Author Kathryn Kopple Recommends: Books for History Addicts

As part of a series of recommendations from authors, we’re hearing from novelist and poet, Kathryn Kopple whom we interviewed here. Kathryn is a regular contributor to Unusual Historicals and the author of Little Velásquez, a novel set in 15th century Spain.

Introduction: About the age of eight, my father decided that no daughter of his was going to be less than literary.  He gave me Alice in Wonderland-and said:  “This is the book for you.”  By the time I arrived at the Mad Hatter’s tea-party, I couldn’t put it down.  I searched out other books on our shelves or lying about the house:  Victorian Children’s Poetry, Call of the Wild, Little Women, Black Beauty.  I read Harriet, the Spy, A Wrinkle in Time,  The Hobbit.  I advanced to an abridged version of Don Quixote.  Then  came  other classics, such Pride and Prejudice,  The Red and the Black, Father Goriot; I read whatever I could get my hands on.  If I really liked a book, I would finish the last page, turn to the first, and begin again.  I had fallen completely for books.  What was true then, is true now.

This past year, during the course of researching various topics, I delved into history.  Drum roll, please:

 The Affair:  The Case of Alfred Dreyfus by Jean-Claude Bredin (trans. Jeffrey Mehlam)  
“The Affair,” as the Dreyfus case is known, began after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871).  Bredin is a meticulous researcher.  His style is  lucid and his grasp of history remarkable.  He does great justice to Dreyfus’s long ordeal:  arrest, conviction, exile on Devil’s Island, and eventual release.  

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara by David L Kertzer. 
 In 1858, a Jewish boy was taken from his home by the Italian Inquisition under the suspicion that he had been secretly baptized by his Christian nurse.  In many ways, a sad story, but one that will leave the reader puzzled and not a little disturbed--and that is actually a good thing.

The Generation of 1914 by Robert Wohl
Finely crafted essays that  should be required reading in college.  Wohl takes us deep into the broad cultural background of World War  I, and helps us to understand the mentality and works of its important figures.

The World’s Most Famous Trial: State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes  (Da Capo Press)
The Scopes Trial is a landmark 1920's case that pitted Christian fundamentalism against Evolution.  It reads like the dialogue for a great screenplay, but the consequences of the trial are with us today. The debate is not over.

 The Story of My Life by Clarence Darrow (1932)
Darrow is one of the United State’s legendary lawyers.  Revered by many--and equally despised.  In this account (I have heard there are several Darrow autobiographies), he writes with candor about his childhood, schooling, and career. Darrow was a firm believer in every man (and woman’s) right to a vigorous defense. The reader has much to learn about the politics and legal system in one our most tumultuous eras.

The History of Ancient Israel by Michael Grant
A wonder of research, rich in historical detail, and accessible. I couldn’t put this down.  This work is a must for those interested in ancient Jewish culture as well as the Old Testament.  

Francois Rabelais: A Study by Donald M. Frame

Francois Rabelais (circa 1480-1553) is one of the most enigmatic figures of the Renaissance.  He was a  monk, scholar, translator, and physician.  To this day, we cannot separate Rabelais the physician from his comedic writings and enthusiasm for pleasure. The man who wrote Gargantua never deviated from the position that laughter, even in the face of disease and death, is the best medicine.

The Sexuality of Christ in the Renaissance and in Modern Oblivion by Leo Steinberg
Steinberg was no doubt a genius.  In this remarkable feat  of scholarship, he takes us on an unforgettable tour of Renaissance art, rounding out his analysis with the theological background necessary to comprehend some of the West’s greatest paintings.

From Napoleon to Lenin by A.J.P Taylor
 A background in European history is needed to appreciate this book of collected essays, but it deserves a read.  Taylor is nothing if not controversial, and he raises many necessary questions.

Just Kids by Patti Smith  
Legendary punk icon writes with energy and love about her early years in New York; how she and Robert Mapplethorpe formed a friendship that would last until his demise; and her own story of coming-of-age as a musician and poet.

Also, but not history: Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos, which depicts “the awkwardness of unrequited crushes, an unstable home life and mental illness." This book deserves a place in school and classroom libraries. Roskos brings a unique voice to the young adult genre as he weaves the tried and true poetry of Walt Whitman, especially Song Of Myself, in with the poetry of his protagonist, James Whitman.”  Recommended for all ages.

Find Kathryn online:

Website: http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.kopple

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathrynKopple

Books are available here:

Interview with Kathyrn Kopple, Author of Little Velasquez

Today, I’m interviewing Kathryn Kopple who has written Little Velásquez, which tells of a dwarf who rises to the highest circles of power in 15th Century Spain, in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. The book is now available on Kindle.

SARETT: What’s the source of your interest in history and historical fiction?
KOPPLE: As Shakespeare said, “What’s past is prologue.”  No doubt, he meant that our fate is pre-determined.  My sense of history is not quite as fatalistic, but the more we know about the past—the richer we become in cultural awareness.  History is an excellent teacher.  

SARETT: Given your interest in using history as a teacher, how much of Little Velásquez is based on fact?  Was there really a dwarf named Velasquillo?
KOPPLE: Yes, there was a dwarf named Velasquillo.  I discovered him in a footnote mentioned at the beginning of the novel.  Of course, when it came to telling Velasquillo’s story, I didn’t have much to go on. Perhaps that is why I became so intrigued with him.  I began to ask myself how he managed to gain the favor of two of the most powerful monarchs of the era. Those questions because the basis for the novel.

SARETT: It’s often said that truth’s stranger than fiction.  In your archival research, did you encounter facts that you discarded because no reader would accept them as “true?”
KOPPLE: Not at all.  I intentionally sought out the most interesting material.  Otherwise, the book would a re-hash of everything that has been written before on the subject.

SARETT: There are many choices to be made in the tone of historical fiction.  What tone were you were interested in creating and how did you go about achieving it?
KOPPLE: I wanted the book to have a comedic yet tragic feel.   Velasquillo set the tone and the style.  I spent seven years of research and writing, and throwing out one draft after another; had I not found Velasquillo, I doubt the book would have ever been finished.

SARETT: Little Velásquez deals with Isabella and Ferdinand, who allowed Torquemada to expand the power of the Holy Office (Inquisition), which ended with the expulsion of Jews and Moors from Spain.  Yet, all in all, Isabella has received benign treatment by historians.   What is your explanation?
KOPPLE: When dealing with the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it’s important to realize that much of what was written (the chronicles) are not history in the modern sense of the word. Chronicles are not necessarily objective; they are homages and easily romanticized. I wanted to show that in the novel.  For this reason, I thought it important to list all of my sources—historical and current research.  History, as the old adage goes, was made and transmitted by the victors. Given Isabel’s reputation as a queen determined consolidate her empire under Catholicism, it’s not surprising that many consider her a saint.

SARETT: On a personal note, have you ever been to Spain?
KOPPLE: The first time I went to Spain I was two years old.  My parent’s, caught up in the 60’s social revolution, sold the farm (literally, we were living in Schenectady, NY on a farm), and, with my eldest sister and me, set off on a Hungarian freighter for an artists’ colony in Ibiza, Spain.  We lived there for several years.  When I was in college and graduate school, I would return to Spain. I’ve lived in Andalucia and Madrid. While there, I travelled as much as possible:  Spain, Morocco, Italy—all through Europe.

SARETT: What are your current projects? And where can readers find more of your work?
KOPPLE: Before answering, gracias mil for having me as a guest and letting me share my work with your readers.  It really is generous of you.  As for projects… I have an essay forthcoming in an anthology Hablar Derecho on law and literature edited by Cide, DF.  My story“My Beautiful Countess,” was recently published in The Hummingbird Review.  I publish often with Danse Macabre (thank you editor Adam Henry Carriere) and, in their Cosmos issue online, you can find acrostics I wrote in honor of the Uruguayan writer Isidore Ducasse.

I am working up the courage to revise a novella titled Viking-horned Women.  And I continue to write poetry, translate, and research.

SARETT: How would you describe your approach to writing?
KOPPLE: Recently, I posted on Facebook that some writers do so because they have rich fantasy life.  I write for the opposite reason.  My mind comes alive during the writing process.  

Thanks to Kathryn for stopping by! You may find Little Velásquez in print and Kindle version on Amazon.  Kathryn is a regular contributor to Unusual Historicals. Find her on LinkedIn too.

Find the Kindle Version