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"I
really hated to leave Atchison and I thought very seriously about
moving back," Mr. Yoho said. But the proximity of family kept
him in Topeka. " I still get over there and sit along the river
anytime I get in town."
The Revival originally began as
a short story. Mr. Yoho said. He spent less than two years writing
his laugh-out-loud opus. Since its publication, the 30-year machinist's
novel has stretched across Kansas, then to California and is currently
available through Borders bookstores. Mr. Yoho said the book is
soon to be printed in its second edition. He has recently finished
a rough draft of a second humorous novel.
"It's
doing quite well," Mr. Yoho said. "I'm really pleased.
It's very gratifying."
The Revival also supports a Website
created by his wife, Carol, and an introduction and back-page blurb
written by established Emporia writer Don Coldsmith.
The Revival follows its main character,
11-year old Edwin J. Stamford, through the tribulations of growing
up in Epic, a fictional rural Kansas town derived from Mr. Yoho's
previous experience.
The story line is driven by the imagery of the
religious revival. Mr. Yoho said revivals were much more prevalent
and a recognized form of entertainment when he was young -- especially
the traveling tent revival, which is featured in the book.
"It is reflective of my childhood,"
Mr. Yoho said. "It's reflective of most men growing up in a
rural area and I think people in town also had similar experiences.
It's not an uncommon way for a boy to act.
"Growing up and coming of age is a universal
experience. I was not nearly as precocious or bright (as Edwin).
He had insights I wasn't smart enough to have."
Through the backdrop of competitive Methodist
and "Holy Roller" revivals, the fantasy-fueled Edwin finds
one or two loves of his life and an array of characters befitting
of Mayberry. He encounters an impression of small-town Kansas in
Mark Twin-esque form -- or, in parts, due to the sometimes surreal
nature of the book, Judy Blume on an opium jag.
"It is always sort of there," Mr. Yoho
said about how the revivals fit into the story line. "It's
a vehicle by which I get to the coming of age stuff, love and dealing
with the philosophical questions of religion."
Mr. Yoho said not only does he enjoy the reception received by The
Revival but he also enjoyed the writing process itself.
"One of the most exciting times in
writing is when the characters takes over and do the rest of the
writing," Mr. Yoho said. "I was pleased with the way it
came out."
He said there are drawbacks however to sharing
his creativity with the rest of the world.
"It
feels two ways," he said about finishing a novel. "It's
somewhat like a relief and on the other hand ... I felt a sadness
not being able to associate with the characters anymore.
"I think it's personal when you create
life, whether fictional or not, and deal with them in joy, triumph
and sadness."
What I hope (readers) will not take is any offense."
Mr. Yoho said about The Revival. "What I hope
for is a good belly laugh and that they feel better for having read
it and have a good time."
Atchison residents will have the opportunity to
meet the author during a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday
April 21, at the Atchison Library, 401 Kansas Ave.
Copies
of The Revival are available for purchase at the Warming
Hut in the Santa Fe Depot.
Copies can also be ordered on-line at The
Revival Website, www.dancinggoatpress.com
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