Author finds humour in tragedy The Calgary Herald Thu 12 Jul 2001 Your City N3 News Elizabeth Jackman Writing was the only thing Karen Mueller Bryson ever thought about when she was a little kid. Just released in May, Mueller Bryson's first novel, Hey Dorothy You're Not in Kansas Anymore, is about a journey to find one's way home. Influenced by Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, the book is a fanciful fiction novel based loosely on Mueller Bryson's life experiences. ``My father committed suicide when I was 25 and the way my family reacted was the basis for the book,'' says Mueller Bryson, who describes the story as humorous. While some would not find the topic to be one of humour, Mueller Bryson says, in retrospect, everyone in the family acted a little crazy in different ways. ``Looking back on the ways we dealt with the tragedy may not have been the best, but it was the best we could do at the time,'' she says. ``I think you have to find humour to come back to the world of the living.'' The novel tells the story of a young woman name Dorothy who makes a journey from Tampa, Fla., to Banff in search of her mother who has joined a New Age cult following the death of her husband, killed while sipping a non-fat decaf mocha latte at a local coffee shop. Dorothy's twin brother, Jude, is too busy with his law firm to help her save their mother, so she seeks the aid of her new boyfriend, Lahrs, and a Mickey Rooney look-alike named Mervyn O'Roy who is a cult-buster. After a series of mishaps and misadventures, the trio eventually rescue Dorothy's mother, and everyone finds a little romance in the Canadian Rockies. Mueller Bryson, a recent immigrant to Calgary from Tampa, married her Canadian husband Tony Bryson a year ago in February. The ceremony was held atop a frozen stream next to a waterfall in a little park, just below the historic Banff Springs Hotel. The couple settled in Calgary along with her two dogs Ginger and Cinnamon, which Mueller Bryson adopted from the Humane Society in Florida. Unable to work while her immigration status was in limbo, Mueller Bryson decided to pass time during the long, cold winter by writing. Although Hey Dorothy You're Not In Kansas Anymore is Mueller Bryson's first novel, she is a successful playwright. ``At the age of 29, I decided to integrate my passion for the theatre and my love of writing and try my hand at playwriting.'' Before becoming a playwright and novelist, Mueller Bryson earned a master's degree in human development counseling and worked for a number of years as a counselor and educator. She is working on a master's degree in creative writing with an emphasis in playwriting at Warnborough University in England. Mueller Bryson says her mother has read the novel and enjoyed it. ``Mom just got remarried last year,'' says Mueller Bryson, adding that in real life her mother never joined a cult, nor is her brother her twin or a lawyer. ``He is actually four years younger than I am and works as a scientist.'' Mueller Bryson dedicates the book to her husband: ``The love of my life -- my soulmate -- and best friend.'' She has plans for a second novel, tentatively titled Where Is Wonderland Anyway? inspired by Alice in Wonderland. ``It will be about a young woman who escapes a domestic abuse situation and her journey in discovering herself,'' says Mueller Bryson. Copies of her first novel can be ordered through any bookstore or online at virtualbookworm.com or amazon.com. To read a sample, visit the Web site: www.homestead.com/heydorothy. FINAL Photo: Elizabeth Jackman, Calgary Herald / New author Karen Mueller Bryson moved to Calgary from Florida. Your City REPRINTED FROM THE CALGARY HERALD |
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