I’m honored to be doing my first open public reading at First Friday in Las Vegas. I’ll be joined by pop up poet Andrew Clark. I’ll be sampling from my short story collection, which is loosely inspired by my Cuban family. Should be a good literary time.
The editors at Brain, Child named my essay, “The Biggest Baby,” one of their favorites from 2013. Check out the list of their picks and read the essay here.
Raising three girls in Las Vegas poses a few interesting challenges of the buck naked kind. So, of course, I wrote about them. And Brain, Child was kind enough to print the article along with a snazzy illustration. It’s in the winter 2013 issue. Unfortunately, you can’t read it online yet, but if you’re interested, the magazine is well worth its newsstand price.
Check out Brain, Child on the web.
Or as literary as a major, mainstream morning show can get. I’m really excited that the “Today Show” will be highlighting authors. Anything that encourages people to have a dialogue about books is a wonderful thing. The first pick is The Bone Season, a dystopian novel by debut author Samantha Shannon. I have not read it and so I cannot comment on it. I do appreciate that the first book is by a debut author. A 21-year-old Oxford grad, Ms. Shannon sold a 7-part fantasy series to Bloomsbury. Some are saying she might be the next JK Rowling.
So kudos to “Today” for showcasing books. I do hope, however, that they also look to the wonderful books being put out by independent presses for future selections. Soho Press. Dzanc. Two Buck Radio. Graywolf. Red Hen. There are so many quality literary works that could use the gargantuan publicity a “Today Show” plug would bestow. And I think the reading public deserves some variety.
See the interview which aired Aug 20th. You might also want to mark your calendars for a Google Hangout on September 16th where readers can ask the author direct questions, much like a bookstore reading.
Every once in a while you come across a line that you wish you wrote. This happened last night while reading Matt Bell’s In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods. The line I fell in love with:
…and all this upon that other sunnier shore, where it was not always summer but where often it was summer enough.
The way lament and contentment tug at each within this phrase in such an emotionally precise way left me in total awe.
As for the novel as a whole, it is quite possibly the strangest novel I’ve ever read. The beautiful language and sheer oddness of it is pretty compelling though. And the unflinching look at an unraveling marriage is in many ways enhanced by the mythic world the author has created. It’s a book worth checking out even if just to study the language.
Being a writer leaves you feeling like the last kid to get picked on the playground. A lot. Occasionally, someone of some import taps you on the shoulder and says: yeah, sure, you’re okay. Thank you NAC for the recognition. I’m thrilled to be a 2014 fellow.