here in Norfolk we have Julian of Norwich, Daniel Defoe, Thomas Paine and William Cowper, George Borrow, Arthur Conan Doyle and Ruth Rendell, among many others. (Thomas Browne, Anna Sewell, Philip Pullman…) Can we claim authors who’ve gone through creative writing at the local university even if they haven’t primarily lived here? That would let me add Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan. But I don’t often look past an author’s name to find out where they’re from, and that makes it difficult to suggest the best county book and especially the best romance.

Aha!  HG Wells!  Lived somewhere about twenty miles from me, and mentioned many local places in the War of the Worlds.  Bernard Cornwell was also from Essex and of course, Sharpe’s fictitious regiment is the South Essex (although I don’t think any of the books are set there).  But it took me a whole afternoon to come up with those.

HG Wells, Essex boy.

Otherwise, it’s probably Jamie Oliver.  Hey, he’s sold lots of books!

Yes YES for Jen Stevenson! My RWA chapter & I were privileged to hear TRASH SEX MAGIC when it wasn’t much more than a rough draft. Love her stuff. Can’t write like that…that’s her gig, not mine, but even when we were going, “What the hey?” we still loved it.

Everyone trots out Kesey for the Pacific Northwest.

Me? I’d go for Ursula LeGuin or Sherman Alexie or even Chuck Palahniuk.

Being from DC originally (born and raised, baby!), I’d call for George Pelecanos. His stories are about the real DC, not the every four to eight years influx of transient pols and their hangers-on. (Oops, sorry I get a little militant—even though I fully believe that if you live in DC through three administrations, you can call yourself a Washingtonian—but never a Cavedweller.)

I’ll have to agree with the Oregonians who’ve already stated it: Cuckoo’s Nest is more famous, but A Great Notion is definitely more Oregon. Just please, god, don’t let Sizemore get wind of this.

But for a shout-out for my home state of Indiana, I’m tossing in Booth Tarkington’s The Magnificent Ambersons, published 1918, winner of the 1919 Pulitzer, adapted by Orson Welles in 1942. Outside of that I can’t think of anyone, other than James Whitcomb Riley.

I’d go with Lonesome Dove by McMurtry as the state novel of Texas. Not that I’ve read it, but I saw the miniseries. ;)

There are a bazillion romance writers who live here. I’d lean toward Jodi Thomas’s (Amarillo) dozens of books all with Texas in the title, as the romance state novels (because we’re bigger and need more than one book)—but there are SO many excellent writers. I love Lisa Kleypas’s books (just up the road in Houston). Geralyn Dawson (Fort Worth) and Eileen Wilks (Midland) are both fabulous. Okay, I think we need more than one author too. I mean, there are 5 cities with more than 500,000 pop. So shouldn’t we have one author for each city? No? Well, I tried.

(spamword: hot52 - well, I’m a year or two older than that, but yeah, I’m still hot. (Snort!) )

For Tennessee, I’d like to nominate pretty much anything by Sharyn McCrumb, but particularly Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. Or, possibly, The Rosewood Casket.

For SW Virginia, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.

I would like to nominate Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, for MA. :D

Or, since we’re practically two separate states anyway (at least as far as most politicians see it) Boston can choose Melville and Western MA can have Dr. Seuss.

But seriously, Melville? What about Poe? What about Thoreau? Jane Yolen? Longfellow? Emerson? Emily Dickinson? Updike? Vonnegut? Thomas Bulfinch?

I think that choosing just one book/author to represent our entire state does a great disservice to the other influential authors that have either been born or made their home here.

I actually live in Massachusetts and am saddened.  First, by how lame it is that my state’s reps would waste time and paper passing a bill for a state novel.

Let me hop on this bandwagon and rant about how teaching little school children about state government by having them petition legislators to name a state cookie, a state beverage, a state bird, etc is just a waste of time and money and fury signifying nothing, and just shut up please and WORK for god’s sake.

And let me further my rant by telling you all to never read the Congressional Record, because you will immediately want to take up arms against our current officials with how much time is wasted by renaming post offices, tributes to special school teachers, and the idiotic whims and whatnot of feel-good politics.

But Moby Dick is a good choice and you should check out the episode of This American Life on how the novel impacts current American culture and imagination.

I like Cold Mountain for North Carolina—it covers at least half the state, since Inman walks from Raleigh to the Smokies. Sorry, Eastern NC.

Sad to say, I can’t think of any romance novelists from NC—but in my defense, I don’t think I know the home states of any romance novelists as I tend not to visit authors’ websites.

sad to say, but the first novel to come to mind when I thought of my home state of Wisconsin was PSYCHO by Robert Bloch which was based on the live of the murderer Ed Gein, (also the insperartion for many other horror films) which in NO way reflects my feelings of the state! LOL

Having been born in New Jersey, I feel it necessary to nominate: Williams Carlos Williams’ Paterson as a representative for best from NJ. Of course, it’s a poem….....

Texas, where I live now, has too many romance novelists to count…

Just a question, but is there something up or is everyone into italics?

It’s my fault—I did my tags by hand and messed up, so poor Sarah would have to fix it as we can’t edit comments.

Sorry, Sarah! A thousand apologies!

If I got to pick Ohio’s state YA novel, I’d go with Virginia Hamilton’s House of Dies Drear.

And though I don’t live in NJ, I nominate Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, winner of last year’s Pulitzer. A seriously, brilliantly fantastic book.

John Ehle (Jennifer Ehle’s dad) wrote several novels that take place in the NC mountains.Journey of August King may be the most widely read. An allegory. It was also made into a movie.

Margaret Maron writes an excellent whodunit series based in a small town southeast of Raleigh.

Thomas Wolfe, of course. Yep, I’ve read ‘em.

Orson Scott Card lives in NC now, but doesn’t write about NC.

Poems? Carl Sandburg

Well, for Nor Cal (which is a whole different state than all-Cal or so-Cal) I’d have to nominate Christine Rimmer for the romance novelists—she’s the only one I can think of who’s breached the Nor Cal bible belt and made us not sound uber-hick-emup. 

As for actual novelists?  Crap.  It would probably have to be Steinbeck.  (As much as I loved Travels With Charlie and Mice & Men, I’m not all that fond of Grapes of Wrath.) 

I am an English teacher—as lovely as this assignment is, I’m afraid it doesn’t fall under the canopy of standardized testicles, so I would have to chop it off.

All right, my boyfriend (who is also from Indiana) was seriously upset that I didn’t think of Kurt Vonnegut, particularly Breakfast of Champions. And I feel pretty crap for not remembering him either. So here you are, Indiana. I am duly chastised.

if you were out of school and lived in New York State you wanted to live in New York City.  Though it’s the movie, not the book that put us in motion, I would have to say ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’ by Truman Capote.

NYC is a nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there- and didn’t when I was growing up. I think it’s a misconception a lot of downstaters have. And why does everything about NY have to focus on that end of the state? There is more to NY than the city. Off my soapbox now. Sorry about that.

Make Way For Ducklings

My abso-fucking-lutely favorite children’s book. I have a first edition copy of it that I treasure.

Well, if our legislature got ahold of this idea, I’m sure that it would be some book by Jesse Stuart or Robert Penn Warren (depending on whether they wanted to go homespun and please the Eastern Kentucky contingent or urbane and please the Central Kentucky contingent).  Perhaps, if they were feeling very progressive, they’d pick a woman like Harriette Arnow or Janice Holt Giles.  However, I just found Kentucky’s RWA website and wow!  I didn’t know how many authors that I recognize actually lived here!  In fact, some of them even post here. 

The most famous romance author from here is probably Karen Robards but I read one of her books set in and around Lexington and Versailles and I was very frustrated with “facts” about the geography, in particular, that were just wrong.  Considering that she only lives about 60 miles away, it drove me NUTS, so I can’t say that I’d nominate her books for “state novel”.  Then there are the well-known mystery writers, Sue Grafton and Lynn Hightower.  I don’t think that Grafton has set any books here, however, and Hightower’s are set in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Hightower’s characters have crossed the river from Cincinnati into Covington, though, and they’ve traveled to Lexington.  Still, I can’t say that a roadtrip or two by the main characters really makes the books “Kentucky”.  Given all that, I think you’d really have to go with something by Jesse Stuart.  His voice is just pure Kentucky, even if it’s awfully heavy on the Eastern Kentucky twang.

I suppose that for Manitoba it would have to be The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. Alberta is harder - maybe W.O. Mitchell’s Who Has Seen the Wind.

For California? Steinbeck, baby. Steinbeck all the way.

Of Mice and Men would be the official novel. Totally. 

I don’t know that any romance novelists are writing out of Cali…but can we have Loretta Chase anyway? Please? For me?

Am I really the first Georgia resident to post?  Of cou-ahse, it’d have to be Gone with the Wind for historical romance.

But as a native of Miami, I must protest the suggestion of Carl Hiaasen.  Anyone who has read the Miami Herald for a few years knows that Carl Hiaasen doesn’t write fiction, he just tells the facts with slightly different details.  Skink for President!

I think WA would get “Snow Falling on Cedars” (by David Guterson) for her State Novel.  I also like the Official YA idea… I’d go with something by Deb Caletti.

Does anyone know any romance novelists from WA?

For Victoria, Australia I would say Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. That book is seriously good.
Romance: Stephanie Laurens.

For Arkansas, we have John Grisham, Joan Hess and Charlaine Harris for recent writers.

Pulitzer Prize winner John Gould Fletcher would probably have the honor of being named State Author.

Hey, mention author and WV and just about the only response you ever see is Pearl Buck.

As a romance author, I am jamming my flag (gotta be one around here somewhere *improvises with a bra on an broomstick*) In the ground and claiming the state for myself. *I* am the WV State Romance author. HAH!

Codeword: finally21 Ah, the memories!

ooo, looks like I’m the first MN-ian to post. Okay, for state authors it could go a few ways: Laura Ingalls Wilder, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or Lois Bujold. I would have a hard time picking. For romance, it could go LaVyrle Spencer or Mary Janice Davidson.

forms73: yes, there are probably 73 forms to make someone a state author.

I might be the only Mass. native who doesn’t mind Moby-Dick as our state novel.  The best justification I can think of is that although it takes place off the coast of the state, it was actually written in the Berkshire Hills in the western part of the state.  Since, as another Mass. commenter said, the two areas often seem to have little in common (and as a Berkshires native myself), I’m glad for our representative novel to have ties to both parts of the state.  It’s nice to see an acknowledgement that there is more to Mass. than Boston and Cape Cod.

Elizabeth, Julia Quinn is from Washington. Or at least close enough that ahe warrants a “Local Author” sticker on her books.

I hope Washington State doesn’t do this until that whole Twilight madness is over. Poor Forks will never be the same as it is.

Oh, and as a current Georgia resident, obvs Flannery O’Conner would be the author of choice.

Arkansas also has Nancy Collins, Laurel K. Hamilton, and Maya Angelou. 

No romance novelists or romance stories that are making me really excited…although everytime True Blood comes on, I tell my husband about how Charlaine Harris is from here!  She’s from here!

Since, as another Mass. commenter said, the two areas often seem to have little in common (and as a Berkshires native myself), I’m glad for our representative novel to have ties to both parts of the state.  It’s nice to see an acknowledgement that there is more to Mass. than Boston and Cape Cod.

Hiya, neighbor!! I’m right outside of Springfield. Small world this. *grin*

Although he doesn’t live here, I believe the official book for Colorado should be The Shining.  (I know it’s horror, but the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park has greatly benefited from Mr. King getting snowed in up there).  As for romance authors/novels, I would nominate anything by Barbara Samuel - but especially her book (for the life of me, I can’t remember the title) which involves the heroine returning to Pueblo to care for a dying friend.  She captures that area of Southern Colorado perfectly (and should since Ms. Samuel is from Pueblo).

Washington romance novelists?

Debbie Macomber, Susan Andersen, Cherry Adair, Stella Cameron, Jane Porter, Gerri Russell, Susanna Carr, Lauren Dane, Pat White, plus a whole bunch more.

And I have to claim Sherman Alexie for Washington state. He lives in Seattle and grew up near Spokane.

Definitely Steinbeck for California, but my pick would be Cannery Row.

Nevada can claim Mark Twain, so their book would obviously be The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Spamword: own69…I have no way of not making an X-rated comment about that.

As one of the few native Atlantans still actually living in Atlanta, would it be too cliched to say Margaret Mitchell for Georgia?  I don’t know about the rest of the state (we urban Atlantans tend to be self-centered) but we Atlantans have milked GWTW for all it is worth for quite some time.

Also have to mention Pat Conroy, Terry Kaye, Pearl Cleage, Eugenia Price, Melissa Fay Greene and of course Iris Johansen.

James Dickey would probably not be a good romance choice, huh?

If I want to reach a bit, I could also say Jimmy Carter, but I won’t.

For Texas, the state book should be Giant.  Yes, I know Edna Ferber wasn’t a Texan, but she captured the myth perfectly.

As for Moby Dick, I read the unabridged version in college, and I was MAJORLY UNDERWHELMED. But I did make an A in the class.

For Virginia, shouldn’t your author be Barbara Michaels?  She’s written so many books set in the state.

Yay, Southern Sisters! I love those books.

Mystery for NC: Margaret Maron, with Bootlegger’s Daughter. She does the best job with NC dialect I’ve ever seen.

Washington, Illinois throws down the gauntlet for Pat White. We claimz her. Her delightful fiction got read & kicked around the room at Chicago-North RWA, and we consider her merely a Seattle area transplant.

You haz been warned.

Another Mass native here.  Seconds/thirds/fourths on the Hawthorne nomination, but why not Edith Wharton?  The Age of Innocence is fantastic, as is The House of Mirth.

For South Carolina, probably Pat Conroy (he gave my college graduation speech!).  Most of his novels have something to do with South Carolina.  I’d go with The Water is Wide, myself.

Well, for Missouri, its kinda easy.  Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer would be the odds on favorites.

Randi, I was starting to get worried I was the only Minnesotan on this thing…

Of course my first thought was Sinclair Lewis, but I’m from that part of the state.

But I think my vote is Laura Ingalls. My favorite books for a very big part of my life. Also, very Minnesotan.

Hello darling daughter Randi, who technically, since you haven’t lived here in MN for ten years, shouldn’t you be voting Philly?  I think Garrison Keilor should be our state author - even tho he’s only written .....hmm, I think its 2 books…..but Prairie Home Companion is like being read aloud to on the weekends by your favorite uncle for the past 30 years. 

she91 - I’m trying to remember what I DID do in 91- good thing I have the journals to refresh the brain!!

Oh Michigan, Michigan - I’m so disappointed in you. No love for Jeffrey Eugenides? (Middlesex is the only love letter Detroit’s going to get, but I still prefer Virgin Suicides. First person plural FTW!)

Twain fits Nevada, okay, but Huck Finn? Well, if it keeps Joe McGinniss Jr. from getting the nod, then you’ve got a deal.

(If Vermont doesn’t claim Shirley Jackson, I will just cry.)

I really want to see a March Madness bracket with literary/romance authors by state. I think Ohio could take the whole thing. Who’s going to top the Toni Morrison/Jennifer Crusie ticket? I suppose Edgar Allen Poe/Nora Roberts from Maryland will have a good shot.

Hi Anj: word up to Minnesotans!

Hi mom: you just pipe down. It’s been 13 years since I’ve lived in MN, but that doesn’t disqualify me as a Minnesotan. sheesh. As for PA-we too can claim Poe, as he lived in Philly for a while. We also have Lisa Scottoline, Dean Koontz, Gertrude Stein, John Updike, and August Wilson. whew! I’m not sure I could pick just one….

My Romance Authors for Texas is gonna have to be Sandra Brown, but the old SBs, not the new. Not much romance going on now, just suspense. or Judith McNaught How about somebody fun and fruity??? Kinky Friedman…may be beat Perry in the next Governor’s election…lol. ;-) Keri

Elizabeth and KimmieB (oh, I KNOW YOU!): Julia Quinn for WA romance, and for state author?  While Guterson writes gorgeous local prose, I prefer Sherman Alexie every time.  I’d be willing to give an honorary runner-up to Jonathan Raban, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, or Nancy Pearl (if only for how much I love the Book Lust books).