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Parker Explores Appalachian Roots in Novels

Photo by Linda Comins Speaking at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling, author Eliot Parker talks about Appalachian themes in his four novels. He is president of the West Virginia Writers Association.

WHEELING — Eliot Parker, president of the West Virginia Writers Association, visited Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library recently to discuss Appalachian themes in his four novels.

The author also talked extensively about his latest book, “Code for Murder,” which is set in Cleveland. He thought the city was “a great place to set a thriller,” with “a Gotham City feel to it.”

Explaining his interest in the region, he said he has family experiences tied to Cleveland. Parker remarked, “Growing up in West Virginia and being connected to Cleveland has a deep influence on my life.”

He recalled visits to the farm in Monroe County, West Virginia, where his father and grandparents lived before moving to Kanawha City, near Charleston. Numerous family members worked in the West Virginia coalfields, but moved to the Cleveland-Akron area to take jobs in steel mills, rubber plants and the shipping industry when coal mines began closing.

Eventually, however, many of the Parkers returned to Mercer and Monroe counties, he said.

“This whole journey taught me a lot as a writer,” Parker commented, referring to his family’s out-migration and later return to the West Virginia roots.

He said the family component and experiences of immigration are among the themes of Appalachian literature and provide “rich opportunities” for writers’ creative expression. A common thread, he said is that “people in Appalachia are distrustful of outsiders.”

Parker, who grew up in Charleston, said he wished that he had taken more time to listen and inquire about Appalachian culture and values.

The writer also discussed the process of developing plots and creating characters for his novels. As a student, Parker didn’t like doing research, but he said, “Now as a writer, I really enjoy it.”

The fictional protagonist of “Code for Murder” was based on a woman who is a retired Cleveland homicide detective. To create the character, he drew upon extensive correspondence and six hours of telephone conversations with the former officer.

Parker rode in a cruiser with an Ohio Highway Patrol officer for five or six hours and listened to conversations as preparation for writing his third novel, “Fragile Brilliance,” a police thriller set in Charleston. Describing the subjects of his intervews, he said, “Most people are thrilled that you’re interested.”

He also gets many ideas for novels from reading newspapers. In small-town newspapers, he observed, “A murder is front-page news for days at a time.”

Noting his admiration for the late author Pat Conroy, Parker said, “He would develop characters just by listening to people in airports and shopping malls … I found, too, as a writer that listening is a great skill.”

Parker said he has finished writing a sequel to “Fragile Brilliance.” He also teaches writing and literature at Mountwest Community and Technical College in Huntington.

“I think Wheeling would be a good place to set a story,” he said, adding, “I think it’s important if you’re writing about a place to go there. See what it looks like, smells like, and work that into stories.”

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