HighFive![AudioCD]

KatherineHoweKatherineHoweistheauthorofThePhysickBookofDeliveranceDane(2009),aspellbindingnovelthatexploresoneofthemosttragicandcomplicatedchaptersinAmericanhistory--theSalemwitchtrials.BiographyKatherineHowe'sancestorssettledEssexCounty,Massachusetts,inthe1620sandstayedtherethroughthe20thcentury.FamilymembersincludedElizabethProctor,whosurvivedtheSalemwitchtrials,andElizabethHowe,whodidnot.KatherineiscompletingaPh.D.inAmericanandNewEnglandStudiesatBostonUniversity,whichincludedteachingaresearchseminaronNewEnglandwitchcraft.Theideaforherdebutnovel,ThePhysickBookofDeliveranceDane,developedwhileshewasstudyingforherdoctoralqualifyingexams,walkingherdogthroughthewoodsbetweenMarbleheadandSalem.ShelivesinMarblehead,MassachusettswithherhusbandandassortedanimalsGoodToKnowSomeinterestingouttakesfromourinterviewwithKatherineHowe:"Ihadadiversearrayofpre-academiajobs,includinglate-nightexperimentalmusicdiscjockey,teachingassistantatasciencemuseum,MadisonAvenueshopgirl,andresearcherattheMuseumofModernArt.ThismeansthatatvariousmomentsintimeIhave,forprofessionalreasons,feddeadmicetoacornsnake,havehandledworldclassartwork,havebeenaskedtopleasestopplayingsomuchCaptainBeefheart,andhavetriedtofitfragilesilkchiffonovertoo-perkybreastimplants.ItalsomeansthatIhavelearnedthatchildrenlovecornsnakes,thatartmuseumsdoavitalservicetoourculture,thatsaleshoppingisterrifyingforeveryoneinvolved,andthatthehourfromthreetofourAMisthehardest.""IoftenplayagamewithmyselfthatIhavestartedtocall"timetraveltourism."IwillbewalkingalonginBostonorCambridge,andIwillimaginewhatwouldhappenif,allofasudden,IsteppedthroughsomekindoftimefabricripandfoundmyselfontheexactspotwhereIwasstanding--butin,say,1877.Howwouldpeoplereacttoseeingawomansuddenlyappearinbluejeansandapeacoat?WouldanyoneacceptthecashIwascarrying?WherecouldIgoforhelp?Wouldthehologramonmydriver'slicenseprovethatIwasfromthefuture?IfIcouldn'tgetback,howwouldIsupportmyself?Alotofmywritinggrowsoutofthesekindsofthoughtexperiments.""AfewyearsagomyhusbandandIadoptedashaggyorangemutt,whoistherathertransparentinspirationforArloinPhysickBook.LikeArlo,heisofindeterminatesizeandcolor,dependingonhismood,andlikeArlo,heisbothbraveandnoblewhilealsobeingkindofawimp.HealsotendstoshowupunexpectedlyundermydeskorinthearmchairthatIhavejustlefttogetsomethingtoeat.Itakehimwalkinginthewoodswithme,andwhenIsitonmyfavoriterocktothink,hewillsitwithhisbacktomine,keepingwatch.""AfewyearsagoDouglasCouplandwroteanessaycalled"HaroldinginWestVancouver,"abouthishabitofpokingaroundingraveyards("Harolding"comesfromthecultfilmHaroldandMaude,inwhichthemorbidtitlecharacterlikestohangoutingraveyards).IalsoenjoyHarolding,especiallyintheveryoldgraveyardsandburyinggroundsscatteredaroundNewEngland.Theiconographyoncolonialheadstoneshasbeenthesubjectofagoodamountofscholarship--weepingwillows,cherubicangelfaces,skullsandcrossbones.Ienjoythequietingraveyards,andinwonderingaboutthebackstoriesofthepeoplewhoareburiedthere.""ThispastsummermyhusbandandIboughtourfirsthouse,andso,whetherIwanttoornot,Ihavediscoveredgardening.Weplantedafewtomatoplants,justtoseewhatwouldhappen,andtooursurprisethetomatoesentirelytookoveronewholewallofthekitchen.Wehadsomanytomatoesthatwestartedbringingplasticbagsofthem,unsolicited,wheneverwewenttofriends'housesfordinner.Bigtomatoes,smalltomatoes,pinktomatoes,yellowtomatoes--andthepassagedescribingthetomatoplantsinPhysickBookhadbeenwrittenayearearlier!PhysickBookalsofeaturesacharacterwhoisasteeplejack,orsomeonewhorestoresantiquechurchsteeples.Weliveacrossthestreetfromameetinghouse,andoneafternoonIwasworkinginthegardenandheardscrapingcomingfromsomeindeterminateplace.Ilookedupandsawamanonascaffoldaroundthesteeple,scrapingoffalltheoldpaint:asteeplejackatwork.Ithinklivinghereisgoingtomakemesuperstitious."AlsoKnownAs:KatherineBygraveHoweHometown:Marblehead,MAEducation:B.A.,ColumbiaUniversity,1999;M.A.,BostonUniversity,2006