Barbara Kingsolver Discusses New Novel Partita at Chicago Humanities Festival

*Partita*, a term referring to Baroque musical variations, tells the story of an injured piano prodigy named Livia. To enhance the literary experience, Kingsolver invited local pianist Sarah Jenks to perform classical pieces that resonate with the themes of the novel. Jenks played selections like Mozart’s "Rondo Alla Turca" and Chopin’s "Prelude n. 6 in B minor, op. 28," which Kingsolver described as evoking the struggle to emerge from darkness.

Kingsolver typically writes in silence, but she created a 14-song Spotify playlist to accompany *Partita*, with musical interludes included in the audiobook. Despite her brief year in music school, she plays classical piano and performs in rock and jazz bands with her husband, expressing a love for studying various subjects, including anthropology, chemistry, and botany.

Set over a week, *Partita* explores various forms of love, particularly music, and addresses themes of class and familial struggles. The narrative unfolds in Eastern Tennessee, where Kingsolver currently resides on a farm—a region she grew up in with her father, a country doctor, during a modest upbringing that included time spent in the Congo.

Reflecting on her childhood, Kingsolver shared how her father's medical work affected her perspective. He treated locals for diseases like leprosy and smallpox, experiences that highlighted the colonial exploitation of resources, influencing her work, including her famed novel *The Poisonwood Bible*.

Kingsolver aims to uplift her Appalachian neighbors by acknowledging their rich folk culture, emphasizing the relationships and challenges within them. She described her writing process as less than heroic, recalling moments of impostor syndrome due to her non-traditional education in the field.

Engaging with the audience, Kingsolver recited verses by her literary hero, poet Carl Sandburg, and expressed gratitude to figures like Studs Terkel and Oprah for making literature more accessible. She also discussed her approach to writing, revealing a systematic method of structuring stories around big questions.

Addressing recent societal issues, Kingsolver shared insights from her 2022 book on opioid addiction, challenging its portrayal as a moral failing while advocating for compassion and understanding.

When asked whether she knows how a book will end before writing, Kingsolver affirmed that every writer has their own process and described hers as architectural, highlighting the interconnected nature of storytelling that unfolds in unexpected ways during revision.

As a final note, Kingsolver encouraged the audience to engage with literature to foster dialectical thinking, promoting conversations that embrace complexity and contradiction. The Chicago Humanities Festival will continue hosting author talks on Saturday, November 7, during the University of Chicago Arts & Humanities Day.