Jones Deady – The Steep Side of the Marble
Vermont novelist Jones Deady left the American South, but not completely. In his debut novel, The Steep Side of the Marble, he introduces the Hooper sisters who began twentieth-century life on a Georgia plantation. Brats as children, they grew into women who society labels as devious, entitled, and lacking in morals. It would be the annual family reunion where the sisters – the matriarchs of the family – are challenged to change their ways. Their young relative, Lily, a precocious 15-year-old, is not intimidated by the power struggles going on and decides that she and her mother Dar will not watch and suffer. Instead, they are compelled to fix or, at least, heal the family’s wounds.
Readers of The Steep Side of the Marble are intrigued with Jones Deady’s remarkable ability to create a range of voices for his women characters and his insight into the mother-daughter relationship. Filled with emotion, family secrets and tragedies loom throughout as beauty and goodness simultaneously enter. Once a maid for one of the sisters, Bigbee is seldom mentioned; however, impactful to the story. She’s part of the embedded mystery that keeps a page-turning excitement going, along with themes of racism, homophobia, addiction, guilt, and blessed hope. Jones’s poetic and descriptive writing blankets it all for a fascinating read.
The title of Jones Deady’s book prompts curiosity and questions from readers when they discover The Steep Side of the Marble. He explains the foundation as a surface that is steep all over – like the marble. Imagine the family precariously standing on it as the colors and inner swirls represent quirks, personalities, and complexities. In a podcast interview with The Author’s Show, Jones Deady elaborates about his heartfelt journey during the writing process. Listening to his demeanor gives a glimpse of his style and inspiration. On his website, Jones Deady says:
The South never left me. Bound by a vigorous curiosity of its personality, both the light and dark side, I experimented, emptying my feelings onto paper. I could not escape the idiosyncratic side of human nature, and in that regard the South is like no other. The question was how to capture the essence of an almost eccentric and mythical place. A place of frustration and love of equal intensity.
On his Instagram account, Jones Deady defines himself as a writer and an artist. The beginning posts feature his oil paintings. His recent posts show his vivid photography that reflects a love of nature, family, food, and animals – symbols of his writing. It is a delightful site to visit.
Next for Jones Deady: After publishing The Steep Side of the Marble, he completed three novellas that he plans to publish under one title. He’s now back to two WIPs. One of the stories takes place in Mexico and is about a magic source of water. The other is about people searching for the savior of tragedy. Magical realism is an element in these works; however, Jones keeps it all grounded.
Jones, Birds are high on my list of favs. This postcard is a winner! Your message is your signature nature-loving style and inspires me to soak it all in. Also, I hope your fellow writers and readers will take you up on your invitation. Thank you for sending it for my collection. 🙂
~Anita~
postcard: Bullfinch and Pears by Angela Harding. Printed by Art Angels.
