Author brings love of family and Italy to writing
As Robert Hellenga lies in bed at night, the ideas for new novels consume his thoughts. "A man with three daughters never runs out of stories," says a character in one of his books. And as a father of three in reality, he believes this is a virtue.
The author will make an appearance in Iowa City tonight to read at Prarie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., to promote his new novel, Snakewoman of Little Egypt.
The inspiration for Hellenga's narrative comes from two stories that stirred his fascination; The Forest People by Colin Turnbull and Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington. As an avid reader, he was moved to create a story of his own, polishing it with his own, personal literary touch.
The story follows the path of a young woman, Sunny, whose troubled past in the snakehandling churches of Little Egypt led her to be wrongfully accused of the attempted murder of her husband.
Newly out of prison and desperate for a new future, She begins taking university courses, and rents an apartment from her ailing uncle's friend, Jackson, with whom she can't help but fall in love.
However, their love is tested when Jackson becomes hooked on the snakehandling church, the very church Sunny is trying to escape.
It has been a long journey for Hellenga, beginning his writing career in 1974. The author found it took time for him to find his form.
"It's difficult as you start a story, you think 'who could possibly be interested in this?'" Hellenga said. "But it becomes easier the more you write, and is rewarding in the end."
The author, an English teacher at Knox College, stated that much of his inspiration derives from his daughters, who always make an appearance in his stories. He also is influenced by his travels to Italy. Even as a boy he was interested in the "pleasure seeking" culture of the Italians. Hellenga has lived in and written about Verona, Florence, and Bologna, which is his favorite city.
Despite the success that Hellenga enjoys today, the author experienced a difficult start to his literary career.
Publishers rejected Hellenga's first novel, Sixteen Pleasures, for 3 straight years, but the persistent author kept to his trade, thinking up new stories throughout his travels and experiences. His persistence paid off when the novel became a national best seller.
"When I get up, I like to get something done right away. I love music. I like to play my guitar, and record tracks. I enjoy gardening, reading, and I write everyday." Hellenga said. "If don't have some sort of fictional story going, I begin to feel like there are loose ends."
comments powered by Disqus
