Meet the Scarecrow Behind the Story: J.L. Kauffman Reads at The Book Lounge This Saturday
Clear your Saturday afternoon, Meridian, because we've got a fresh-from-the-fields author event for you. On Saturday, October 24, from 12 to 2 PM, Meridian-based fantasy author J.L. Kauffman is coming to The Book Lounge for an author reading, and we could not have scheduled a better week for a story about a scarecrow. (We'd like to say we planned that. We did not. We're taking the credit anyway.)
Grab a seat in your living-room-away-from-home, order something warm, and settle in for an afternoon of dark fantasy, big ideas, and a very good question: what happens when you forget you're the last of your kind?
About the Book: The Last Scarecrow
Title: The Last Scarecrow: A Dawn of Magic, Book One
Genre: Epic dark fantasy
A scarecrow awakens in a dying world with fading memories of who created him. Alongside an eccentric crow, a feisty pixie, and a lovelorn grizzly bear, he sets out to discover who he is before the Nothingness consumes everything. At its heart, it's a story about who we are when our memories unravel, told through the animals and creatures touched by the magick that broke their world.
Yes, that's a found-family road trip. Yes, one of the party members is a lovelorn grizzly. We're already invested.
Perfect for fans of: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle and Watership Down by Richard Adams — two classics where the animals and creatures at the center carry a whole dying world on their backs.
Get to Know J.L.: A Q&A
We sent J.L. a few questions ahead of Saturday. Here's what he told us.
You live in Meridian. Does the Gem State show up in your writing?
What's funny is that I wrote most of the book while livestreaming, so many of my influences came from people I met around the world. But living in Idaho introduced me to some fascinating cultural differences between longtime Idahoans and newer residents. Those dynamics actually inspired some of the cultural tensions between different tribes introduced in book one, which become even more significant in book two.
What did writing this book teach you?
I learned that I was capable. I've been writing my entire life, but I wanted to challenge myself by creating a complex world and an equally complex mystery of a story. And what better way to explore that than through a world full of animals and creatures experiencing varying degrees of amnesia, dementia, and memory loss? I also learned that pixies and crows don't always get along!
What's the one question you wish people would ask about the book?
Why a scarecrow? There's a reason I chose such an unconventional protagonist, and while part of that answer is simple, the rest is woven throughout his journey. You'll have to read the book to discover why!
That last one is a cliffhanger in Q&A form, and we respect it. Consider this your official invitation to ask him in person on Saturday. Maybe he'll tell you. Maybe he'll make you buy the book. Either way, you win.
The Lightning Round
On his nightstand: Dungeon Crawler Carl (he reads the book, then listens to the audiobook).
Physical, e-reader, or audiobook? All of the above. Sometimes he'll start the audiobook in the morning, read the e-book on a break, and enjoy the physical copy at home. A man after our own hearts.
Favorite trope: Lost worlds, dying worlds, and forgotten worlds. "Give me a mysterious civilization with a tragic history with some type of magical mayhem and I'm hooked!"
His reading spot: A special rocking chair at home reserved for his favorite stories. (We'd like to note that we have very comfy seats here, too. Just saying.)
Local Love: J.L.'s Idaho Picks
Every good author knows a few other good authors. J.L. points you toward Bryan McBee, owner of Kuna's Book Habit. His stories blend science fiction, technology, post-apocalyptic settings, and other fascinating elements, and he supports Idaho's literary community through his bookstore, too. Support local, read local, repeat.
And if you need a post-reading adventure, J.L. says every book lover should visit Freak Alley in downtown Boise: "a fantastic celebration of creativity and imagination that definitely inspires me every time I pass by." Consider that your Sunday plans.
The Pairing: What to Sip While You Listen
We don't do a reading without a drink in hand. Here's our suggested pairing for a story about a scarecrow, a pixie, and a world in autumn-colored trouble:
The cozy pick: our seasonal Blood Moon Sangria. It's fall in a glass and scarecrow weather incarnate.
The no-alcohol pick: We also have a Non-Alc Bood Moon Sangria. A feisty pixie deserves a delicious fall drink, and she'd probably steal yours anyway.
If You Go
What: Author reading with J.L. Kauffman, author of The Last Scarecrow: A Dawn of Magic, Book One
When: Saturday, October 24, 12–2 PM
Where: The Book Lounge, 33 E. Idaho Ave., downtown Meridian, Idaho
Good to know: We're a 21+ fiction-only bookstore and drink lounge, so bring your ID and your curiosity.
Come Sit With Us
Come early, grab your favorite corner, and bring your best scarecrow questions. ("Why a scarecrow?" has already been taken. We checked.) Tag us @thebookloungeid if you're there, and tell a friend who loves lost worlds and magical mayhem. They'll thank you.
Can't make it Saturday? Ask us about The Last Scarecrow next time you're in, and keep an eye on our events calendar for more local author afternoons.
