Gradle Bird by J.C. Sasser

from Desideratum · host Theresa Bakken

(00:00) Introduction with scratchy recording from a lone singer who inspired the novel Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (02:52) Oral storytelling and walking around with a tape recorder gathering stories (04:18) Setting in small town feels timeless  (05:35) Rooted in reality to distill the truth looking back on life experiences using fiction (07:00) Abandoned structures sparked imagination starting in childhood with her father who was paralyzed taking her to a pig slaughterhouse (09:34) Audiobook introduction of scene with a confrontation  (10:17) Audiobook excerpt from Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (20:38) Human cruelty themes balanced with themes of love  (22:18) Siamese fighting fish as a betting game in the story the beauty of frailty and fierceness  (24:39) Moonflowers thrive in darkness but only live one day and they are deadly toxic to people which is a key to the story (26:45) Ghost in the novel and from Sasser's childhood she loves to be haunted (29:30) Musician in the novel based on a real person who struggled with mental illness who befriended the author when she was a young girl (33:42) He was a real true friend who was taunted and ridiculed and harassed and she imagined in this fiction dire consequences that could have come from his mistreatment (35:55) There's a quote from Corinthians scripture that underpins the whole novels message and how it looks at guilt and forgiveness  (39:20) Conclusion what is essential for JC Sasser  This is a story that begins with a lone singer recording original songs on cassette tapes for the author a long time ago. She remembers listening using the tape deck in her mama’s white Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme out at the edge of town where abandoned things and the music made her wonder. We’re talking with author J.C. Sasser (Jana) about her novel Gradle Bird on this Desideratum. Jana's southern tale has an incredible cast of characters .The title character is a 16 year old girl named Gradle being raised by her Grandpa. Then, there's a teenage boy named Sonny Joe who is a Siamese Fighting Fish aficionado. And there's Delvis Miles, a professional dumpster diver and a genius musician, whose mental health makes him both fragile and fierce.  But we start our conversation with Jana herself, because she’s as intriguing as any of her characters. Throughout this novel there are three characters who commit serious crimes with dire consequences that haunt them.  You’re going to hear a scene near the beginning of the book, that starts in a grocery store with a confrontation and gives you some history for one of the characters.   Thank you to Jana for sharing her recording of the real Evans Miles singing When the Whippoorwills Holler at Night for this episode. Thank you to the Pat Conroy Literary Center for shining a light on Sasser's storytelling.  And, as always, thank you for listening. Here are links to learn more about J.C. Sasser https://www.jcsasser.com/  and the Pat Conroy Literary Center  https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/

What this episode covers

(00:00) Introduction with scratchy recording from a lone singer who inspired the novel Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (02:52) Oral storytelling and walking around with a tape recorder gathering stories (04:18) Setting in small town feels timeless (05:35) Rooted in reality to distill the truth looking back on life experiences using fiction (07:00) Abandoned structures sparked imagination starting in childhood with her father who was paralyzed taking her to a pig slaughterhouse (09:34) Audiobook introduction of scene with a confrontation (10:17) Audiobook excerpt from Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (20:38) Human cruelty themes balanced with themes of love (22:18) Siamese fighting fish as a betting game in the story the beauty of frailty and fierceness (24:39) Moonflowers thrive in darkness but only live one day and they are deadly toxic to people which is a key to the story (26:45) Ghost in the novel and from Sasser's childhood she loves to be haunted (29:30) Musician in the novel based on a real person who struggled with mental illness who befriended the author when she was a young girl (33:42) He was a real true friend who was taunted and ridiculed and harassed and she imagined in this fiction dire consequences that could have come from his mistreatment (35:55) There's a quote from Corinthians scripture that underpins the whole novels message and how it looks at guilt and forgiveness (39:20) Conclusion what is essential for JC Sasser This is a story that begins with a lone singer recording original songs on cassette tapes for the author a long time ago. She remembers listening using the tape deck in her mama’s white Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme out at the edge of town where abandoned things and the music made her wonder. We’re talking with author J.C. Sasser (Jana) about her novel Gradle Bird on this Desideratum. Jana's southern tale has an incredible cast of characters .The title character is a 16 year old girl named Gradle being raised by her Grandpa. Then, there's a teenage boy named Sonny Joe who is a Siamese Fighting Fish aficionado. And there's Delvis Miles, a professional dumpster diver and a genius musician, whose mental health makes him both fragile and fierce. But we start our conversation with Jana herself, because she’s as intriguing as any of her characters. Throughout this novel there are three characters who commit serious crimes with dire consequences that haunt them. You’re going to hear a scene near the beginning of the book, that starts in a grocery store with a confrontation and gives you some history for one of the characters. Thank you to Jana for sharing her recording of the real Evans Miles singing When the Whippoorwills Holler at Night for this episode. Thank you to the Pat Conroy Literary Center for shining a light on Sasser's storytelling. And, as always, thank you for listening. Here are links to learn more about J.C. Sasser https://www.jcsasser.com/ and the Pat Conroy Literary Center https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/

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Gradle Bird by J.C. Sasser

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This episode was published on February 17, 2023.

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