Pacific Index

An Overview of Author Laura Stanfill’s reading of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary

   An empty and calm presence greeted me on a cold Thursday night as I entered the usually lively Marsh Hall. Proceeding up the steep stairwell, the sounds of laughter and movement led me to a room full of unfamiliar faces waiting patiently for the reading to begin. 

   Then Laura Stanfill entered the room, her eccentric outfit paired with a bright smile and large, round glasses. Aside from being a recognized novelist, Stanfill is the Publisher of Forest Avenue Press, a publisher of award-winning novels and memoirs. Stanfill herself has written Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, the book she spoke about during her reading, and Imagine a Door, her brand new book which acts as a guide on writing and publishing for amateur novelists. During the presentation, Stanfill dedicated a surprisingly short amount of time to reading Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary and talked more about the inspiration, preparation, and process of creating the novel. 

   To open, Stanfill introduced herself to the two dozen or so students in the hall before holding up a small, colorful book. Inside were beautifully illustrated and painted scenes depicting different stories. She used this book to commence her speech, as she started to talk about the importance of sharing stories about identity, culture, and growing up. She mentioned something during her talk that stuck with me. It was along the lines of: “stories become a different interpretation of self.” I interpreted this as her way of saying that stories are how others choose to remember us. 

  She then segwayed into speaking about various stories from her childhood, mentioning what and who influenced her to become who she is today. She spoke of her dad and mom, who taught her to appreciate a strange sentence and a whimsical attitude. Thanks to her dad, she grew up in the world of mechanical music including music boxes, air horns, and the mighty Wurlitzer theater organ. 

   It is important to understand the impact of mechanical music on her life as it relates to her first book. The Serinette, a musical box used in the 1800s to train canaries to sing, is an especially important instrument in her life. Stanfill’s personal Serinette is a restored 1848 model gifted to her by her parents, and is the inspiration for her book. She gave a demonstration of the musical device for her onlookers, quickly cranking the small handle as notes resembling those of a bird whistling rang through the lecture hall. 

   “This is bananas, I have to write about it,” expressed Stanfill about the Serinette as she filled the group in on why the box inspired her so greatly. With that, the idea of a Serinette, training canaries to sing, and music became a best-selling novel. 

   The love Stanfill has for this book is obvious in her words and expressions, but even more obvious is her appreciation for her family and foundation. It was evident to me that her passion for Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary was a reflection of her personality, hard work, and unique writing. As Stanfill closed her speech, the crowd of students met her with praise and admiration. Her influence had been felt by many of the young writers in the room, I’m certain of that.