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Roorbach ends Northeast tour with hometown reading

4 mins read
Bill Roorbach reads part of his novel at Word Buzz hosted by Rolling Fatties.

FARMINGTON – Local author Bill Roorbach will be meeting with hometown fans on Tuesday Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Devaney Doak & Garrett for a discussion and signing of his most recent book, The Girl of the Lake .

The Farmington resident is known for his ability to capture nature with words, transporting readers to the woods, fields and streams of his surroundings. Although The Girl of the Lake is not specifically nature-based writing, the down to earth inspiration of Franklin County can be found throughout the collection of plots, characters and backdrops.

Roorbach, who lives only a couple hundreds yards from the Farmington/Temple line, attributes much of his skill in crafting a good read to the rural life he leads.

“Living here for 27 years has made me very aware of the importance of the natural world, and more and more focused on the details that make our existence possible. Nature has filtered into my writing at every level,” he said.

The Girl of the Lake brings together ten short stories Roorbach has written since the release of Big Bend in 2001. Some have already made their debut, appearing in magazines such as The Atlantic and Missouri Review, while others are coming to life for the first time- on page anyway.

“There are always seeds from life,” he said.

In Harbinger Hall, for example, a boy escapes the confines of school permanently- a daydream Roorbach used to have as a boy. In the story, the boy ends up spying on a mansion near his home- watching an old man work at a desk through a window. This too is something Roorbach did as a child, though the retelling stops there, letting Roorbach’s imagination take over.

The author’s imagination runs wild with the detailed characters of the pages as well- a consistent and well-rounded clutch of people.

“They become real to me as soon as I put them in action, and I feel like they’re old friends. They seem complete on the finished page, but of course each story and every character has come through a process of revision that lets them grow and evolve. Kind of like meeting someone, getting to know them, then looking back after years of acquaintanceship and remembering how your impression of them has changed over time,” Roorbach explained.

Roorbach goes on to talk about the process of writing- a craft that needs daily attention just like learning the piano, or perfecting a pirouette.

“If you are writing every day or almost every day, you can call yourself a writer. It’s a long apprenticeship, just like anything else, and the only way to learn is to do. Practice every day, seek mentors, find models, practice, practice, practice,” he said.

Life in Franklin County has allowed Roorbach to tend to his daily practice. The low cost of rural living coupled with a slower pace of life support Roorbach’s ongoing storytelling. The author will be finishing a Northeast tour with his presentation at DDG- one that he looks forward to the most.

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