What's in a title?
A few people have asked me about the title of my book This Freshest Hell. The idea came from my publisher Linda Nix at Lacuna Publishing, as a play on a brilliant quote by a brilliant writer, Dorothy Parker.
The story goes that when a phone call rudely interrupted her train of thought while writing, Dorothy answered with, “What fresh hell can this be?” She then took to answering all phone calls with this quote, which over time became “What fresh hell is this?”, the title of her 1987 biography.
My publisher chose This Freshest Hell as quite an apt title for the book, in many ways, as the story follows the main characters Lily and Maggie from one “fresh hell” to the next. And as a writer I can thoroughly relate to both being bothered by interruptions, and to Dorothy’s outlook on life. The controversial Oscar-nominated 1920s writer, poet, screenwriter and critic was known for her acerbic wit and cynicism, and the activism that eventually landed her on the Hollywood blacklist. She was a gem of the literary world then, and will hopefully long be remembered for pearls of verse such as:
I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I’m under the table,
After four I’m under my host.
You can now order This Freshest Hell at your local bookshop, or online from the publisher Lacuna direct, Australian $20 plus shipping; Abbeys A$18 plus shipping; Booktopia A$35.95 plus shipping; The Nile A$27.31 with free shipping in Australia; Angus & Robertson A$39.99 with free shipping in Australia; Fishpond A$27.91 with free shipping in Australia; Barnes and Noble US$17.28 with free shipping in US; Amazon.com US$17.28 plus shipping; Amazon.co.uk £12.00 with free shipping in UK; and The Book Depository £12 with free shipping worldwide.
The story goes that when a phone call rudely interrupted her train of thought while writing, Dorothy answered with, “What fresh hell can this be?” She then took to answering all phone calls with this quote, which over time became “What fresh hell is this?”, the title of her 1987 biography.
My publisher chose This Freshest Hell as quite an apt title for the book, in many ways, as the story follows the main characters Lily and Maggie from one “fresh hell” to the next. And as a writer I can thoroughly relate to both being bothered by interruptions, and to Dorothy’s outlook on life. The controversial Oscar-nominated 1920s writer, poet, screenwriter and critic was known for her acerbic wit and cynicism, and the activism that eventually landed her on the Hollywood blacklist. She was a gem of the literary world then, and will hopefully long be remembered for pearls of verse such as:
I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I’m under the table,
After four I’m under my host.
You can now order This Freshest Hell at your local bookshop, or online from the publisher Lacuna direct, Australian $20 plus shipping; Abbeys A$18 plus shipping; Booktopia A$35.95 plus shipping; The Nile A$27.31 with free shipping in Australia; Angus & Robertson A$39.99 with free shipping in Australia; Fishpond A$27.91 with free shipping in Australia; Barnes and Noble US$17.28 with free shipping in US; Amazon.com US$17.28 plus shipping; Amazon.co.uk £12.00 with free shipping in UK; and The Book Depository £12 with free shipping worldwide.
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