Wally Lamb’s Wisdom
Karen A. Wink, Ph.D.
Connecticut native and The New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb pulled his
1998 novel, She’s Come Undone, off his shelf and read a few passages to fourth-class
cadets in a lecture on 16 April 2009. Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation and the
Humanities department/English section, Lamb’s visit prompted the English professors to
pull older copies off their shelves and reread the magical and feral story of Dolores Price
in preparation for the fourth-class buying the novel off the bookstore shelves and reading
the extended story for their Writing About Literature classes.
Lamb’s novel became the third in Oprah’s book club after she called to say, “You owe
me two nights sleep”; with these words, he became a national author in 1999. Previously,
he taught at creative writing and literature at Norwich Free Academy and the University
of Connecticut. Currently, he is a volunteer facilitator of writing at Connecticut’s York
Correctional Institute.
In the story, Dolores is a heartrending heroine, an every girl, who experiences serial
tragedies (divorce, death, and difficult relationships) as an overweight observer, a victim
until she finally learns after page 400 that she is, in fact, a victor in charge of her own
life. As a writer, he considers himself a “master puppeteer” in which he “lives alongside
his characters,” and at times, they “take control.” He feels very “parental toward his
characters who have “minds of their own and begin to lead him.” Similar to the
archetypal plot in Lamb’s other novels: I Know This Much is True and The Hour I First
Believed, the protagonists such as Dolores learn that from oppression comes freedom
thanks to one’s own ingenuity. Her arduous journey and coup at its end reinforce a
critical notion for cadets: Even in complicated circumstances, choosing one’s attitude and
taking responsibility for one’s life are still within one’s control. This theme, along with
the novel’s social issues, prompted many charged class discussions and writing—both
creative and academic—in 4/c literature classes.
Prior to his lecture, Lamb led a creative-writing workshop for 16 cadets in upper Leamy
lounge where he first read an excerpt from his forthcoming novel (as yet unnamed),
seeking feedback for a work in which “the paint was still wet.” Ever polite, cadets were
complimentary about Lamb’s story. However, like all great writers, the observer in Lamb
took over, admitting he monitored cadets’ nonverbal communication, deciding to soften a
few parts and emphasize others. Lamb talked of his participation in two writers’ groups:
professional/published writers and emerging writers from which the constructive
criticism was invaluable as he created his characters and plots. This was an important
message to cadets who also receive feedback from their shipmates and faculty in their
journeys to become more effective writers.
Subsequently, he bestowed his best writing advice to the creative writers: “Write first as
a child, write automatically, don’t worry about spelling, keep the pen moving. As a ‘child
writer, selfish and willful,’ write openly. After a few drafts, become the responsible adult
and shift gears to receiving material, edit to shape the storyline, but don’t let adult come
out too soon.” Having said this, he assigned cadets to write five unrelated words: wheel,
read, fire, water, blue, and wind; choose one and begin writing an association for three
sustained minutes. Cadets read their diverse responses about childhood memories,
nautical experiences, and significant people in their lives. One truism crossed their
responses—Mr. Lamb promoted them to conjure memories worth documenting and
exploring further.
Reinforcing favorable writing habits that English professors strive to instill in students,
Lamb finished his remarks by advising the following: “revise relentlessly, read your stuff
alone and listen intently to your words, learn to write dialogue by hearing your own
work, listen carefully to the way people speak, and watch DVDs without the sound and
imagine the characters’ dialogues and monologues.” He also advised them to “shed their
skin, get in someone else’s shoes, go beyond the parameter, and become another person”
in a writing exercise. Since cultural literacy emphasis is a goal at the Academy, this
exercise can prove invaluable while considering persons and cultures different from
themselves.
In his lecture, Lamb read an autobiography of sorts: facts of his past intertwined with his
reasons for writing including his main goal to “write a novel kids want to read
voluntarily.” He said he writes with “no outline—cannot seem to do so.” Instead, he is a
writer of discovery, but still the masterful puppeteer who writes complex, compelling
plots. When writing, he learned that if audience members are meant to find one’s writing,
need to read the story, and investigate the truth, they will find one’s words. This vote of
confidence he gave himself, and, in turn, to cadets is well taken since we currently have a
group of cadets writing short stories and poetry for id est, the Academy’s literary
magazine, independently, and for the annual PoetrySlam!
Toward the end of the lecture, Lamb seemed genuinely impressed with students’
questions, remarking, “Usually when I take questions, the first one is ‘What is Oprah
really like’”? Instead, cadets asked questions about his writing processes and choices
relative to the novel. 4/c Tara Fitzgerald asked Lamb about his source for his novel titles
to which he confessed listening to songs—in this case, “Undun” by 1980’s Canadian rock
band “The Guess Who.” During his lecture, Lamb responded to several student concerns
(raised in all English classes” summed up as “How and Why does a man write in a girl’s
[Dolores’] voice?”) As an English teacher at Norwich Free Academy, he said he taught
an overweight, isolated girl and wondered about her feelings and perspectives on life.
Together with this troubling reflection and growing up with older sisters, he took a risk,
adopted a girl’s point of view and began writing. He said he “almost lost his nerve and hit
false notes” a few times, but the females in his writing group convinced him to continue.
They also challenged: “Why do you write such unlikeable characters?” After reflection,
he began to add comedy that “sometimes just slipped in.” The result: She’s Come
Undone, a nine-year labor of love that created Dolores, the self-deprecating girl who spun
a tragicomedy for students.
Lamb did not steer clear of controversy in our society, saying there is a “damage in
keeping secrets” so he handles the dark gallows with humor and includes characters who
are the “walking wounded working toward better ends” to send a message that from
tragedy comes triumph given the human spirit in us all—a timely message for cadets.
Works Cited
Lamb, Wally. She’s Come Undone. New York: Pocket, 1998. Print.
Lamb, Wally. “Relevant Themes in She’s Come Undone.” Leamy Hall. United States
Coast Guard Academy. 16 April 2009. Lecture.