Arts & Entertainment

Fairfax Author Releases Book About Changing Face of America's Diversity

Sharon Chang celebrated the release of 'Escaped Alone' with the Fairfax Art League at Old Town Hall recently.

 

Often the death of one thing, brings about the birth of another.

As Fairfax resident Sharon Chang went through the deaths of both her parents, that realization was strong - and it made her want to revisit memories of the times she and her siblings were happy together, as a family.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It also brought about the birth of an idea for her recently-released novel, "Escaped Alone: A Memoir of an Incomplete Southerner," just released by Tate Publishing on March 12.

"The seeds for 'Escaped Alone: A Memoir of an Incomplete Southerner' were sown, in a way, after the deaths of my parents early in the last decade," Chang explained. "For the benefit of my three brothers and for their children and grandchildren, I began jotting down anecdotes, bits of family history, to help them to better know and understand those lost old ones on whose shoulders we stand - what they had lived through, what they had sacrificed, for us."

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chang added, "My brothers loved receiving them, learned from them, and kept asking for more."

Eventually, her brothers asked her if she might put together a larger book, to serve as a more complete family history and narrative. She said, what tied all the individual memories together was her own life experiences.

The process of amassing that book and all its contents led her to believe that, maybe a larger audience might like a similar book, inspired by the journey it led her to take.

"At some point, I thought, why not craft this for publication, for a larger audience? It only took a moment's thought to realize that the theme that would transform the strictly family-oriented book into something of greater interest was already there, within the writing, in the form of my awareness of and reaction to the various kinds of discrimination that pervaded society during my formative years," Chang said. "After that realization, it was just a question of pointing up the more universal theme that already, to some extent, characterized the book."

Chang's novel was picked up by Tate Publishing and released one month ago today, on March 13.

Amazon describes the plot and theme of the book as such:

"The Greatest Generation made our world safe for democracy, and then sired a generation that began transforming our nation into one that was safe for diversity.

'Escaped Alone' transports the reader to mid-20th-century Virginia, to a time when the American South was experiencing its 'last hurrah.' As a society struggles to return to its prewar stability, the slower-paced mode of living for the very young remains sheltered and, in many ways, idyllic, allowing ample time to savor the joys of childhood.

Yet accompanying this pleasant existence is a darker undercurrent of institutionalized injustice that gradually awakens one child to the ugliness of racial, religious and lifestyle discrimination within her community. Departure for college provides the opportunity to begin her search for a more tolerant mode of living. The tale of her development into one who will seize this opportunity is punctuated by abundant humor, occasional horror, the emergence from the closet of some wildly animated family skeletons, and a generous outlay of unmistakably Southern storytelling.

Its entertainment value aside, 'Escaped Alone' may well be the first in-depth chronicling of exactly how a new kind of American conscience was formed."

 

As Chang prepared for the release of her book, she knew she wanted to celebrate it locally, in her hometown of Fairfax City - but she didn't want to do it alone.

"I already knew that, ideally, [I wanted to] design the launch so as to marry two different forms of art - the literary and the visual," she said. "When I approached the Fairfax Art League about the possibility of their hosting my launch party within the context of one of their regular functions, they were very receptive to the idea and suggested the date of March 14, just two days after the book's release."

The celebration was attended by many local figures in the community, including Fairfax City Councilman Dan Drummond. Chang's siblings attended, and fellow authors such as Louise Malbon-Reddi of Maryland made the trip out as well.

All in all, it was everything Chang could have hoped for.

"Both the Fairfax Art League and I couldn't have been more delighted with the audience that our joint event attracted, with the enthusiasm of the party-goers, and with the attention given by all attendees to both kinds of creative effort that were highlighted that evening."

As Chang lives locally, she said that, in addition to being available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, locals can purchase their books and have them signed directly from her, by contacting her at sharon.c.chang@gmail.com.

See where Chang will be appearing for book signings in the future by following her website, www.escapedalone.tateauthor.com

Do you know Sharon Chang? Have you read 'Escaped Alone?' Tell us in the comments below.

 

Also on Fairfax City Patch:

  • Fairfax Native Wins Peace Award
  • BREAKING: Fairfax City Man Identified as Body Found in Chantilly Brush Fire 
  • Police: Report of Armed Man in Greenbriar a 'False Alarm'
  • Deadline is May 1 to Enter 'Celebrate Fairfax' First Annual Photo Contest

Stay informed on the latest crime, news and events in your local neighborhood - follow Patch!

Sign up for Fairfax City Patch’s daily newsletter
"Like" us on Facebook
"Follow" us on Twitter

Want to share your opinions with the Fairfax community? Start your own blog here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here