I am honored today to host Kathryn Craft, the author of
The Art of Falling.
I asked her "
What is your background in dance, and how did it affect you and your story?"
I shouldn’t even have been at that college dance company audition. My classmate made me go with her, for moral support. But now it was my palms that were sweating. Dance was a foreign language that I could barely follow. She’d been taking dance for eight years and I’d only taken private lessons for two. Who did I think I was?
Later that night, a note card was slipped under my dorm room door. Over the past few hours my desire to join the company had grown. I may not have all the technique, but I was a hard worker, and I had a passion for dance that I’d never had for any other endeavor. I opened the letter…
Inexplicably, I was offered a spot as a company apprentice; my classmate didn’t make it. I was determined to make the most of this opportunity, and began to choreograph during my sophomore year. After college I became a dance critic.
Starting dance relatively late in life, I was fascinated by what my body was and wasn’t capable of doing. This led me to write a paper on body image for one of my graduate school classes—who knew then it would one day inspire the premise of a novel? The topic fascinated me. Our college dance company was really good, even though we had dancers of all body types—but we all knew what we were “supposed” to look like, and struggled privately with that disparity.
This struggle is not unique to dancers. Every day women young and old hate themselves openly and it’s painful to hear. “If only I could keep this from jiggling” (said while slapping inner thigh); “If only I could shave this off” (said while pressing on flesh that lovingly accommodated multiple pregnancies).
To explore this conflict I put my character, a dancer whose passion for movement must play out in an unforgiving world, at the heart of it.
My dance training informed the literary rhythms of Penelope Sparrow’s love of movement, her despair when movement abandons her, and her slow, effortful climb back into life’s arena. For some of the book’s passages, I created the entire lifecycle of a dance: I choreographed a piece in my head, sank into Penelope’s point of view as she performed it, then took on the persona of a dance critic who reviewed it! That was fun.
It is my great hope that the movement and the words and the tender creativity that bestows life will come together for the reader as well. For in the end, this isn’t a dance book. This is a book about a modern woman trying to reach her full potential in a critical society, and an opportunity for readers and book clubs to gain new appreciation for the individuality that lends flair to their expressions of self.
Thanks for featuring my story today, Andrea!
January 2014
ISBN 9-781-4022-8519-6
$14.99
Trade Paperback
Contemporary Fiction
Now that her dreams are in tatters, Penny must find a way to rebuild what is broken
All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance--and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.
Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning.
Author Information Kathryn Craft serves on the board of the Philadelphia Writers Conference.. She is also a contributing editor of the Blood-Red Pencil blog. She lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with her husband. Visit her website at www.kathryncraft.com.
My review:
I've always been drawn to dance. Not that I was ever a real dancer--I took ballet, tap, and jazz when I was little and then several hip hop classes in college. But I've always loved watching anything having to do with dance. So I was drawn to this book.
I enjoyed reading about the dance world. I liked the flashbacks about how the company she had been in came to be. And how she created and helped to create the dances that she did.
And while this book was a fascinating look into the world of a dancer, it was also a book about friendships. I really liked Penny. I felt for her--for her struggle with her dance career, her body image, her love life. But I loved Angela. I loved how even though she had a disease, her outlook on life was so bright. They made the perfect couple, friendship-wise. Angela needed Penny's help with her day-to-day things and Penny needed Angela's help on grasping what's important in life.
The Art of Falling was touching, and sad, and hopeful, all written into one novel!
I gave the book a rating of 3.5/5.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for an honest review.
Come back to visit my page on January 23rd to win a copy of The Art of Falling!!
And visit these other tour stops as well!
Jan 20
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Review + Guest Post
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Jan 21
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Review + Guest Post
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Jan 21
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Giveaway
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Jan 22
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Jan 23
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Review + Interview
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Jan 23
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Jan 24
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Jan 24
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Giveaway
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Jan 25
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Review + Giveaway
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Jan 26
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Review + Guest Post + Giveaway
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Jan 27
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Review + Guest Post
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Jan 28
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Jan 29
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Interview
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Jan 30
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Feb 1
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Feb 2
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Guest Post
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Feb 3
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Feb 4
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Review + Interview
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Feb 7
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Feb 8
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Review + Guest Post
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Feb 11
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After growing up in privilege and marrying into money, Lila Alders has gotten used to the good life. But when her happily-ever-after implodes, Lila must return to Black Dog Bay, the tiny seaside town where she grew up. She’s desperate for a safe haven, but everything has changed over the past ten years. Her family’s fortune is gone—and her mother is in total denial. It’s up to Lila to take care of everything…but she can barely take care of herself.
