Elise Blackwell is no stranger to storytelling. In fact, the USC English professor and novelist began writing stories when she was only 5 years old.
“I was encouraged by my grandfather,” Blackwell said. “But the passion was there even before he started offering me a dollar a story.”
Years later, Blackwell’s passion for writing is still strong. She somehow manages to find time to teach students writing and publishing, all while writing and publishing talented prose herself.
Blackwell’s newest and fifth novel, “The Lower Quarter,” released Sept. 21, 2015, deals with a devastated New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A native of Louisiana, Blackwell’s understanding of the area lends a very genuine feel to her latest work. The book mourns the destruction in New Orleans — an homage to the city’s strength and an examination of recovery.
“Ultimately the book both mourns loss and celebrates resilience, and I think both are possible simultaneously,” Blackwell said. “One idea the novel explores is the degree to which various forms of recovery are and aren’t possible — and for whom.”
“The Lower Quarter” revolves around different characters in the fallout of a murder that occurred during Katrina. The chapters alternate between the perspective of four people, giving the novel an interesting zigzag of main characters. This variance only adds to the complexity and fascination of the novel’s turn of events and setting.
“It’s a literary noir set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans,” Blackwell said. “The plot revolves around a mysterious death, which reopens the investigation into a long-missing painting and leads four characters to cross paths against their will.”
Blackwell's position as a USC English professor adds a unique layer to her writing and teaching. Blackwell is a part of the very field in which her students are experimenting, and she has well-tested advice to offer about writing and publishing. The new book has themes that all of humanity can relate to but also includes specific elements that may cater to college students.
“As for ... whether my books might appeal specifically to college students: College students are humans first and care about most of the same things other people care about,” Blackwell said. “We are all affected by the same big things — mortality, relationships and so forth. But I do think one character in ‘The Lower Quarter’ might particularly resonate with college students, and that is the character of Marion. She’s young, [she’s] torn between an artistic calling and the need to make a living and she’s trying to get by on her own in an uncertain situation.”
“The Lower Quarter” will satisfy readers looking for an adventurous tale. Even more, this novel by one of USC’s locals will give audiences a masterful example of storytelling that speaks to all types of people through universal life experiences.