Jean Auel Interviewed by The Author's Road

More than a century ago, H.G. Wells wrote a classic tale about a time machine and a time traveler who rides it into the distant future to meet the fate of humans, and farther still to witness the end of earth and all living things.

We are pleased to present our interview with another time traveler, Jean Auel. She is a writer who, like Wells, researched history and wrote a series of books that have become our time machine into the distant past where we get to meet the roots of our human species and culture.

She is a tireless reader, a problem solver, a lover of physics and math and dozens of other subjects that catch her fancy. She was also a young mother who had to help meet the financial needs of a growing family. So she went off to work as an upstart woman in the rapidly growing world of technology. It was there she wrote her first book, a training manual for circuit board engineers.

Years later, Jean became obsessed with the idea of trying to write a short story based on a young woman living among others who were different. Very different. But her efforts to spin a story were thwarted with questions. And so she plunged into the labyrinth of research, emerging much later without a short story, but rather a lengthy book about a female character who has now lived with Jean for more than thirty years, and appeared in six volumes read by an estimated 60 million people worldwide.

The Clan of the Cave Bear is the first of her Earth’s Children series, and in 1986 was made into a movie with Daryl Hannah in the lead. Jean’s historical fiction has not only developed a loyal following of readers, but some of her ideas and plot elements have preceded scientific discoveries in strange and wonderful ways.

We’re certain you’ll enjoy this fascinating interview as much as we enjoyed meeting and talking with this prescient and engaging writer, Jean M. Auel.

George & Salli

Our next interview: San Francisco's Poet Laureate,
Alejandro Murguia

Thanks for . . .

. . . joining us . . .

. . . on the road!

Fresh Brewed Willamette Writers Conference percolates in Portland August 1-4

By Cornelia Becker Seigneur

The WILLAMETTE WRITERS CONFERENCE percolates at Portland's Sheraton Hotel at the Airport Friday August 2 through Sunday August 4, with prep events starting Thursday August 1. With this year's theme "Fresh Brewed," you know the creative adrenaline juices will be flowing. As always, there is a fantastic lineup of speakers offering workshops, and literary and film agents are on tap to hear about your book project.

Ken Sherman, who represents David Guterson, the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, is a featured literary agent.

And, Saturday's key note banquet speaker, Kelly Williams Brown , who shared her book idea Adulting with a literary agent at the 2011 Willamette Writers Conference, and it quickly went to auction. The book was released this year and Williams Brown has been featured in the New York Times, among other publications.

The 2013 Willamette Writers Conference is for writers of all genres and levels. There is truly something for everyone. Come for a day, or two or all three. For more information on the agents attending, visit the website at WILLAMETTE LITERARY AGENTS 2013 OR email the conference director Stefan Feuerherdt at: chair@willamettewriters.com or the Willamette Writers Office manager Bill Johnson at: wilwrite@willamettewriters.com.