Write what you know.
That advice was first uttered by Mark Twain and Cassandra J. Kelly has taken it to heart.
Kelly, who grew up in the Buckeye State, set her first novel, titled The Clearing, in rural Ohio, not unlike her own hometown. One of the main characters has a severe physical illness, not unlike her sister as she was growing up. And the protagonist, a 12-year-old girl, is forced to experience the American health care crisis of the early 2000s, just as she witnessed as a youngster.
In other words, Kelly based her writing on something she knew and it paid off with a critically-acclaimed debut.
She will read from the book and discuss The Clearing when she appears at Rodman Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13 as part of the Fogle Author Series.
Registration is required to attend Kelly’s visit.
Kelly, who grew up in Wadsworth, the same place as Esmond Fogle, a former trustee of Rodman Public Library whose estate has provided funding through the Greater Alliance Foundation to make the Fogle Author Series possible over the last decade.
“I am so honored to be part of the Fogle Author Series,” said Kelly. “As someone from rural Ohio, I never imagined I would have an opportunity to tell a story (let alone read one!) based in my area. To have an opportunity to talk to this community about my book brings the whole experience full circle. I hope everyone feels just as at home when they read it as I do.”
Kelly, who was a journalist in New York before moving back to Ohio runs her own marketing consulting agency, Like-Minded Marketing, that works with increasing the visibility of non-profits. She describes herself as a storyteller and changemaker who hopes that through her work she can empower others with knowledge and understanding about science, history, and above all, themselves.
The Clearing tells the story of 12-year-old Sadie Watkins, whose world is being uprooted by her mother's disease: a severe form of multiple sclerosis.
As Sadie seeks solace in the woods behind her house, where she processes her overwhelming home life through traditional Appalachian herbology, pressing and cataloging flowers and plants like a budding scientist, she meets Cali, a barefoot wild child who seems to come from nowhere. The two become instant friends and Cali reintroduces Sadie to the wonders of the forest and gives her the courage she needs to face the future - the one without her mom.
The novel intertwines grief, love, nature, and wonder. It also acts as a time capsule of the healthcare crisis in the early 2000s, and the many American families like Sadie's who had to make great sacrifices when illness struck.
Ahead of her visit to Rodman Public Library, Kelly answered some questions about her journey to being an author and her writing process:
Q: You own a marketing company and write some very interesting articles about science and technology. Can you talk a little bit about your career path.
A: My degrees are in Journalism and Environmental Science, and after graduation, I went out to New York to be a science writer. I love distilling complex subject matter into stories that anyone can find wonder in and learn from. But starting a career in journalism was very difficult and I moved home to Ohio in 2017. I decided to pivot my skills into marketing and decided to work for nonprofits. I love that I get to help charities tell their stories and help others in the process. Now I own my own marketing company, which allows me to help more nonprofits than ever before. I also continue to freelance as a science journalist, writing about aerospace and robotics for Mechanical Engineering Magazine. I've been working to write and publish my first novel for the past ten years since graduating. The Clearing came out in March 2024, and it has been an incredible experience. I am eager to keep writing in all of the unique and exciting ways that I do.
Q: You started your writing career as a journalist. Did you always want to be an author and write fiction?
A: I've always wanted to write. I love storytelling, and I thought journalism would be the best way to make a career out of it. Regardless of how I've grown my career, creative writing has continued to be an important part of my life, and I've found deep meaning and purpose in the pursuit of publishing my work. I intend to write more novels, as well as a memoir, and short stories.
Q: Your first novel The Clearing was released this year. How did you get the idea for that novel?
A: It's been many years in the making, but it was first inspired by a walk at Glen Helen in Yellow Springs with a friend. She spoke about how those woods always made her feel like a little girl again, and I was inspired to explore my own childhood that day. Writing this novel allowed me to process so much of my young life, growing up with a sister with severe rheumatoid arthritis, and experiencing the American health care crisis firsthand.
Q: Can you talk about your research and writing process?
A: My research for this novel was rooted in my passions for nature, biology, and science. I had to deepen my understanding of our native plants in Ohio to help me illustrate Sadie's experience in the forest behind her house. I also had to learn more about multiple sclerosis and the treatment options available at the time. Unfortunately, autoimmune diseases were even less understood than they are now, and it was much more difficult for someone with a severe autoimmune disease to find a treatment that worked.
Q: What advice would you give others looking to get their first novels published?
A: There were a hundred times I wanted to put this book aside and move on. It challenged me on a personal and emotional level that I don't know if any other story could again. But I couldn't stay away from it. I’d try to write something else and my mind would drift to this book. I eventually had to overcome those personal obstacles to feel comfortable with the story, and the idea of others reading it. But when I did, I felt a huge weight lifted. Now the book is helping people in more ways than one. My best advice to anyone writing their first novel is to keep going. Don't let insecurity or self-doubt stop you. Your story is worthy of being told, and you are the only one who can tell it.
Q: Do you have anything in the works right now?
A: Yes, I have five novels in various states of completion. It's hard to choose just one to focus on. But my main goal right now is to finish my memoir about my first marriage, and what it was like to lose that part of my life.