MANKATO — Storytelling is pretty much what the Deep Valley Book Festival on Saturday is all about. More than 70 authors and exhibitors, hundreds of books, special programs and readers will come together for the event.
At the forefront of it — drawing a straight line from Mankato’s own Maud Hart Lovelace, and delivering the keynote address — is Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo. She is a two-time Newbery Medal winner (for “Flora & Ulysses” in 2014 and “The Tale of Despereaux” in 2004) and winner of many other awards.
Her books have sold about 37 million copies in dozens of languages; four have been developed into films and two have been adapted into musical settings.
She knows that storytelling is both ancient and ever-evolving, especially with 21st century technology, and is intrigued by that.
“It’s like something that (podcast partner) Kelly (Yang) and I talked about a lot on there is the humanness of storytelling, and how necessary it is, you know, for us as human beings,” she said via phone from Minneapolis.
When telling stories — whether it takes place communally around a fire in a cave or during a podcast from a distance — it creates a connection that has incredible power, she said. It is just as strong when someone is reading a book you’ve written or hearing your story read aloud.
“You can feel that connection, and so I’ve learned to really enjoy that part of it,” she said. Even as an introvert who has found herself being more public in a world that feels compelled to share its every thought with others.
“I’m an introvert and I’m shy,” she said, noting many authors would consider themselves the same. “So, that you get thrust into this public thing is interesting and ironic. But I have found that there is something really profound about that connecting, not just with young readers but with readers of every age.”
While not wanting to touch on what will be a part of her 1 p.m. address, “Glass Bottom Boats: Looking at the World Together with Story,” she was happy to delve into other topics with vigor.
“Whether it’s journalism or if you’re in the pulpit, it’s just that thing where we’re so wired for story, and you can see people’s bodies change,” she said. “Reading aloud to a group of people, and how that lets these subterranean connections occur.
“I always think of reading aloud as it makes this safe third place where everybody comes into it and kind of puts their down their armor. And that lets you see each other in a different way,” said DiCamillo.
At the same time, it reveals itself in some disconcerting ways as well. Whereas when talking on a payphone — back when payphones existed — caused people to hide what they were saying from others, today’s comfort with cell phones allows people in the middle of everybody to loudly say the most outrageous things.
The same is true about recording our thoughts on audio or video.
“I know from being interviewed myself in the early days, that that recorder coming out made you hyper-vigilant. I wonder what the shift is that’s happened in our brains where we’re happy to record everything,” she said.
Another topic she covered with Yang in her StoryKind podcast is knowing when your writing is ready to be shared with others through publication. While comparing it to parenting, she also understands that stories continue to live and grow after that first reading.
“I always liken it to having a kid. It’s just like, you have to send it out into the world and hope that people are kind, but you can’t just hover over it and try to make it perfect,” she said. In fact, perfection is not what people respond to; rather, it’s the imperfect that they connect to.
And while the story likely remains the same, the reader does not.
“I’ve watched that happen with people growing up, having kids of their own and reading these books to them from a new perspective, years after the first reading. It makes it a never-ending story, courtesy of the readers,” she said.
In addition to author tables being open the entire six hours, a series of other events are planned for the Deep Valley Room:
10:30 a.m. – “Ask Us Anything!” author panel, featuring Heidi Herman, J. R. Olson, Jonathan Sweet and Charity Tahmaseb;
11:30 a.m. – “My Journey to Bergen Spring” presented by author Michael Cummings;
1 p.m. – “Glass Bottom Boats: Looking at the World Together with Story” keynote address by DiCamillo; she will autograph her books purchased at the festival from 2-4 p.m. at the Content Bookstore table;
2:30 p.m. – “Creating and Developing Believable Characters” presented by author Holly Day, freelance writer for more than 30 years and workshop presenter at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis;
3:45 p.m. – Deep Valley Book Festival drawings (make a purchase at any author or exhibitor table to receive a ticket); to become a Festival Friend, register at the festival website at deepvalleybookfestival.com.