Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998

Author says it's not just how you say it but what you say

Ron Hansen to read from his works on Saturday

By DEBORAH MARTIN
Staff Writer

   One of the most important things that Ron Hansen tries to get across to his creative writing students is that, sometimes, good writing isn't enough.
   ``A lot of people have a feeling that if something is well-written, it deserves to be published. I try to disabuse them of that,'' Hansen said in a telephone interview from his California home.
   Choosing a subject that will entice readers into the work and keep them engaged throughout is just as important as writing about it well, he said.
   ``What you're going to write about is crucial to your success as a writer. It's less so now for me, because I'm more of a known quantity. But for beginners, it's a matter of asking, `Is this just a private concern for me, or would others be interested in it, too?' People forget that, in a lot of ways, writers are entertainers. Ultimately, that's what we need to do first,'' he said.
   Hansen, who teaches at Santa Clara University, has spent his life sharpening his craft. He has several books in print, including ``Nebraska,'' an award-winning short story collection, and the novels ``Mariette in Ecstasy,'' ``The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,'' ``Desperadoes,'' and ``Atticus.'' ``Atticus'' was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction in 1996.
   He will read from ``Atticus'' and from a work in progress at the South Texas Institute for the Arts on Saturday.
   At this point in his career, he doesn't worry too much about whether his writings will be published -- he's motivated more by the work itself.
   ``There's joy in creating something new, especially in finishing a project and having a mountain of pages there. Unless you existed, that mountain of pages wouldn't be there.
   ``I saw an interview with (`Cold Mountain' author) Charles Frazier, and he said he had doubts that his novel was going to be published, but wanted to make sure it was a beautiful artifact, even if it was in a box. You write with the hope of being published, but even if it isn't published, it's still a beautiful thing,'' he said.
   Hansen is currently at work on ``Hitler's Niece,'' a historical novel. He read years ago that Adolf Hitler had had an affair with his niece before he came to power. The young woman was found dead in his apartment in 1931, an apparent suicide. Hansen has some doubts about how she met her end.
   ``I came across this paragraph that said she was the only love of his life. I found there was an intriguing mystery there,'' he said.
   A mystery is also at the heart of ``Atticus.'' A father is rocked by the news that his wayward youngest son has killed himself in Mexico. When he goes to claim the body, though, he finds evidence that his son was murdered.
   ``They're kind of hybrid mysteries. I think a lot of people who write mysteries would be annoyed to hear them called mysteries. I use the elements of mystery mainly for something different, in the sense that there are mysteries all around us. The whole writing craft is about pursuing the truth behind what we see,'' he said.
   He's about two-thirds of the way through ``Hitler's Niece,'' which he will also read from on Saturday.
   ``This is probably the first time I'll ever read it aloud. It's a way of seeing if things are working. You hear how audiences respond. Often, a person in the audience has some expertise and will inform you of something that you didn't know,'' he said.
   The reading is part of the Corpus Christi Literary Reading Series. Joseph Tyler Wilson III, publicity chairman for the series, suggested that Hansen be invited.
   While reading ``Atticus'' two years ago, Wilson decided Hansen would be a good choice.
   ``I liked his clean writing style,'' Wilson said. ``His similes are particularly inventive. I thought it was a really fresh book.''