There might be some wonderful piece of writing latent in that newspaper item I saw the other day about the Korean fellow who fell off the ship and then grabbed onto a giant sea turtle and rode him for several days before he was picked up. That is wonderful to me. What must that man have felt? What must the turtle have felt? What must they have felt together?
Monthly Archive for January, 2012
David’s life becomes increasingly weird as he wanders his now unfamiliar home, struggling to tease out the details of his past life and whether his wife is dead with what little is left of his fractured mind. The book is a series of short, disjointed, and unchronological chapters. The story can seem labyrinthine at times, but the narrative arc acts as a clever reflection of David’s own developing mental illness. Gradually, as with any good detective novel, the pieces come together. What would have seemed gimmicky in the hands of a less skilled writer becomes a cunning whodunit with Gray (Museum of the Weird) at the reins. This is an innovative debut novel featuring a most unreliable (and compelling) narrator.
I’m back after a week-long celebratory Pop-Tart binge following the announcement that I’m one of the LA Times Faces to Watch 2012. Todd Zuniga and Shalom Auslander also made the books page.
THERE'S OUR POTATO HEAD
Thanks so much to Carolyn Kellogg for the kind words inside. I’ve just been bowled over by the kindness I’ve seen in this city. From the lady who did my smog inspection, to new friends who are already becoming good friends, to my building manager, to the guy who walks his weird fat dog down my street at night, I’ve had such a warm welcome here and I’m so grateful.
More good news for the New Year: I’m also on Flavorpill’s Most Anticipated Books of 2012 list, along with Adam Levin and Shane Jones. Great work, everyone!
