Forest Avenue Press publisher Laura Stanfill has been a supporter and advocate for the Oregon literary community for years. A fixture at local books launches (both physical and virtual) she's now gearing up to launch her own work! Stanfill's debut novel,
Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, drops on April 19, 2022.
LAKE caught up with her for a quick Q&A ....
Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, drops on April 19, 2022.
LAKE caught up with her for a quick Q&A ....
Please describe your novel, Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, in five words.
Whimsical, historical, music-filled, magical. What inspired you to write this book? I discovered an instrument, the serinette, in an online glossary of mechanical music terms. Also known as a bird organ, the serinette was used to train canaries to sing popular songs in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With the encouragement of my friend, Jackie Shannon Hollis, I scrapped the contemporary novel I had started and moved back in time to explore who made serinettes and why anyone would have wanted to train their canaries to sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” The result is Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary. How do you feel you evolved from when you started writing this novel to when you finished it? I changed so much over the fifteen years of drafting, revising, getting frustrated, and revising some more. I had two children. I shifted from my thirties into my mid-forties. I started a publishing house, Forest Avenue Press, and learned the business from the other side of the desk. This novel is very much about becoming—who we think we’re supposed to be and how we evolve into ourselves despite outside expectations. |
The novel is launching this week. What has been the most challenging aspect of bringing your book into the world?
Publication is a terrifying and exciting step, turning a piece of art into a commercial object that can be sold in stores. I knew this, as a publisher, but the anxiety and worries have ebbed and flowed over the past few weeks. Staying grounded and joyful is something I’m working on every day. After all, I’ve been dreaming about my debut novel coming out since elementary school. The stakes feel high. What is the most exciting event you have planned around your launch and book tour? I can’t just pick one! So many bookstores have stepped up to host me, both online and in person, and I love them all. And I expect I’ll feel the same about each audience. There’s nothing like the hometown crowd, which I’ll have at Powell’s and Broadway Books, but friends and family from across the country will be able to attend my virtual events at Browsers Books and Annie Bloom’s Books. Thank you, Laura! And best o f luck... Meanwhile, add Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, to your Goodreads to-read list. |
photo credit: Kitta Bodmer
SAVE THE DATES!
APRIL 21 - IN PERSON
Laura will be reading from Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, Thursday, April 21 @ 7pm at Powell’s City of Books.
MAY 5 - VIRTUAL
Laura will be live-streaming an event with Annie Blooms, Thursday, May 5 @ 7-8pm.
MAY 24 - IN PERSON
Laura will be reading at Broadway Books. Tuesday, May 24, 6:30-7:30pm.
APRIL 21 - IN PERSON
Laura will be reading from Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, Thursday, April 21 @ 7pm at Powell’s City of Books.
MAY 5 - VIRTUAL
Laura will be live-streaming an event with Annie Blooms, Thursday, May 5 @ 7-8pm.
MAY 24 - IN PERSON
Laura will be reading at Broadway Books. Tuesday, May 24, 6:30-7:30pm.