Page 6
Rock Valley Publishing
out& about
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023
Jane Charmelo
1893 World’s Columbian Exposition is focal point of new novel Author spent years researching to create historic fiction
“I’ve always loved writing, says Cindy Angell Keeling, and now she has published a novel, “Dream City Dreaming,” in which the writing process, according to her, began with a true historic event. The 25-year Villa Park resident and Arkansas native explained that she decided to become a writer around the mid-2000s, so “I kind of dove in and learned all I could about the craft of writing,” adding with a chuckle that she has a 2012 manuscript “sitting comfortably on my computer.” But things changed in early 2013: “The 1893 Columbian Exposition appeared on the radar,” she continued, and sparked an interest in the topic. “I learned that people came from all over the world,” Keeling said. “It was just a beautiful ‘city’ and I was enamored.” Deciding that the exposition— also known as the Chicago World’s Fair and the 1893 World’s Fair— would become a central focus for a possible novel, the author said she began researching the exposition. That research included reading vintage books and looking at photographs from the time period, and even visiting the Bicycle Museum of America in Ohio, where she got to see a vintage bicycle up-close and personal. “I could touch it, ring the bell,” Keeling described, and serendipitously the bicycle, or “wheels” as they were known in the era, became woven into the story, which tells the tale of a widow named Junaluska (Juna) Lewis and her 14-year-old son, Henry, who travel from Missouri to visit the exposition, with help from her journalist sister Zenobia A. Thom (Zennie) and a kindly older lady named Mrs. Wilson, who allows them to stay in her home. The widow’s father-in-law, Seymour Lewis (based loosely on Keeling’s great-grandfather), owns Lewis Vinegar, and the awardwinning product is being featured at the exposition, prompting Juna and Henry’s trip to Chicago. Throughout the novel, the mother and son visit the exhibition halls and buildings, which the author has described in detail— based on her research—but with a touch of artistic liberty thrown in. In the process, the two undertake
submitted photoS Rock Valley Publishing
Author Cindy Angell Keeling has just released a novel that takes place at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While “Dream City Dreaming” is fictional, some authentic aspects of the exposition are woven into the book. For instance, during her research, the author came across a concert program for Handel’s “The Messiah”—an event that actually took place—and she worked it into the storyline.
adventures both together and on their own, meeting a number of different people along the way. Juna has her sister, in part, to serve as a guide, while Lewis Vinegar’s Chicago sales agent, Archibald Peterson, serves as Henry’s tour guide and mentor. Both Juna and Henry experience a number of different emotions throughout their experiences at the exposition, and they decide to step outside of their personal comfort zones on occasion, in the interest of immersing themselves in all the exposition has to offer. For instance, besides taking in the sights, Juna takes a courageous (for her) stab at trying to increase her self-confidence, with the story highlighting how women of the era start to speak up for themselves and assert some independence.
And, young Henry works up the courage to leave little “gifts” for a young lady who strikes his fancy. Also intertwined throughout “Dream City Dreaming” are themes of friendship, strength of family, grief over a loss, cultural norms of the day and, as the author puts it, “a dash of mystery and romantic elements.” This is no “spoiler alert,” but there is also a twist that Keeling has subtly and slowly woven into the storyline. When asked about the writing process and the story idea for “Dream City Dreaming,” Keeling responded, “I knew from the beginning” that the exposition would be a central character of its own in the novel. “It took awhile. I needed to get it in my head first.” Not knowing exactly where
the story would go—and making changes and adding layers to the characters as the drafts emerged— “I kind of [wrote] to discover what the story is,” Keeling said, adding that it took a good seven years to complete what she called her “project.” And, she said, “It took three years to really get the story down.” Some of her research also involved visiting Chicago museums and some historical societies; and learning about the 1890s era: how people dressed, how they spoke and conversed, what the technology and transportation consisted of, and what the Chicago neighborhoods were like at the time, for example. As for how she created the dialogue among the characters— essentially putting herself in the
mindset of the 1890s—Keeling explained her process: “By reading publications and novels from that time,” she said, adding, “I made a list of common expressions. I also made up a few expressions!” Looking back on the nearly 10year research and writing process, the author commented simply that “It’s been quite a journey.” When asked what she hopes people will get out of the book, Keeling responded that she hopes people will be entertained and maybe learn something about the history of the exposition. She added simply, “I would like readers to be delighted and just enjoy it.” “Dream City Dreaming” can be ordered through online booksellers, and you can visit Keeling’s website at www.cindyangellkeeling.com.