By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — Fall is the perfect season for reading, as temperatures begin to drop and the thought of curling up with a book as days grow shorter becomes more inviting, so why not consider adding a local author to your reading list?
Gordon Hammond, of Westfield, has just released his latest work, a fiction novel entitled “The Orphan.”
Gordon Hammond
Hammond will be signing copies of his book at York’s Bookstore in Houlton Monday, Sept. 16, from 1-3 p.m.
After a career in advertising in New York as art director, and in Boston as creative director, Hammond came to Maine in 1975 to build a farm. But artistic endeavors were never far from his thoughts.
“In 1981, I established the ad agency Noah, then in 1988 the magazine Echoes — a joint collaboration with University of Maine Professor Kathryn Olmstead,” said Hammond.
In 1995, he returned to ad work, focused in part on the promotion of an organic farmers’ cooperative. He retired in 2000, choosing to devote his time to writing and illustrating. Collections of illustrated short fiction entitled “Lisa’s Dream” and “Leaving Home,” are among the examples of his published works.
“‘The Orphan’ is my first novel. I’ve done a lot of writing over the years — essays, writing for Echoes. Since I retired, I’ve had more time to focus on writing, starting with short stories,” he said.
Hammond said “The Orphan” actually started as a short story.
“The thought for the book came about because of my father. He was orphaned around 9 years old — in 1918 — and was sent to be raised by relatives. Using that background for my main character, Ezra Samuels, I created different characters and the story became totally fictionalized,” said Hammond.
The book tells the story of a young boy suddenly left on his own. The family farm is auctioned for back taxes and his aunt and uncle take him in. An unconventional love story, it tells how Ezra’s marriage meets with public disdain and how the couple deals with being shunned. That’s only the beginning of their troubles, according to Hammond.
“Along the way, Ezra and his wife develop a relationship with a black family. This is a story about two young people building a farm. To improve their income they start a sawmill. They hire a black man. Problems arise when they are deemed to be ‘too friendly’ with the man,” said Hammond. “It’s a story of how love and friendship work to overcome adversities.”
Hammond said the novel focuses on two issues of the time: racism and marriages not deemed acceptable at the time.
“It took me about two years to write; one year to write it and one to re-write parts,” said Hammond.
Hammond is currently working on distribution of the book and scheduling book-signing events.
“Once I have four or five book signings set, that will help get the word out. I’m also working with Echoes to have something in a future issue, perhaps as early as September’s publication,” said Hammond.
For more information on Hammond or how to obtain any of his works, visit www.facebook.com/gordonhammondmainewriter.
