How is a book conceived? I would say, not alone – but together.
Where does a new story come from? I think, from many people sharing their thoughts in a cloud of possibilities. Writing the book, Brindle 24, I was inspired by the brave people who shared their experiences about the impact of gas drilling on their lives. They are farmers, singers, poets, physicians and scientists who exercised their freedom of expression. I am thankful to all of them. On the book website I have added pages for the movies, songs, science reports and news that were the sources for the book.
I’ve now published my new book Brindle 24, the last day in the life of a town as an ebook and paperback. The idea for the story was conceived sitting in the dark with my family after a screening of the documentary movie, GasLand, from Josh Fox, in New York City. The stories of poisoned water that rural families shared with the filmmakers touched my heart. My deepest memories of our childhood home at the foothills of the Catskills Mountains surfaced. I wondered, what is this doing to children growing up there, this fear of water contamination from chemicals used in gas drilling – fracking? When I was young, one way I dealt with my fears and dreams was by drawing. As an adult, I more often turn to writing.
I grew up in the place now the center of a raging New York debate over chemical contamination from fracking, a way energy companies plan to extract gas from the Marcellus Shale. But I live in New York City and I have for over 20 years – a place where 8 million people absolutely rely on the clean water from upstate. Either way, if you are upstream or down, clean water is needed for life. The story Brindle 24 pits rural and city points of view against one another, in a modern day Romeo and Juliet theme over the course of one day, 24 hours. How do young people from opposing clans meet and fall in love? If they are a girl from the country and boy from the city, what brings them together and what keeps them apart? How do their parents conflict or reconcile? These are questions I tried to answer writing the new story, in an environment of chemical contamination.
Brindle 24 is more than a love story, the central character is – like I am – a scientist and a parent. Many scientists and doctors have spoken out on public health dangers from gas drilling by fracking, briefing the president and the press. But many more scientists work with or are supported by energy companies and may have a different point of view. Our scientist in Brindle 24 is one of these, struggling with his daily work that exposes realities of chemical and radiation poisoning in the water and land.
I hope you will enjoy the new novel, and look forward to your comments.
Brindle 24 is available at online bookstores everywhere.
- Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Brindle-24-ebook/dp/B00ALLZL5W
- iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brindle-24/id586705390?mt=11
- B&N Paperback: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brindle-24-j-j-brown/1113967052?ean=9780983821182
- Amazon Books Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Brindle-24-J-Brown/dp/0983821186/ref=lh_ni_t
If you like the post, check out my other books at these links:
- Kindle and Print: http://www.amazon.com/author/jjbrown
- iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jj-brown/id415042412?mt=11
- eBooks: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JJBrown
J.J.Brown Author Blog 
One response to “Writing Brindle 24 – the Last Day in the Life of a Town after Fracking”
Congratulations on the publication of Brindle 24. I’m so looking forward to reading it. I think fracking will be the defining environmental moment of this century for we who consider ourselves caretakers to take a stand for. I like a quote I read by Robert Redford in a book called Yosemite Meditations. He said, “I think the environment should be put in the category of national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise, what is there to defend?”
Thank you for helping us defend our vital resource of water.
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