Kenneth Rodgers Jr. is a young man with a single-minded passion: To give words life.
So at the young age of 24, the Bowling Green State University graduate is announcing the arrival of his
second book, and more are already in the works.
Eloquent Books published his novel, "Writing in the Margins," an unusual story about two men
and how their lives intersect in different time periods through a journal. His earlier book of short
stories, "Thoughts in Italics," was printed by PublishAmerica Inc.
In elementary school he developed a deep love for books and began keeping a journal, which he still does
today. "Sometimes it feels better to get it on this page rather than on the computer screen,"
he explained. "It changes and transforms. From here to the screen is a process."
In enriched English classes he was chafing to read "cool" books instead of classics. So on his
own he discovered Ray Bradbury who became a favorite author, particularly "Dandelion Wine,"
"Fahrenheit 451" and "Frost and Fire."
In Bradbury’s novella "Frost and Fire" everyone on the planet dies within a week. "It’s
the way he told it and reported human culture – war, love, passion, sadness, knowledge. It’s what I tell
my speech and debate people: You have to know beyond the words. You have to know and have a passion for
something. I have a passion for – I want to say words – giving life to words."
That passion is not limited to the printed page. In high school and at BGSU Rodgers won state and
national awards for his prose interpretation. His senior year at BGSU he went to London for an
International Forensics Tournament and made it into the finals in dramatic interpretation and
persuasion. He is now a volunteer coach with the current team.
When it comes to Rodgers’ writing style, he describes it as speculative fiction. "It’s difficult to
define. It’s not fantasy. It’s not horror. It’s not realistic fiction. It incorporates them all. … Ray
Bradbury falls in that category." In "Writing in the Margins," it’s speculative whether
the journal Jack Mueller has really affects whether he’s traveling to different time periods.
Rodgers completed the first draft of "Margins" his senior year at BGSU but didn’t like it. He
added a second character, John Rubaker, then sent out the manuscript last fall, looking for an agent. He
found one who located Eloquent Books as a publisher.
He is pleased they liked his fiction and agreed to a joint venture where they pay half the printing cost.
It was published this year, but Rodgers has found it a time-consuming task to publicize his book – in
addition to working 60-70 hours a week at two jobs, writing more books and reading. He sometimes gets up
at 3 a.m. to work on his next writing projects.
Rodgers encouraged readers to pick up a copy of "Margins." "You’ll have an understanding
what it means to be alive. All of us, at one stage or other in our life, question what is our path. Both
the characters are questioning what to do with their lives. … It talks about happiness and depression.
Many people are questioning what path they’re to follow because they lost their jobs. … In the end it
makes it hard, but you have to have conflict in order to have growth."
Though Rodgers got his inspiration for the characters from actual people he’s known, he also writes from
experience. Rubaker is going through depression, something to which Rodgers is no stranger. "I have
a pen and running shoes and people who support me," three aids which he credits for helping him
with his own depression.
His third book, "Love and Fear, the Diary of Oliver Lee" can be read on authonomy.com. When
readers like a book on the site, it has a chance to be published by Harper & Collins. He is also
completing a fourth book, "Sequence," an apocalyptic story.
"Writing in the Margins" is available at the BGSU bookstore in the student union. It can also
be purchased through eloquentbooks.com, as well as the on-line stores of Borders, Amazon and Barnes and
Noble. His Web site, kennethrodgersjr.com, has a link to his books. His e-mail is
[email protected].
