November 1, 2011
An interview with Honors alum David Guterson
David Guterson in 1981 with one of his sons, showing that it鈥檚 never too early to start to learn to write.
Chatting with David Guterson in a U-District coffee shop, you wouldn鈥檛 know he was the best-selling author of multiple novels and a book on homeschooling. There was no sign that Snow Falling on Cedars, his second book, had won a PEN/Faulkner award and was later turned into an Academy Award-nominated feature film.
And there was certainly no trace of worry or stress over his new book, Ed King, which was released October 18.
Guterson鈥檚 most recent novel, Ed King, is in stores now. He鈥檒l be reading from his book at the University Book Store Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
Instead, Guterson鈥檚 thoughts were focused on his oldest daughter, the fourth of five children, whom he was on his way to visit in Bellingham. She began her freshman year at Western Washington University this fall and, like many new college students, seemed to be experiencing the freshman blues鈥攕he wanted her dad鈥檚 advice. And Guterson, pictured at left, who has juggled various accomplishments throughout his life, seemed anxious.
91探花years
Guterson remembers his first of many years at the UW. In the fall of 1974, he moved a few miles away from his parents鈥� Bryant-neighborhood home and into one near Northeast 22nd Street, at the bottom of the hill. At the time, he paid $75 a month for rent and $184 a quarter for tuition. He worked a forestry job every summer to pay for school.
鈥淵ou know, I wasn鈥檛 a great student in high school,鈥� Guterson admitted. 鈥淏ut when I started college, I remember telling myself I had a fresh opportunity as a student, so I decided to put some effort in.鈥�
His effort鈥攁mong other things鈥攊ncluded enrolling in the University Honors Program. At the time, Guterson wasn鈥檛 even interested in writing. 鈥淚t took me three years of college to just find the right thing for me,鈥� he admitted. He credits Jack Brenner鈥檚 short-story writing class for getting him hooked.
Later, he took creative writing classes from other professors, including Charles Johnson, whose course partly inspired Guterson鈥檚 Honors Program project. For that, he worked with honors adviser Ran Hennes to analyze and critique the complete work of novelist , who was actually Johnson鈥檚 former instructor.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the kind of person who just trumpets and promotes something just to do it鈥攊f I didn鈥檛 like the U, I wouldn鈥檛 say this,鈥� Guterson said. 鈥淚t was a really meaningful experience to be a student at the 91探花, and it really changed my life.鈥�
And there were many opportunities for the 91探花to change his life.
After he graduated with college honors and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English literature, Guterson wound up enrolling at the 91探花an additional three times. The first time was when he started the master鈥檚 program in creative writing, only to leave it a short time later for an experimental writing program at Brown University. The second time, he returned to the same creative writing program he had originally left鈥擝rown鈥檚 program hadn鈥檛 been what he had expected.
鈥淸Writing] wasn鈥檛 something I thought I could make a living doing鈥攖hat was an unrealistic expectation,鈥� Guterson said. So he enrolled one more time at the UW, earning his teaching certificate.
The discipline of writing
But maybe his realistic outlook helped him gear up for his writing career. His days would start early鈥擥uterson claims he鈥檚 a morning person, something this student doesn鈥檛 doubt, based on our 8:30 a.m. meeting鈥攁nd would consist of re-reading what he wrote the day before and then writing an additional 200 or 500 words.
It was a slow process, especially since his mornings would be cut short when he went to work teaching high school students to analyze books. But he was disciplined.
鈥淚 think that if a person finds that they can鈥檛 put the work in and they don鈥檛 have the discipline, then they probably are not meant to be writers,鈥� Guterson said. 鈥淜ind of a sign, you know? It needs to come from the right place.鈥ou wake up with something that鈥檚 almost an obsession鈥攜ou just want it.鈥�
And speaking of karmic signs, two of the books that Guterson taught his high school students became especially helpful as he set off to create his own work.
Harper Lee鈥檚 To Kill a Mocking Bird was important in Guterson鈥檚 writing process for Snow Falling on Cedars, what some also consider to be a courtroom drama that champions morality.
Ed King, the new novel
And in recent years, Sophocles鈥� Oedipus Rex came in handy. When Guterson was planning Ed King, he was interested in the idea of blindness and one鈥檚 blindness to self.
From a psychological standpoint, nobody can truly see himself or herself, Guterson explained. And since Oedipus was famous for blindly following a tragic prophecy and eventually gouging his own eyes out, Oedipus seemed like the perfect prototype for Guterson鈥檚 theme鈥攂eing blind in both the metaphorical and literal senses.
So Guterson wrote Ed King, which he calls a 鈥渃ontemporary re-telling of Oedipus Rex鈥�: a married man has an affair with his children鈥檚 teenage baby sitter, who bears a child whom she abandons. This child becomes a Seattle-area Internet tycoon and, boom, he falls into Oedipus鈥� tragedy. Although it鈥檚 not clear if this tycoon gouges his eyes out like Oedipus鈥攑erhaps it鈥檚 a surprise鈥擥uterson was excited about the complexity of the novel.
鈥淭his question about blindness to self isn鈥檛 just a personal question,鈥� he said; it can also be political. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a large question for society….As Americans, we鈥檙e blind to ourselves.鈥�
A writer in the community
Guterson certainly doesn鈥檛 appear to be blind, either to himself or his surroundings. When not writing, he鈥檚 proved to be an active community member in all facets of his life鈥攁 true renaissance man.
In addition to teaching at a public school for years, Guterson homeschooled his three sons鈥攚ho all went to the UW鈥攁nd published a book on homeschooling. On top of that, he helped establish Bainbridge Island鈥檚 homeschooling resource center.
He even helps others write. In 2002, Guterson co-created , a writing organization that鈥檚 based on Bainbridge Island. He currently mentors high school-aged writers and works with a 91探花graduate student every summer as part of a fellowship he established.
And to add another twist to the plot that is Guterson鈥檚 life: a few years ago, Guterson and his wife adopted their fifth child鈥攁 daughter from Ethiopia鈥攁nd became involved in Seattle鈥檚 Ethiopian community.
Kat Chow is a senior in the University Honors Program, studying journalism and ethnic studies. She鈥檚 also a freelance writer for the Seattle Weekly and other local publications, and is currently in the journalism program鈥檚 News Lab.