One of the aspects of being an author that I particularly like is
meeting all the interesting people that I do. L.A. Starks is one of the real
delights. Recently, she told me where the inspiration for her novel, The Second Law came from.
In her own words, "I lived in New Orleans four years, a scholarship chemical engineering
student (Tulane University) easily distracted by the all-senses lure of the
French Quarter. Indeed, one summer I worked for The Hungry Artist Studio,
selling the eponymous artist’s sketches and watercolors to French Quarter
tourists. Happily, for my “research notes,” aka experience, the studio was
located on Bourbon Street. My New Orleans and Louisiana familiarity form the backstory
for many scenes in The Second Law."
It seems that we lived in the New Orleans area (I lived in a suburb called La Place) and frequented the French Quarter at the same time. She said that she sold the art to the tourists by standing outside the art studio effectively selling on the sidewalk. Well, I spent some time virtually every weekend at the French quarter, mostly walking the streets and eating in the restaurants. As I reread The Second Law, I wondered how many times I passed L.A. Starks on the street in front of the art studio, how many times see looked at me. Knowing The Back Story made the book so much more personal for me.
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