The Salem Branch - Your thoughts

Teaching the arts is not a linear process and a good writing teacher understands this and knows what kind of tools and exercises will sharpen the skills of students.  Like with any subject, you have lousy teachers who haven't a clue as to how to teach writing to students.  You can make someone who doesnt have the intuitive sense of a writer to write well.  You can teach them not to make common grammatical mistakes and that sort of thing but that is the extent of it.  A good writing teacher knows how to teach student writers to tap into their imagination.

Nancy

Of course they can! They do.  Many of the teachers and guest teachers at universities and colleges are published authors, playwrights, journalists and poets.  Many good actors and playwrights I knew in New York not only excelled at their respective crafts but also taught at the theater schools or through the arts council programs placing artists in residence at public and private schools throughout New York City.  They are separate gifts: teaching and being a writer or whatever in the arts.  Some people are not good teachers but excellent at whatever they do.  The teaching artists are the ones who will keep their respective crafts alive in the classroom.

I don't know how many people here know this but George DiCenzo, associate producer on DS and a known actor, is considered one of the best acting teachers and dramaturgs in the country.  I had heard about his being a good acting teacher but I found out about his work as a dramaturg through RJ Jamison, when she researching her book on Graysonl.

I took classes from Uta Hagan, a renown actress and teacher in New York. She certainly could do both.  Just because there are a few lousy or ineffectual writing teachers doesn't mean no one is capable of being both a good teacher and a good writer, same with acting, etc

Nancy

I think a person can be both a teacher and a writer - in fact, that's pretty much what I see myself doing.

Unfortunately, she doesn't.  Though it's not true of all her characterizations in TSB, she misses the mark on a few of them.  For example, she wrote when introducing Quentin:

An inveterate bachelor, he was the sort of philanderer whose faĤade, Barnabas knew, hid the soul of a man who secretly feared and despised women. He charmed them with ease, and abandoned them just as quickly once he became bored with them. And he made no apologies for his behavior. A sinister and elegant exterior hid an empty shell, callous and compassionless.

Oh really?  Did she watch the parts of the series when Quentin fell wholly in love with Amanda and Daphne?  Perhaps we can excuse her for missing the latter storyline, but Angelique was certainly around to taunt Amanda.  As as I said, this is only one example for one character.

I had a bit of trouble with that introduction as well. Even Dan Ross did a better job at characterizing Quentin in his later novels. ...

I agree with both of you -- that aggravated me too.  Now, given, I have run into a lot of fans who DO think that Q is that way, not taking into account the maturation of the character from the self centered rake of the first 1897 eps.  However, I gave Lara credit for better judgement than that.  Then again, perhaps she gets her impressions from fans as much as the eps, since from what a number of posters have said her episode watching has been somewhat limited.

As to the dysentery of the adverbs, hey I am used to Dickens and the Brontes, so that probably sailed right past me.

On the whole, I found the book interesting, more so, I must admit in the historical portions.  Then again, its open territory as to how to write Miranda, Judah, et al; not enough established that you can say one way or the other that something's off.

As to actors writing novels about their characters, my friend Toni (who is NOT in DS fandom) described it very well when an actor from a show called Blake's 7 decided to write a novel (and got it published) about his character in the show.Read better fanfiction, read worse fanfiction.  Its {actor name's} fanfiction.

I think that covers this novel too.  Some stuff I could see, some stuff made my teeth hurt, and the ending did not appeal.

On the other hand, in talking to LP the feeling I got is that she is really interested in turning out something that appeals to the fans.  Not something I can exactly describe, but there's a type of questions a writer asks when they just want you to tell them you like it -- and the kind they ask when they care that you enjoyed it and want to find out what would make you like it better.

I am only half way through the book and am enjoying it very much. I know I blasted Mz Parker for not researching the DS characters. But she seems to have researched everything and anything to do with the Salem trials. She has the 17th century verbage down pat, as far as I can tell. Kudos to Lara. I think she's done a nifty job here. It is my opinion that she could have done a bit better with the Barnabas character. But on the whole, her book is pretty darn good. And I can't wait for the ending that you all have marvelously hidden from those of us that haven't gotten there yet.

Having read AD when it first came out and having found it relatively boring through the first 2/3 of it, I wasn't expecting much from Salem Branch. It is clear to me that Lara Parker is simply using DS as a vehicle for her writing, knowing DS fans will buy the book. Not that I am criticizing this at all - lots of former actors/actresses try to reap the benefits of the things they have done in the past that have gerned a large fan following. If I was in LP's shows I'd probably do the same thing if I wanted my book to sell. However, I still feel that LP has a duty to the characters to make them authentic and not to just use them as ciphers or to insert them so as to namecheck the important DS figures (Quentin, in particular, suffers from this in Salem Branch IMO).

That being said, here are my thoughts on Salem Branch, both good and bad:

Good

• Less gratuitous sex than in AD. While the sex scenes are (IMO) still unnecessary, they, at least, all serve a purpose within the context of Salem Branch
• Decent characterization of some DS characters, such as Roger Collins - Personally, I thought it was spot on, and the only character in the novel that I could actually hear "speaking" the lines given them
• The courtroom scenes in 1692, particularly [spoiler]Judah's trial and Miranda's hanging.[/spoiler]
  

Bad:

• The flowery language - yes, I know LP has a degree in Creative writing, but I don't need to be reminded in every sentence. Most overused phrase (IMO): [Someone's] skirt billowed, floated, was lifted, dragged, etc.
• The mischaracterizations and plot contrivances: [spoiler]Barnabas' interest in Persian rugs, his fighting with the police to the point of severely injuring one of them, getting shot and then being allowed to go free with no one stopping him, his falling in love with Toni, etc.[/spoiler]
• The "feel" - I got the impression that this was LP trying to show readers things she likes or has knowledge of. It screamed to me: "Hey, I like Indian lore, so here's a story" and "Hey, guess where I went on my summer vacation? Salem!" and finally, "I was a hippie and we tripped on acid and had lots of sex, so DS characters should, too!"

Overall, it was, to me, more of a LP telling her interests story with DS characters in it. I have to say the "twist" ending didn't bother me, but the execution of it did, [spoiler]particularly when Julia (who I am assuming is a vampire and is dead) slits her throat so Barnabas can feast on her blood¢â‚¬¦odd, that.[/spoiler]

In short, I'd stick with the Dreams of the Dark and Labyrinth of Souls, both of which capture DS very well IMO.

Hi Brian,

the scene you mention with [spoiler]Julia slitting her throat so Barnabas can drink her blood[/spoiler] is a steal/paraphrase of a scene in Dracula where [spoiler]Dracula slits open his chest and has Mina drink from his blood--from this point on, there is a psychic link between the two, which is eventually exploited by Van Helsing.[/spoiler]

Also, I seriously doubt whether Parker did much in the way of being a hippie, dropping acid and turning on back in the Flower Power era (btw, the phrase Flower Power was completely passe by 1969) since she was raising two small children and, in between working on DS, pretty much being a "homemaker" (a word I always found intriguing).

Best, Steve

I completely disagree with the take that Lara isn't a talented writer who engages us in a deep way through her latest novel.  Quite the contrary.  I not having seen the show until I met Peter am a late adopter to all things DS.  I found her writing fresh and exciting.  This book would make an excellent movie. 

I find the people who take issue with it mostly fall into the category of preservationist.  They want the old DS back.  They quite simply can't embrace that Jonathan Frid isn't the only person in the world who can play Barnabas.  He isn't and I am sure he wont be...wheter it is on CD, screen, or on the pages of a book like Lara's.

If Lara had written Barnabas approaches his victim while she screams for help and then the chapter ends (or we go to commercial) without a further descriptive of the way he bit her, the color and aesthetic of the attack, etc... this book would not hold up to others of its kind.  That isn't flowery it is called exposition.  It is what every good writer does.  Lara happens to excel at this.

I find the people who take issue with it mostly fall into the category of preservationist.  They want the old DS back.  They quite simply can't embrace that Jonathan Frid isn't the only person in the world who can play Barnabas.  He isn't and I am sure he wont be...wheter it is on CD, screen, or on the pages of a book like Lara's.

OK I need to speak here as an orginal viewer... I don't need to have the old DS back I am a realist and know that isn't going to happen. I personnaly like the new 2004 version of Barnabas...with that being said.....LP's lates offering was not to my liking because of her over use of discriptions like leaves.....really does it take 5 pages to describe leaves? I may exagerate but not by much.  but I do agree with  drwhotrades that is sounded semi autobiographical. May I point out that having children never stopped people from doing drugs and having free love.

but then this is IMHO and if we all agreed well it would be a dull place

Well, Lara has said that she and her family did go to a hippie camp in upper state NYC during some weekends when she was on DS....I agree, perhaps unconventional for a young mother, but times were different then, and I seem to remember she and her first husband, an artist, did live a somewhat "folklifish" lifestyle back then, doing crafts and playing music in the home, etc...anybody else recall this??

Ldy Annne I understand what you are saying.  I of course respect your opinion.  By the way I am sitting here looking out my window and I just noticed that the leaves are starting to turn colors.  I was surpised at first even though this is the first day of Autumn.  Then i remembered I had taken two Xanax pills only moments before.  I then offered myself freely to my husband.  I can assure you there were no children present. 

Another note, certainly someone else can play Barnabas in another version of DS, never saw the 2004 pilot, but I did like Ben Cross in the 1991 series.  My feeling as I think I said in another thread is that if you are doing reinactments of DS with the original cast, then in that context I only see Jonathan as doing Barnabas, but of course I think most fanfic, Ds novels, etc, are based on the original series and characters, though I do remember a few fan fiction stories in The World of DS (I hope Kathy Resch puts another issue of that out one day), where it was based on the 1991 series characters....

I liked both of Lara's novels and will willingly buy her books, but I do admit to perhaps preferring Angelique's Descent to the new one, but like I said I happily bought both...

By the way I am sitting here looking out my window and I just noticed that the leaves are starting to turn colors.  I was surpised at first even though this is the first day of Autumn.  Then i remembered I had taken two Xanax pills only moments before. 

Ah, the joys of PRESCRIPTION drugs!     Whenever I need a refill on my pain pills for my back, whoo-doggie!  I have a GOOD time on those. 

the scene you mention with [spoiler]Julia slitting her throat so Barnabas can drink her blood[/spoiler] is a steal/paraphrase of a scene in Dracula where [spoiler]Dracula slits open his chest and has Mina drink from his blood--from this point on, there is a psychic link between the two, which is eventually exploited by Van Helsing.[/spoiler]

Thanks for the clarification! It's been a long time since I've read Dracula, so I didn't recall that...it still doesn't make much sense to me though...

Also, I seriously doubt whether Parker did much in the way of being a hippie, dropping acid and turning on back in the Flower Power era (btw, the phrase Flower Power was completely passe by 1969) since she was raising two small children and, in between working on DS, pretty much being a "homemaker" (a word I always found intriguing).

I was just basing my thoughts on Lara Parker's comments that Antoinette in Salem Branch is based a lot on how she lived her life during the making of DS. Lara Parker has commented on how she lived in the woods and swam naked, etc...I just extrapolated from there 

I agree with you, John.  Jonathan Frid isn't the only person capable of portraying an effective Barnabas.  After viewing several portrayals of the character by different actors one might prefer Frid's portrayal.  I suppose it is easier for me and others in the theater (such as yourself, John) who regularly see different actors play the same role.

Nancy

I find the people who take issue with it mostly fall into the category of preservationist.  They want the old DS back.  They quite simply can't embrace that Jonathan Frid isn't the only person in the world who can play Barnabas.  He isn't and I am sure he wont be...wheter it is on CD, screen, or on the pages of a book like Lara's.

Ldy Annne I understand what you are saying.  I of course respect your opinion.  By the way I am sitting here looking out my window and I just noticed that the leaves are starting to turn colors.  I was surpised at first even though this is the first day of Autumn.  Then i remembered I had taken two Xanax pills only moments before.  I then offered myself freely to my husband.  I can assure you there were no children present. 

LMAO.... John you always make me laugh! Save me a leaf or a Xanax what ever... XXOO