Clifford Garstang's Blog, page 37
June 3, 2019
June Appearances
I made several appearances in May in support of the
publication of my novel, The Shaman of
Turtle Valley. There was a reading at New Dominion Bookshop in
Charlottesville with Lauren Camp, then my book launch celebration at Ox-Eye
Vineyards Tasting Room in Staunton. I also spoke to one of the local Rotary
Clubs about my work and even visited Redbeard Brewing for their first
Meet-the-author event.
I’ve got several events lined up for June, and to see a
complete list of my future appearances you can check out the Events page on my website.
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First up is an appearance at Fountain Books in Richmond, where
I’ll be in conversation with my friend Valerie Nieman, who is also promoting a
new novel. Please join us at 6:30 pm on June 13. I hope all my Richmond friends
can come out.
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The following week I’ll be in New York participating in a
great group reading in the #YeahYouWrite
series at Bo’s Kitchen and Bar. I’m honored to be reading with Will Allison,
Myla Goldberg, Jonathan Durbin, and Kelly Fordon. Plus, it’s a great place, 6
W. 24th St.
And then on Saturday, June 22, I’ll be in Winchester VA as
part of the 1455
Author Series. 1455 (formerly known as Virginia Center for the Literary
Arts) is a new literary organization that hosts lots of events, a literary
festival, and residencies for writers.
I hope to see you at one of these events!
p.s. I’m looking to schedule more events for the rest of the
year. If you know of a reading series or bookstore looking for readers, or a
book club looking for an author, please leave a comment below or check out the
contact page for an email address.
June 1, 2019
2019 Reading–May
It’s been another big reading month for me, although June
could be shaping up to be a lot bigger.
[image error]Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Probably the best of my May reading was Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson, the illustrated biography of
the great Leonardo da Vinci who was born near Florence, Italy in 1452. I was
audio-reading, but I also got the book out of the library because of the
illustrations (audio-readers can download a pdf with the illustrations). I
confess I haven’t been very specifically aware of Leonardo other than the “Mona
Lisa” (which I saw in the Louvre years ago) and when I visit museums I
generally avoid that period of art because I like to spend more time with late
19th and early 20th Century works, but his variety of
genius—engineering designs, anatomical study, etc—is fascinating. I also
learned a lot about 15th and 16th Century Italy, which I’d
never given much thought to before. Also, it turns out that Michelangelo,
Leonardo’s younger rival, was kind of a jerk. Who knew?
[image error]Severance by Ling Ma
My book club read Severance
by Ling Ma for May. The novel deals with a devastating plague of something
called Shen Fever—an airborne illness that scientists believe originated in
Shenzhen, China—that has either killed or infected a huge number of people,
turning them into zombie-like creatures until they, inevitably, die. Candace Chen,
a young woman working in New York, is among a small band of survivors that is
looting homes and stores for provisions (and also killing the infected, which
the self-appointed leader of the group considers merciful). Interspersed with
this forward moving story is a lot (too much, in my opinion) of backstory—about
her family, her ex-boyfriend (father of her unborn child), and job. I didn’t
care for the novel’s structure or the story. It’s interesting, though, that
this is the third novel I’ve read in the past year set or partially set in
Fuzhou, China.
[image error]Bound by Jim McKean
Last year, Jim McKean sent me his latest essay collection, Bound. I’m glad I finally moved it to
the top of the stack and read these fine pieces. The book deals a lot with
memories, many of them surfacing as a result of discovered objects—old
photographs, for example. McKean is a fine writer and observer.
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Poetry month is over, but I do like to read some poetry
every morning before I start work. This month I read Let’s Sit Down, Figure This Out by Grant Kittrell. I picked this up
when Grant did a reading here in Staunton with another poet I know. I would
describe these pieces as surreal prose poems, as they are without line breaks
and also quickly leave the realistic realm. Always interesting and
thought-provoking, usually puzzling.
[image error]Singapore Dream by Hermann Hesse
Partly because I’ve always been kind of obsessed with him and partly because of the title—which makes it research for my new book—I read Singapore Dream by Herman Hesse. I loved the book, because it’s a wonderful way to see into the man’s thinking at an important time of his development as a writer. The book is mostly non-fiction, although there are some poems and one short story, about his trip to Asia in 1911.
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The non-profit theater I’m on the board of is entering a
strategic planning phase and we’ll be using Michael M. Kaiser’s Strategic Planning in the Arts as a
guide, so I read that. It’s not exactly exciting reading, but it’s a real nuts
and bolts guide and it should be of use to us.
[image error]End Times by Phyllis Duncan
My friend Phyllis Duncan writes spy thrillers and I read one
of hers, the first in a series: End Times.
Because it is the first volume in a series, it isn’t entirely self-contained,
which is a drawback. But the two main characters (also encountered in a
previous book of Duncan’s), Mai and Alexei, are intriguing spies. Throughout,
the dialogue is slick and fast-paced, a real strength of the book.
[image error]Growing Things by Paul Tremblay
I’m reviewing a book of horror stories, Growing Things by Paul Tremblay. Horror has never been my favorite genre, but these are fine stories. It’s just that spooky and unexplained stuff happens—monsters in swamps, unstoppable weeds that are choking every living thing on the planet, some unspecified cataclysmic event, etc. It’s somewhat amusing that some of the stories seem to be about Tremblay himself, or feature a writer of horror stories.
On to the reading for June!
May 20, 2019
Reviews and Interviews
I’ve done a number of interviews in connection with the launch of The Shaman of Turtle Valley, but the one I did for Hasty Book List made me think. What fictional character would I like to be stuck in an elevator with? Favorite artist? Last book I read? These are questions I don’t usually get asked, so it was fun to come up with the answers. Read the whole interview here.
And a review:
The Midwest Book Review had this to say about The Shaman of Turtle Valley
All the more impressive when considering that “The Shaman of Turtle Valley” is short story author Clifford Garstang debut as a full-length novelist, this exceptionally original, deftly crafted and heart-rending story is embedded with truly memorable characters which are Garstang’s literary hallmark. A thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover, “The Shaman of Turtle Valley” is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
May 15, 2019
Book Launched!
The official publication date for The Shaman of Turtle Valley was yesterday, May 14, 2019. To celebrate, I reserved the upstairs gallery space at Ox-Eye Vineyards Tasting Room, a beautiful historic building in downtown Staunton, VA. I arranged for Stacks Foods to cater hors d’ oeuvres. I asked Stone Soup Books to handle book sales. And I invited lots of local people and, more or less, the general public. Then I waited to see if anyone would show up. (It’s hard to get people to come out to literary events, I’ve found.)
[image error]photo by Lindsay Curren
[image error]photo by Lindsay Curren
However, it was a wonderful evening. Many of my local friends came. They had to listen to me read a couple of short sections from the book and talk a little about my inspiration, but fortunately, they had food to eat and wine to drink while that was happening. And then many people bought books, which was extremely gratifying. I was so busy signing and inscribing books I didn’t get to eat until I took the leftovers home!
[image error]“Bookies”
For my last book, one of my friends had a cake made with an
edible book cover for icing. This time, my publicist sent me “bookies”—cookies with
book cover icing.
I’ve got more events coming up this month and next, but
there’s nothing like the launch party. I had a great time and I really
appreciate all my friends who came out.
May 14, 2019
Publication Day!
Today, May 14, 2019, is Publication Day for The Shaman of Turtle Valley.
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ORDERING INFORMATION
You can order the book from the publisher: Braddock
Avenue Books.
You can also order from your favorite Independent
Bookstore. (Or stop into the store and ask them to get it for
you.)
You can buy in-store or on-line from Barnes
& Noble.
Check out the great books, including The Shaman of Turtle Valley, you can
order from Small
Press Distribution.
And, of course, the book is also available from Amazon.com.
If you’d like to get a signed copy or hear me read
from the book, please come to one of my events scheduled in May and beyond. I’m
adding more events all the time, so for a complete list, please visit my Events Calendar.
I’ve got several appearances scheduled in Virginia and New York, and I hope to
add Chicago, North Carolina, and Indiana in the near future.
May 13, 2019
5 Books for $53 from Press 53
On Press 53 Day (that’s 5/3, or May 3rd), Press 53 announced an incredible special deal for the whole month of May: 5 books for $53 (shipping and handling included). You could get five winners of the Press 53 Award for Short Fiction. Or five winners of the Press 53 Award for Poetry. Or five other books that Press 53 has published.
Now, there are lots of wonderful books to choose from, and I
encourage you to browse the entire catalog, but as it happens I
personally have five titles from Press 53, and you could get all of them with
this amazing deal:
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In an
Uncharted Country, a collection of linked short stories set in rural
Virginia.
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What
the Zhang Boys Know, a novel in stories set in Washington DC (and
winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction.
And the three-volume anthology series, Everywhere
Stories: Short Fiction From a Small Planet. (Each volume includes 20
stories set in 20 countries by 20 authors.) See also: Volume
II and Volume
III.
May 8, 2019
A Perfect Book Club Read
Amy Hawes of Book Club Babble says, “THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY is a brilliant and subtle novel, making it a perfect book club read!” She also says, “Clifford Garstang’s poignant telling of this story of loss, superstition, and family secrets leaves a mark on the soul.” You can read more of her comments and an interview with me at Book Club Babble.
I don’t know about the soul, but I do think there would be a lot in this book for a club to discuss, and if schedules and distance permit, I’d be delighted to join you (in person or by Skype). You can contact me in the comments below or at info@cliffordgarstang.com.
May 7, 2019
Pre-publication Buzz
Publication day for The
Shaman of Turtle Valley is just one week away and it’s been getting a
little attention online.
TripFiction
printed a piece I wrote about the importance of setting in my work, and
specifically how my living and travels in Korea are utilized in the new book: Talking
Location with Author Clifford Garstang.
AuthorLink’s Ellen
Birkett Morris did an interview with me: The
Shaman of Turtle Valley Explores Cultural Differences.
Cagibi, an online literary magazine, published an excerpt
from the book.
Curtis Smith of JMWW
did an interview with me: The
Shaman of Community: An Interview with Clifford Garstang.
Authors ‘Round the South printed a piece I wrote about the
importance of independent bookstores: Independent
Bookstores and the Writer-Reader Connection.
The Green Study had nice things to say about the book in the
context of the debut novel: Fearless
Friday: Beginnings.
You can order the book from the publisher, Braddock
Avenue Books, Amazon,
or your local Independent
Bookstore.
May 1, 2019
2019 Reading–April
This month I managed to read a few things I’ve been wanting to get to for a long time, as well as a couple of recent acquisitions.
[image error]The Library Book by Susan Orlean
The Library Book by Susan Orlean was my book club’s selection for April. Focused on the Los Angeles Central Library and the 1986 fire that did extensive damage to the building and its contents, the book explores the history of that library and, less fully, libraries in general. Orlean is a fine writer and she makes this dry topic somewhat interesting. She inserts herself into the story by describing her interviews with various librarians and investigators, rather than simply reporting what they had to say. At one point, when she is observing a social services event at the library she is pressed into service and becomes a part of the event, rather than just a reporter. I did find it interesting that the location of the library was very close to my office in LA when I worked downtown in 1990-91. I guess I was working hard because I can’t say I was even aware of it, although it was, apparently, under re-construction that year, so I wouldn’t have been able to visit even I’d known about it.
[image error]Speech Minus Applause by Jim Peterson
Speech Minus Applause
by Jim Peterson is a book of poetry published by Press 53 that I picked up when
the author, whom I’d met briefly several years ago, did a reading here in
Staunton. The poems are lyrical and personal. I found one, “Dead Ringer,” about
the poet’s relationship with his father, especially moving.
[image error]Wind/Pinball by Haruki Murakami
Wind/Pinball by
Haruki Murakami was my first foray into this author’s novels. I have several
very smart friends who are Murakami fans, so I thought it was about time I gave
him a try in the longer form, although I’d read a few of his short stories (or
novel excerpts) that The New Yorker
published. The book is actually two novellas, “Hear the Wind Sing” and
“Pinball, 1973,” Murakami’s first works. They are probably important to read to
get a complete sense of his work, but standing alone they didn’t do much for
me. “Pinball, 1973,” unlike the first novella in the book, does have something
of a plot as the narrator goes in search of a particular obscure pinball
machine. (As a pinball addict in college I could relate to that.)
[image error]Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run by
Bruce Springsteen—the audiobook version, narrated by Springsteen himself—was a
revelation. Although there are at times long passages where he turns inward and
stays there, these are balanced by fascinating details of his career, early
disappointments, building his band, finding support, recording, touring, and
also his personal life, especially his relationship with his wife Patti. It’s
almost a shock to discover that this rock icon is a human being. Great book.
[image error]May Darkness Restore by Sean Sexton
May Darkness Restore
by Sean Sexton is a book of poetry I picked up at the High Road Festival of
Poetry and Short Fiction and is published by Press 53. Sexton read from this
book and some earlier work and I was fascinated with the subject matter. A
farmer and rancher, Sexton writes about his work, about calves and fences and
being a cowboy, and the poems felt very real to me. I have a friend who raises
cattle—definitely not a poetry reader—so I got the book for him and read it
before I handed it over. (Although he may have struggled with some of the
poems, he told me he definitely could relate.)
[image error]Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee was something of a disappointment after all the praise the book received. My expectations were very high. I think my reaction might have something to do with the fact that as a student of Korean history it felt familiar to me, whereas for many readers the glimpse into Korean life is new. The novel takes place during the Japanese occupation of Korea and into the postwar period in Japan when a Korean woman goes with her husband to find work in Osaka. Koreans were treated terribly in Japan during this period (and perhaps still), and maybe this comes as a surprise to some. But I also had trouble with the melodramatic plot and, as a writer, with the way the story was told. Still, I found the characters and setting intriguing and I’m glad I read it. (Plus, I love the game of pachinko; see my comments about its cousin pinball above.)
[image error]Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid won the LA Times Book Prize last year. It’s about Saeed and Nadia, lovers in the midst of a civil war in an unnamed country (Hamid is Pakistani), find a door through which they can flee to safety. There are other doors, apparently, but theirs takes them to Mykonos, but when that proves difficult, they find another door that takes them to London. At each stop, they encounter other migrants from all over the world who are fleeing one terror or another, but they also meet some in the West who seek to go the other way. The magical realism aspect of the doors reminded me in some ways of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, but in the end, I’m not completely sure what to take away from this book.
April 22, 2019
T-minus 22 Days to Liftoff
My new book, The Shaman of Turtle Valley, has an official publication date of May 14, just over three weeks from now. With the help of my publisher and publicist, I’ve been getting ready for the big day, writing articles, doing interviews, scheduling appearances, and generally making a nuisance of myself on social media.
Although it has an official
publication date, pre-orders from the publisher have apparently begun to ship,
and for now they’re still
accepting pre-orders. (I have already heard from a couple of readers who
love the book, which is comforting.) I think the book is shipping from Small
Press Distribution, but won’t be available from Amazon
and Barnes & Noble and Independent Bookstores
until mid-May, although you can certainly (please) pre-order if you have a mind
to.
But if you want to get a signed copy (collectors’ items!
investments! gifts!), you might want to attend one of the events I’ve got
planned in the coming months, some of which I’m listing below. (And you can
always check my Events Calendar
to see what’s been added or updated.)
Saturday, May 11,
7:00 pm, New
Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville. I’ll be reading with the poet Lauren Camp at one of the best
bookstores around. Technically this is a pre-publication event, but books will
be available for purchase (including my earlier books, in case you need to get
one of those).
Tuesday, May 14,
6:00 pm, Ox-Eye
Vineyards Tasting Room, Staunton. Publication Day! To celebrate the launch
of TSOTV, I’ve reserved the gallery
space on the second floor of the Ox-Eye Tasting Room. Wine will be available
for purchase and there will be food from Stacks. Book sales will be handled by
Stone Soup Books. All are welcome, but if you plan to purchase a book, I’d love
it if you’d let me know (cliffgarstang@gmail.com)
so I can be sure that the book seller has enough copies on hand. I’ll read a
little and talk a little, but this is mostly a day to celebrate.
Tuesday, May 21,
12:00 pm. I’ll be speaking to the Staunton
Rotary Luncheon. Books will be available purchase.
Monday, May 27,
3:00 pm, Redbeard Brewing, Staunton. It’s
Memorial Day! Come down to Redbeard Brewing for their new Meet the Author
program. Books will be available for purchase.
Thursday, June 13,
6:30 pm, Fountain
Books, Richmond. I’ll be reading with novelist and poet Valerie Nieman.
Tuesday, June 18,
6:30 pm, Bo’s
Kitchen & Bar, New York City. I’ll be joining writers Myla Goldberg,
Will Allison, Jonathan Durbin, and Kelly Fordon in the #YeahYouWrite series.
Saturday, June 22,
3:00 pm, Handley Library, Winchester, VA. I’ll be the featured author for the
Virginia Center for Literary Arts reading series.
