David Abrams's Blog, page 193

My First Time: Courtney Elizabeth Mauk

My First Time is a regular feature in which writers talk about virgin experiences in their writing and publishing careers, ranging from their first rejection to the moment of holding their first published book in their hands.  Today’s guest is Courtney Elizabeth Mauk, author of the novel Spark which will be published by Engine Books in September. She was born in Rolla, Missouri, and grew up in Copley, Ohio, in a house filled with books. She studied creative writing at Oberlin College and in...

Friday Freebie: Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne

Congratulations to Brian Bedard, winner of last week's Friday Freebie.  Brian will soon be enjoying three new books from Graywolf Press: Red Plenty by Francis Spufford, The Life of an Unknown Man by Andrei Makine, and The Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka.

This week's book giveaway is Hand Me Down , the debut novel by Melanie Thorne published by Dutton earlier this year.  I've had Melanie's book in my Kindle queue for months and hope to get to it soon (it's an unfortuna...

Wrestling With Truth: HHhH by Laurent Binet

HHhH
by Laurent Binet
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Reviewed by Sam Thomas

Laurent Binet’s historical novel HHhH (Himmler’s Hird heist Heydrich, or “Himmler’s brain is named Heydrich”) is among the most original and frustrating books of 2012.  It is a story about the past and at the same time about the difficulties that authors face any time they try to write about the past.

In order to address both of these questions, Binet interweaves two narratives.  The first is a straightforward thrill...

Fobbit, the Cover

In an effort to talk exhaustively about the Novel (by now, you know which one I mean), today I'm going to give you a sneak peek at the cover.  You will, I hope, forgive me as I wring every last drop of trivia from this conversation about Fobbit .  I am, after all, a hyper-excited debut novelist and I'm only going around on this particular carousel one time, so I think I'm entitled to these spontaneous Happy Jigs at every new step of the process.  By the time the second nove...

Trailer Park Tuesday: The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

Welcome to Trailer Park Tuesday , a showcase of new book trailers and, in a few cases, previews of book-related movies.  Unless their last name is Grisham or King, authors will probably never see their trailers on the big screen at the local cineplex.  And that's a shame because a lot of hard work goes into producing these short marriages between book and video.  So, if you like what you see, please spread the word and help these videos go viral.



The premise for Stephen L. Carter...

My First Time: Gregory Spatz

My First Time is a regular feature in which writers talk about virgin experiences in their writing and publishing careers, ranging from their first rejection to the moment of holding their first published book in their hands.  Today’s guest is Gregory Spatz.  His new novel from Bellevue Literary Press is called Inukshuk .  According to the publisher, it "slips through time, powerfully evoking a modern family in distress and the legendary Sir John Franklin crew’s descent int...

Pauls Toutonghi at Evel Knievel Days

That's novelist Pauls Toutonghi sharing a laugh with one of his newest fans at Evel Knievel Days yesterday.  Pauls had a table set up just outside the Finlen Hotel in uptown Butte, Montana--midway between the Wall of Death and one of the Great Wallendas walking a tightrope 50 feet above the street.  A novelist hawking his wares at the raucous, booze-breath, creaking-leather-chaps festival might at first glance seem a little odd.  After all, who's gonna be able to read with all...

Friday Freebie: A Graywolf Threebie--Red Plenty by Francis Spufford, The Life of an Unknown Man by Andreï Makine and The Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka

Congratulations to James Stolen, winner of last week's Friday Freebie: The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows by Brian Castner.

This week's book giveaway is a triple-scoop treat from Graywolf Press : Red Plenty by Francis Spufford, The Life of an Unknown Man by Andreï Makine and The Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka.  We're well past the middle of summer and by now your "beach reads" are probably depleted.  While Graywolf books aren't exactly light brain...

Fobbit for your ears (and other related miscellany)

Thanks to Tantor Audio , Fobbit will soon be burrowing into your head through your ear canals.  Ladies and gentlemen.....

Fobbit the Audiobook
Tantor selected a wonderful narrator, David Drummond , and I'm very excited to hear his interpretation of the novel.  He and I talked on the phone this morning to discuss some of the particulars of pronunciation and voice characterization.  Apart from having a short essay of mine read on Montana Public Radio's Reflections West  program,...

Trailer Park Tuesday: Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel

Welcome to Trailer Park Tuesday , a showcase of new book trailers and, in a few cases, previews of book-related movies. Unless their last name is Grisham or King, authors will probably never see their trailers on the big screen at the local cineplex. And that's a shame because a lot of hard work goes into producing these short marriages between book and video. So, if you like what you see, please spread the word and help these videos go viral.





Self-deprecating novelists who pitch their books wi...