Strange Inspiration

Debbie Rodriguez (Kabul Beauty School) spoke at the Literary Festival in Kansas City this weekend. Barb and I wandered into the main stage tent, not sure who she was or what she'd written. In moments, we were riveted, held fast to our seats by a mixture of fascination and skepticism.

Debbie is what is called in polite company a "strong personality." My perception, quickly formed, was that the biggest thing standing between her and obnoxious is her ability to laugh at herself. She's large (not in terms of her body but of the psychic space she requires) and loud, perfectly represented by the dyed red hair cascading down her back to her knees.

We walked away in total agreement: "That woman did not write a book on her own."

Anyone who attends readings very often can tell you that not all great writers are great—or even decent—readers. Many are terrible public speakers. Years ago, Bryan and I attended a year-long series of readings. Of the twelve incredibly strong writers who spoke, only Rebecca Wells, a trained actress, held the audience with the power of her presence. The others kept us in our seats with the power of what they had written, and some barely, at that.

So it wasn't that Debbie didn't speak well. In some odd ways, she did. But watching her mind work, listening to the way she described things, people, and situations, I did not believe that her powers of observation and description alone produced a memoir people would pay to read.

Not surprisingly, Amazon and Google revealed 1) a co-author, and 2) huge controversy. The controversy involves how much credit she takes and how much she deserves for establishing the school, whether some of the individual stories told in the book are true, and whether the book endangers the Afghan women described in its pages.

The book was a best seller and the movie rights sold for "high six figures." Things tend to fall apart when boatloads of money pull up to the dock. I have no way of knowing where the truth shakes out of all that.

But here's the thing I'm left with: Kristin Ohlson, Debbie's co-author, is a talented, multi-faceted freelance writer. She has written everything from scientific articles to essays for Salon Magazine. Plus a book of her own, Stalking the Divine. Her life has not been easy. She raised a son who has substantial neurological challenges and an NT daughter. She and her husband divorced after 22 years of marriage.

One essay that appeared in Salon, "Faith in the Baby" is as good as any I've ever read. Another from Brain, Child, "Big Words," rocked my world.

Kristin inspires the hell out of me. Reading her essays taught me huge things about writing and about living. I may not know much about the controversy surrounding Kabul Beauty School, but I can tell you this for sure: Kristin Ohlson is the real deal.