Farmer writes about change, finding purpose in 2 new books
Cornell Dungy Writing Studio Director Laura Farmer’s debut short story collection, “Direct Connection,” was just released on April 16, 2024, with Bridge Eight Press, and tells the story of a diverse group of Iowa characters.
Sometimes ghosts even show up.
“The characters in ‘Direct Connection’ are all moving through seasons of change, either in present-day or the recent past: the loss of a spouse, entry into recovery, or a new professional path–each grappling with their own personal journeys of loss and hope,” Farmer said. “I try to find light and meaning in small, everyday moments that make a life.”
Throughout the pages, the stories are woven together through the setting—a fictionalized version of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The experimental collection acts as a “weird love letter of sorts to the Hawkeye State.”
The stories were written between 2008 and 2018 with revisions taking place in 2021 when this collection was coming together. Behind the stories, however, there’s a personal story to be told. One of resilience, dedication, and focus.
Her characters aren’t the only ones who go on a journey. She, herself, learned a lot.
“I learned how tenacious I am,” Farmer said. “Writing is a long game. People told me that in undergrad, and I believed them, but I don’t think I really truly knew what that meant until I was looking at 100+ rejections and still moving forward.”
Farmer says it’s a dream come true because not only is her book of short stories getting published, but one of her novels, “Catch and Release,” is also getting published this summer. She says this was another example of writing as a long game. She first sold the book in 2016 to a publisher that ended up closing during the pandemic. Then, the novel was recently picked up again by North Dakota State University Publishing.
In “Catch and Release,” Farmer explores the desire to both leave where you’re from and stay in your home community.
“I wanted to explore how those two seemingly different perspectives can coexist and actually strengthen each other,” Farmer said. “How these two different ways of moving can form a balance if we try.”
The story is set in the late 1950s through the 1970s and is told in alternating voices between the main characters of Catch and Edie. Farmer explains it as a story about holding on, letting go, and the leaps we must take to become the people we are meant to be.
Both the short stories and the novel are set in Iowa, and Farmer says she’s especially drawn to writing about place.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve loved exploring other people’s houses: how they use their space, how they move through it. On Sunday afternoons when I was in high school I’d drive around town with a friend looking for realtors holding open houses. We’d pretend to be in the market (I’m sure no one believed us), and then walk through the house and discuss the size of the rooms, the garage, etc. What makes something a home? How do you maintain it—the spirit, not just the shell? How can it grow and change?”
Readers can explore Farmer’s stories and the places she creates in her new books. “Direct Connection” can be found at local libraries and bookstores, including Swamp Fox Books in Marion, as well as ordered through bookshop.org and other online platforms.
