A screening of “Because of Winn-Dixie” Tuesday night played to more than 100 teachers and librarians, dozens of children, the winner of two Newbery Medals and a Picardy shepherd named Lady.
The dog was a surprise guest at the Riverview Theater screening, put together by Red Balloon Bookshop to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the publication of Kate DiCamillo’s debut novel for young people, the immediate popularity of which she has said “let me become a storyteller.”
“This is a total surprise. We almost didn’t get Lady in because food is being served. So shhh,” DiCamillo told the crowd of about 700. She introduced the film version of her book, which is about a Florida girl named Opal who feels like an outsider until she befriends a dog she calls Winn-Dixie, who helps her make friends.
DiCamillo doesn’t specify the breed in the book, but the dog was played by three different Picardy shepherds (a French breed) in the 2005 movie, which led DiCamillo to joke that Hollywood is the only place that would feel the need to travel to France to cast the part of a mutt.
DiCamillo recalled the beginnings of her writing career, when she moved to Minneapolis about three decades ago and convinced herself wearing a black turtleneck would make her feel like a writer: “I had spent almost ten years wearing the black turtleneck and talking about doing this.”
When she finally did it with “Winn-Dixie,” the result was a book that earned a Newbery Honor (her “The Tale of Despereaux” and “Flora & Ulysses” both went on to win the top prize, the Newbery Medal). DiCamillo told a questioner Tuesday the latter was her favorite book to write. She has many to choose from, because she noted before the screening that her books include “36 that are out in the world and I’ve got four or five that are in the works” (those include “The Lost Evangeline,” due in September).
A young reader at the Riverview suggested it’s time for the Minneapolis writer to produce an autobiography. She seemed skeptical: “I’m the most boring person in the world but, sure, I’m 61 now. Maybe when I’m 70, I’ll write it all down.”
The screening was a reminder that aspects of DiCamillo’s autobiography have crept into her 36 books. When the movie’s Opal (played by AnnaSophia Robb) says of Winn-Dixie, “I didn’t find him. He found me,” it’s much like what DiCamillo told the Riverview crowd about her own work: The characters seem to find her and speak to her.
