">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Novelist Kaye Gibbons faces yet another hurdle
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Novelist Kaye Gibbons faces yet another hurdle
By MARTHA WAGGONER,Associated Press Writer AP - Sunday, June 21
RALEIGH, N.C. - On a spring day in 2006, as the sun set on the Duke University campus, novelist Kaye Gibbons strode across the lawn. She had just finished speaking at the Festival of the Book, and two of her three daughters trailed behind her.
ADVERTISEMENT
A bevy of fans awaited her book signing. "She looks like a rock star," said festival organizer Aaron Greenwald.
On that April day, Gibbons was clearly at the top of her game. She had plans for a second novel with Harcourt Brace, which had just published the sequel to her first novel, "Ellen Foster." She looked good; she had lost the weight that was, perhaps, linked to the drugs she took to treat bipolar disorder.
"I remember her being first, slender; second, really vivacious and sort of sassy in the way she can be and the way you always imagined the characters in her books," said Greenwald, now director of Duke Performances.
Author Doug Marlette introduced Gibbons at that gathering.
"Here, at this gathering at Duke University, some of the great writers of our time, those who forge in the smithy of their souls the uncreated conscious of the race, the one recurring theme that has emerged this weekend and that I hear repeated over and over again, dominating every conversation is 'Don't Kaye Gibbons look good!'
"And she does."
Flash forward almost three years to a Wake County courtroom about 30 miles away. The adoring readers were absent; the literary lionness was in a far different den.
She was there to face drug charges related to the painkiller hydrocodone.
A Time magazine reviewer once wrote: "Some people might give up their second-born to write as well as Kaye Gibbons." Now, she had a mug shot worthy of Nick Nolte.
What had happened to her?
___
Two constants in interviews with Gibbons:
1. She will declare that she is changing plans. She planned to move to New York after her daughter graduated from high school, or teach at Pepperdine University and live in a beachfront apartment, or spend a summer in New Orleans helping residents clean up after Hurricane Katrina.
2. She will declare that she is either handling her illness, or she was never sick at all.
In a 1995 interview with The Associated Press, Gibbons said she had been well for two years. She had just published "Sights Unseen," an adult daughter's recollection of a childhood spent with a manic-depressive mother. That same year, she wrote a book titled "Frost and Flower: My Life with Manic Depression So Far."
"I never had any of the same experiences that the manic-depressive woman had in the book," she said then, adding that she controlled her illness with medicine and lifestyle. "But because I have had the ecstatic highs of mania and experienced the dejection of the depression, I was able to write about it with some authority."
At one point, she seemed to take her illness in stride, saying she wrote best while in a state of "hypomania," somewhere between normal and manic. In one interview, she called her illness "a curse and a gift. I have to endure the episodes to write."
On that day at Duke in 2006, she seemed emotionally healthy as well, even though she had quit taking her medications. Her mental illness was diagnosed in college, but by March 2006 she had decided she was just odd, and her reactions were normal for someone with her background.
"I looked at the things I was being medicated for, the circumstances, and they weren't symptoms of insanity, they were symptoms of being creative, living under the stress of a bad marriage, having been through so much in childhood, having an alcoholic father," she said in an interview with the AP in March 2006.
Also part of that childhood: her mother's suicide. Her brother, David Batts, and his wife, Barbara, raised Gibbons from the time she was 13. The details are part of "Ellen Foster," which Gibbons wrote when she was 26.
Her books weren't only literary successes _ "Ellen Foster," published in 1987, won the Sue Kaufman award for first fiction from the Academy of Arts and Letters _ but popular ones as well. Oprah Winfrey chose Gibbons' debut and a later novel, "Charms for the Easy Life," for her wildly popular book club, and "Ellen Foster" was turned into a TV movie.
Starting with her debut novel, Gibbons has had the double-edged ability to look in the mirror and write about the reflection.
Marlette spoke of that talent in the end of his introduction at the Festival of the Book:
"When I asked her editor Ann Patty last night at dinner, 'Why is it that writers so often seem fraudulent, filled with hypocrisy, pretense, self-infatuation, inauthenticity and yet Kaye Gibbons, from the first word of hers that I read to the moment I met her, seemed so utterly honest, authentic and true?'
"What we hope our artists will always be the real thing. She said, 'Kaye is constitutionally incapable of falseness. Every word that flows from her lips is true.' So here she is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth _ Kaye Gibbons."
___
But Kaye Gibbons' truth is complicated, and tragic. Her success didn't ease her personal demons and did not bring wealth. She's twice divorced and dealt with a daughter's illness, along with the 2003 suicide of a close friend.
Friends and colleagues say that despite her optimism, her illness dragged her down.
"Someone had convinced her that she was cured," said author Sally Buckner of Cary, who was the first person to publish Gibbons _ a high school poem that won a Peace College contest. "And she went off her meds. And I thought, 'Oh my Lord.' That was the beginning of the downward spiral" that led to her Wake County court appearance.
At her sentencing, attorneys said Gibbons had posed as a Florida doctor to write prescriptions for the painkiller hydrocodone, which she said took the edge off as she finished a novel. Her lawyer said her addiction and the pressure to finish the book led her to submit bogus prescriptions online and try to pick them up at Raleigh pharmacies under the doctor's name.
Longtime friend Nancy Olson, who owns Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, said she hadn't spoken with Gibbons in more than two years.
"She's withdrawn totally from her friends," said Olson, whose bookstore supported Gibbons over the years with readings and signings. "I just don't have any idea what happened."
Perhaps members of her family know, but they have been elusive.
Barbara Batts spoke briefly with the AP. "Kaye was in her own little place," she said. "She called and said, 'I need help,'" and moved in with the Batts again. Barbara Batts agreed to a longer interview but then didn't return phone messages.
Neither did Gibbons' brother (and Barbara Batts' husband), David. Her nephew and friend, J.D. Batts, didn't respond to an e-mail message.
Gibbons' first husband and the father of her three daughters, Michael Gibbons, said he was not in the loop. All he could do is make sure his daughters say in contact with their mother.
"They're not overjoyed with the situation, but they're not in counseling," he said.
Late last year, David Batts e-mailed Gibbons' friends, seeking help paying her bills.
"Because of health issues in recent years, Kaye has no income," David Batts wrote. "She is facing a long uphill recovery. Our family has decided to contact the many friends who have cared about Kaye and have expressed a wish to help her during this tragic situation."
___
Gibbons pleaded guilty March 10 to five misdemeanor counts of obtaining property by fraud and received a 90-day suspended sentence. Her attorney said she is speaking at high schools and colleges about her addiction and arrest.
"She looks like a completely different person," said attorney Roger Smith Jr.
Her recovery was slowed when she fell down some steps, breaking her foot in three places and tearing ligaments in an ankle, Barbara Batts said in an e-mail in late April.
"Is in wheelchair and walker. Slowed down for now," she wrote.
She's still changing plans.
In a March 2006 e-mail, Gibbons wrote about her new book, to be published in 2008. She would introduce each chapter of "Lunatic's Ball" with 19th-century teaser summaries.
"Here's the first one ... best time writing I've ever had. ... 'Moral insanity' was the diagnosis for opinionated women who violated the order of drawing-room society, i.e., us."
2008 came and went. The novel was not published.
But Gibbons says she's now at work on a very different book, about a mother and twin daughters, set in Reconstruction New Orleans and based on what was a back story in "Lunatic's Ball." Harcourt Brace says the new book, "The Secret Devotions of Mary Magdalene," will be scheduled for publication "as soon as she's done."
Appropriately enough, the unfinished manuscript opens with these lines:
"Everything's going to be all right. I'm almost in America."
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
Novelist Kaye Gibbons faces yet another hurdleAP - Sunday, June 21
Madonna's adopted daughter said to leave MalawiAP - Sunday, June 21
A glance at the new Acropolis MuseumAP - Sunday, June 21
Adam Lambert pre-"Idol" album due this summerReuters - Saturday, June 20
Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek are divorcingAP - Saturday, June 20
Most Popular – Entertainment
Viewed
Schwarzenegger in mid-air jet drama
Chubby people live longest: Japan study
Botox helps Australian stroke victim to walk again
Clones of 9/11 hero dog unveiled in Los Angeles
F1 governing body 'not surprised' at sport's split
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Sunday, 21 June 2009 Suicide truck bomb kills 50 in northern Iraq
Tsvangirai shouted down by Zimbabwean exiles in London
Apple CEO received liver transplant: report
German bank opposes massive loan to Porsche: minister
Fierce Tehran clashes between police, protesters
Suicide truck bomber kills 67 in northern Iraq
| International
|
Iraq truck bomb kills 46 near Kirkuk
Singapore says would act if North Korea ship has WMD
| International
|
Lawsuit brings murky West Bank land deals to light
Excerpts from address by Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei
Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai booed for come home plea
| International
|
Foreign soldiers among dozens killed in Afghanistan
Malawi authorities seize ex-president's passport
| International
|
Abbas talks Palestinian unity with Syria's Assad
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Excuse me! Lobby wins on burps
Taliban gains money, al-Qaida finances recovering
AP NewsAlert
Heroes' welcome for NKorean football team
Steve Jobs received liver transplant: report
| Technology
|
Obama asks men to be better fathers than their own
Heroes' welcome for NKorean soccer team
American Journalist Held Captive By Taliban For 7 Months Safely Escapes
WSJ: Apple CEO Steve Jobs had liver transplant
Pakistan says it's wrapping up Swat campaign
Red panda at ND zoo has rare set of triplets
Two Marines Charged In The Murder Of An Army Nurse
Schwarzenegger's Plane Makes Emergency Landing
Sri Lanka arrests 2 local UN staffers
Thousands remain without power following storms
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Excuse me! Lobby wins on burps
Fighter jets hit militants in Pakistan's Waziristan
Sotomayor Quits Women-Only Club
iPhone 3GS Hits Stores In U.S., 7 Countries
At Least One Dead, Several Injured In Illinois Train Derailment
US, regional powers may meet on NKorea next month
Moderate quake shakes central California
U.S. Customs, Agriculture Agencies Find New Pest In Guatemala Pineapple Shipment
Analysis: Obama offers split verdict on economy
U.S. Robot Sub Dives Into Ocean's Deepest Spot
Mistakes by US force 'likely' caused Afghan deaths
Louisiana Lawmen Seek Escaped Murder Suspect
Pot Goes Up In Smoke, Turns Into Energy In Florida Incinerator
Michelin may open India factory in 3 years: CEO
Sandra Bullock finally has top film at box office
| Entertainment
|
Hollywood studio Paramount axes top executives
| Entertainment
|
Novelist Kaye Gibbons faces yet another hurdle
FBI tried in vain to stop "Deep Throat" film
Madonna's adopted daughter said to leave Malawi
Variable iTunes pricing a moneymaker for artists
Britain's Brown determined to stay on
British hostages' families 'clinging to hope'
Iran's Mousavi calls for purge of lies
| International
|
Ecuador threatens to expell oil firms
Streaming music service Spotify basks in praise
Singapore says would act if North Korea ship has WMD
| International
|
Brazil takes radar plane off Air France jet search
Truck bomb kills more than 70 in northern Iraq
Dalai Lama says favors democratic leadership
| International
|
Thousands march in Spain to condemn killing blamed on ETA
Top cleric may be playing role in Iran unrest
Attack on key U.S. Afghan base kills two soldiers
| International
|
Japan eyes bigger military as tension rises: report
| International
|
Suicide truck bomber kills 67 in northern Iraq
China police rescue trafficked children
| International
|
Iraq truck bomb kills 64
Foreign soldiers among dozens killed in Afghanistan: officials
Australia PM challenges opposition over allegation
| International
|
Mousavi ready for "martyrdom"
Two British hostages feared dead in Iraq
| International
|
Nigeria militants say attack two Shell oil pipelines
| International
|
Gunfire, euphoria: week that shook Iran
New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
Variable iTunes pricing a moneymaker for artists
| Technology
|
Cambodia in war of words with Thailand over border
Fed to stamp out idea of early rate hike: analysts
Croatia needs Chinese investments, Hu Jintao told
New net timer could save sea turtles from drowning
Japan's Yano makes move for breakthrough Asian major win
Obama may need firmer hand on health care debate
City in central China rocked by violent riots: residents
Streaming music service Spotify basks in praise
| Technology
|
Unseen Dali drawings to be shown in Buffalo
Senior spelling title goes to Virginia man
Northwestern honors journalist freed from Iran
Pa. borough raises orange flag for street crossers
Obama praises drug deal, declares 'turning point'
Edison Chen not ready for lead roles after scandal
Miley Cyrus fights scalpers with paperless tickets
After 50 years, Motown endures in ailing Detroit
Miley Cyrus fights scalpers with paperless tickets
| Entertainment
|
Crisis won't stop Latvia's midsummer night party
"Idol" champ Sparks ready for "battle"
Idol champ Sparks ready for battle
| Entertainment
|
Barbecues and baking: relief of Vietnam's Net addicts
Madonna's star power in Malawi
FBI tried in vain to stop 'Deep Throat' film
Spain launches 'Spanish language day' worldwide
Sandra Bullock finally has top film at box office
Israeli president applauds Iran street protesters
Death toll from Iraq's Kirkuk blast rises to 73
| International
|
Xstrata 'in merger approach to Anglo American'
British parliament to select new Speaker
Pakistani aircraft hit militants near Afghan border
| International
|
Iraq bodies are British hostages: government sources
Israel's Barak sees chance for peace progress
| International
|
Israel's Barak sees chance for peace progress
Iraqis happy at U.S. pull out, but fear more attacks
Barak says Israel must be respected as Jewish state
Islamists vow to fight any foreign troops in Somalia
| International
|
Two NATO soldiers killed in attack on Afghan base
Iran death toll mounts as leaders take aim at West
Yemeni who killed Jew gets death sentence
| International
|
NKorea criticizes US nuclear protection of South
Thousands donate hair to fix Myanmar pagoda road
NY senator has little time to prep for 2010 race
Factory blast kills 16 workers in eastern China
Report: Sri Lanka may extend president's term
Japan whaling town gets season's first catch
New Zealand expects big rise in swine flu cases
Infant Killed When Someone Rolled On Top Of Her
Rockets hit US base in Afghanistan, 2 troops dead
Myanmar jails Suu Kyi supporters for pagoda prayer
Thousands Of Concert-Goers Stranded In Michigan
One Dead, Five Hospitalized After Ammonia Leak At Poultry Plant
Indonesian fugitive businessman arrested for graft
4 hurt in winds as tropical storm nears Taiwan
New Poll Finds 72% Of Americans
Apple's Jobs Had Liver Transplant
House Impeaches Federal Judge
Body Of American Boy Found In Switzerland
Airbus to deliver first China-made airplane
Japan's key Tankan survey to post big leap
Philippines' Arroyo backs Asian IMF: report
S.Korea exports fall 13.3 pct in 1st 20 days of June
China-driven commodities rally nearing end
South Korea May start-up/failure ratio at 2-yr high
Yeoh says she'll star in John Woo kung fu movie
McGregor: 'Angels' no challenge to Catholic faith
Director: No wide China release for 'The Reader'
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights