Monday • November 24, 1997
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IFESTYLES
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A new twist
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Texas tale
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Austin-based author uses fact and fiction to
reate his debut novel Not Between Brothers
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Iiportantfa
By Travis Irby
Staff writer
ustin-based author D. Mar-
. ion Wilkinson combines
Lhistory and personal expe-
ence in his debut novel Not Be-
ween Brothers.
Wilkinson’s book is a 660-page
pic covering Texas history during
le war for Texas’ independence
>n SI
Live to
liani put
Weaver gainst Mexico.
prove I was- The book’s title, Not Between
bothers, comes from a speech given
h series,te ySantaAnna, the president of Mex-
VTheYearc :o during the Texas Revolution.
1 andtheH it involves the adventures of
ng Girl,ii lemy Fuqua, a pioneer who comes
:e Storm lo Texas at the behest of Mexico.
Remy has to deal with the rum-
ilings of revolution and the rigors of
laul he pioneer life.
iaug a ) so enc j s U p odds with a
Comanche warrior named Kills
Vhite Bear and on the front lines of
he batt le for Texas’ independence.
Not Between Brothers won the
les, tookc, ^ us tj n Writers League’s 1997 Violet
landdiste ; rown Avvard for best novel, and it
guest toi
| safe, it’s 3
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I in hisopc
as a gray
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u
I worked on it for
three years; it was a labor of
love. 1 would see and talk to
the characters. They were
part of my life so much.”
D. Marion Wilkinson
Author of Not Between Brothers
lingdebut vas also an award finalist in the
Heandl Vestern Writers of America, Inc.’s
aki opens Silver Spur award.
Wilkinson said the accolades
Ifll^lp justify the effort he put into
W |the novel.
“I worked on it for three years;
twas a labor of love,” Wilkinson
cas iaid. “I would see and talk to the
haracters. They were part of my
ngalest if eso muc h.”
Wilkinson had a history minor in
‘El
st on
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he 34-H
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college, and he put his interest in
the subject into making the novel.
“I must have read anything and
everything on the subject of Texas
history and during that time in
America,” he said.
Wilkinson’s devotion to histori
cal accuracy has earned the praise
of his peers.
Dr. William J. Scheick, a J.R. Mi-
liken Centennial Literature professor
at the University ofTexas and a friend
ofWilkinson, said the author’s atten-
don to detail was excellent.
“As far as I know there is nothing
inaccurate on the part of the re
search,” Schieck said.
Schieck said the book does a
great job of weaving historical fact
and compelling fiction.
“It is a thought-out, well-re
searched, literate piece of work,”
Schieck said. “Wilkinson is a great
storyteller.”
While many of the characters in
the book are factual, die book’s pro
tagonist Remy Fuqua draws on some
of die author’s personal experiences.
“Like me, Remy is part French and
Scotch-Irish,” Wilkinson said. “It is a
source of great conflict between
widiin himself and his family.
“These conflicts came at a time
when there wasn’t a ‘white;’ Euro
peans were still culturally separated
in this country.”
Wilkinson put great pains into cre
ating the character Kills White Bear.
“He is in part based on Crazy
Horse,” Wilkinson said. “Kills White
Bear comes from a middling posi
tion in the tribe to become the
greatest leader.”
Not everyone thought Wilkin
son’s opus was such.
When he first started marketing
Not Between Brothers to major pub
lishers, they were not interested be
cause of its factual content.
“Every major publisher said the
same thing, ‘too much history, take
out the facts, keep the story,’”
Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson did not want to change
his vision of the book. Instead he
started shopping it out to some of the
; in
.will
Iron 1 ! 1
Get the scoop on
a job that could
change your life.
For more Information on how you can
become a part of The Battalion Spring
Staff, attend the informational meeting
Monday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.or
Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
in Room 003 Reed McDonald Bldg.
Meanwhile, pick up an application in Room 013
Reed McDonald Bldg. Applications are due by
5 p.m. Thursday Dec. 4, in 013 Reed McDonald.
For more information, please call Tiffany Inbody, 845-331 3.
Ut
■
■ iipfpipiitf
llllilllifii
■H
I
D. Marion Wilkinson
country’s smaller publishers.
One of those publishers, Boaz
Publishing based in California, de
cided to publish the book.
Tom Southern, a Boaz publisher,
was indifferent when he first re
ceived Wilkinson’s manuscript.
“Someone gave me this 1,200
page manuscript, and I was con
tent to let it sit there,” Southern
said. “But one night I couldn’t
sleep, so I started to read it, and I
couldn’t stop. It was an engrossing
piece of work.”
Coming from a smaller pub
lisher, it took a lot of work to get
the word out about the book.
Sarah Austin, Community Rela
tions Coordinator for Barnes and No
ble in Houston, said she happened to
luck into a copy of the book.
“I received a copy, and I thought
it was a great book,” Austin said. “So
we got Wilkinson in here to do book
signing, and it was well received.”
Austin said Wilkinson has been
in several times since, drawing an
ever increasing group of fans.
The book’s popularity has grown
without major advertising.
River Oaks Bookstore in Houston
has sold almost 400 copies of the
book, beating out authors such as
John Grisham and Tom Clancy.
Mike Pugh, Wilkinson’s publicist,
said the novel has steadily been
picking up steam.
“Since the Violet Crown and Silver
Spur awards, there has been a lot of
interest in the book,” Pugh said.
In the end, Wilkinson said he
wanted to create something he took
pride in.
“I am extremely proud of its accu
racy and objectiveness,” Wilkinson
said. “It doesn’t whitewash history.”
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