Returning to her roots

~ Author Judith Bader Jones revisits Cape Girardeau.

Judith Bader Jones remembers attending Teen Town dances on the corner of Spanish and Themis streets during the early 1950s. She also remembers being a marching majorette for Central High School and reading books while sitting by the Mississippi River in Caruthersville, Mo.

Jones has incorporated her experiences of growing up in Southeast Missouri into works of poetry, nonfiction and fiction. She will read from her latest book, "Delta Pearls," at 10:30 a.m. June 2 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library and at 5 p.m. June 3 at Port Cape restaurant.

"Pearls" is a collection of short stories related to the 69-year-old author's life, especially her childhood.

"The landscape of Southeast Missouri becomes a character in my fiction," Jones said.

The Mississippi River "often appears in my stories, and I can't imagine my childhood without the isolation of farm life in the Bootheel," she said.

When she was a child, Jones was inspired by the books her teachers required her to read.

"A couple of English teachers I had at Central High had quite an impression on me," Jones said. "Thanks to them, I fell in love with literature."

Jones initiated the event at the public library to not only promote her book, but also encourage the use of libraries, which has declined due to Internet accessibility. Proceeds from the sale of Jones' books will go toward library projects sponsored by the Friends of the Library Foundation.

"The best way that authors like myself can support libraries is to attend the programs they offer," she said.

The author's motivation to write short stories stems from her belief that people don't have as much time as they once did.

"I think short fiction is very appealing today because of people's lifestyles," Jones said.

Before she treated writing as a serious profession, Jones worked many years as a psychiatric nurse. She said it has helped her understand human nature better.

"I have never borrowed from the lives of my patients, but I have learned a great deal about the inner strength that people have when faced with loss and illness," Jones said.

Although she has lived in Fairway, Kan., since the 1970s, Jones has never forgotten Southeast Missouri and will write about the region for many years.

"It's the heart of my writing," she said. "It's the nature of my work."

Reservations are required for the reading at the Port Cape and can be obtained by calling Martha Ann Young at 335-2117. No reservations are required for the reading at Cape Girardeau Public Library.

sludwig@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 211

Want to go?

What: Judith Bader Jones' reading and signing of "Delta Pearls"

* When: 10:30 a.m. June 2

* Where: Cape Girardeau Public Library, 711 N. Clark Ave.