By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | After a lifetime of teaching school and raising a family, what’s it like to see your book published after you have retired?
That’s what we asked Mary Anna Bryan of Lawrenceville recently. She had her novel, Cardinal Hill, published by Mercer University Press. The publication came after she was awarded their Ferrell Sams Award for Fiction in 2014 for one of the best books of the year. However, the actual printing of the book was not until August of 2016, with no reason given for the gap.
“It’s the highlight of my life,” says Mary Anna, a retired English teacher. “It’s something of a miracle to have it published. Maybe one of 3,000 submissions are published annually, so it’s amazing to come in later life.” Mary Anna is 85, and in good health.
Bryan
She started writing the book years ago, then laid it aside for two decades, finishing it in 2000. She then finished a half of another novel, and joined a new critique group, which made her feel like she was “really getting somewhere.” It was suggested she submit her manuscript to Mercer, and she was surprised when it won the 2014 award.
She’s had a warm response, “even two fan letters,” she laughs. But Mercer doesn’t promote the book much other than through its catalog, and she’s been quietly promoting it. “It’s the most unsavory chore I ever had. I’m not a salesperson. I am very uncomfortable doing this. But I am trying.”
One reader review on Amazon says: “This masterfully and evocatively written story captivated me from the first sentence. I highly recommend it! The author created fully developed characters and the tenor of the times in the South in the 1930-40s with great descriptive powers.”
Mary Anna says: “That was awfully nice.”
Ms. Bryan has four children, two living in Atlanta, another in Fort Worth and a fourth one in Pilot Mountain, N.C. Her husband was the late Gainer Bryan.
Her father was school principal. She grew up on a farm seven miles from Augusta. The house on the book cover is the one she grew up in. A brother took care of milking cows, and she picked through her grandfather’s books and read a lot. “We had sets of books, and I read Galsworthy, Twain, Eliot.” While in high school, a teacher chose her theme to read out loud in class. “It made me think I might could write.”
Today her favorite authors are Barbara Pym, Flannery O’Connor and Jane Austen.
After college at Agnes Scott, it was marriage, English teaching and raising children.
Today she’s thinking of going back to her unfinished novel. “It’s about three women who live together in college, and meet after 30 years. I may take it up again.”
Mary Anna gets nostalgic about her past. “I wish we could take the good aspects from other generations and perpetuate them. I say this coming from the Silent Generation, those born from 1925-45. These people are serious minded, stress religion, often are naïve, are children of the Depression, respect authority, have a strong work ethic and are loyal. Today’s generation seems irresponsible, and questions civic-mindedness.”
What would she say to aspiring writer? “Join the Atlanta Writer’s Club. It has 700 members, and meet in small critique groups. If it hadn’t been in such a group I would not have re-worked my novel. You get an honest opinion from them, even with suggestions of how to market it. It is invaluable.”
Congratulations, Mary Anna Bryan. Gwinnett is proud of you.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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