VAA Arts & Humanities Series continues Sunday, Feb 10, with author David Guterson. (SOLD OUT)

VAA Arts & Humanities Series hosts novelist, short story writer, poet, journalist and essayist David Guterson. Thirty-year Bainbridge resident, Guterson’s 1994 book Snow Falling on Cedars won the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award and was later adapted to film, nominated for 1999 Academy Award for Best Cinematography. He has published four other novels, most recently a contemporary, satirical book entitled Ed King, set in Seattle.

When asked to what he attributed the resounding success of his 1994 book, he says, “I don’t know, it seemed to be a word-of-mouth phenomenon.” For his Vashon talk, Guterson originally planned to speak on: “Why write? Fiction, poetry and meaning.” He has since developed a retrospective talk about Snow. “It will be 20 years in 2014 since its release,” he says. “I would like to re-release the book as a 20-year anniversary edition, with the addition of my new essay.”

Guterson will combine his original topic with the new material. Why write? “Like anyone else, I ask myself the same question. I enjoy writing, but it’s more about asking and pondering the question than actually finding the answer. Art truly justifies itself. The hope is that writing holds intrinsic value, that it may inspire change or deepen a person’s perspective.”

Guterson wrote two new books of poetry and a number of new short stories. He plans to compile the works into a collection in the near future. Meanwhile Guterson is content to write, maintain his island property, spend time with family and work on several non-profit projects. One such project involves helping the Rainier Valley community develop ways to address neighborhood violence. Guterson’s current reading preferences include non-fiction works about astronomy, politics, history and Africa (specifically Ethiopia). His recent fiction favorites include translations of works by Spanish novelist Javier Marias and award-winning German novelist Siegfried Lenz.

Vashon Allied Arts
19704 Vashon Hwy SW Vashon
206-463-5131
www.vashonalliedarts.org