Harry Dolan: Bad Things Happen
BAD THINGS HAPPEN is a nifty debut, cleverly told and unfurled from the very first line: "The shovel has to meet certain requirements" on through meeting "the man who calls himself David Loogan." There are reasons for concealment, just as there are reasons the editor of a mystery magazine bearing little resemblance to EQMM or AHMM might bring him into the fold, thus catalyzing a series of murderous events. The twists come quickly and the dialogue is sharp and if it falls apart slightly at the end, no matter - I want to read much more from Dolan from now on.
Ian MacKenzie: City of Strangers: A Novel
MacKenzie's debut novel reminded me a lot of Paul Auster's NEW YORK TRILOGY, whether it was intended or not, in terms of his choice of words, the thrust of the narrative and the existential nature of the main character (whose first name, incidentally, is Paul) caught up in a snowballing sequence of strange and violent events in and around New York City. MacKenzie straddles the line between thriller and internal examination of a man's failings, and his ability to do so establishes him as a young writer of serious talent and future.
Megan Abbott: Bury Me Deep
In a word: amazing. In more words: Megan Abbott, who has never delivered anything less than an excellent novel, exceeds expectations and takes a very bold and very necessary step forward both in the quality of the prose, the development of her characters and especially in portraying how obsession seeps into the very soul of people, transforming them into their worst nightmares all too easily. Just read this book. And then tell many others to do so as well.
Ninni Holmqvist: The Unit
Understandably, echoes of THE HANDMAID'S TALE are hard to ignore in this dystopic examination of a society where fertility is so high a priority that older, single, marginal women are shut away in secret locales to live out the rest of their lives in seemingly perfect harmony - at least, until the "donations" begin. But Holmqvist's marvelous book doesn't browbeat her thesis into the reader and smartly expands her ideas to look at the plight of all marginalized folk, women and men alike, and how the promise of comforts can be the most horrifying of all. Prepare to be disturbed, but prepare further to think about the ramifications.
Paula Froelich: Mercury in Retrograde
This is possibly the most perfect novel for today's economically challenged times. Why? Because it has plenty of glitz and glamor and blind items, as befitting a narrative by the deputy editor of Page Six, but Froelich isn't arch or snarky or acid-tongued in the slightest. Her trio of protagonists land in all manner of embarrassing situations but they aren't played for mean-spirited laughs. The New York here is something of a fantasy-land, but not so far off the mark that it's completely unbelievable. Most of all it's clear Froelich remains sincere and optimistic about her chosen city, and has retained her sense of fun. So no need to check your brain at the door, but sometimes it just needs to chill out and relax.
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So in looking at the interview lineup for the month of May over at the Kacey Kowars Show, one isn't quite like the others:
May 2: Caroline Leavitt
May 9: Lee Martin
May 16: Michael Connelly
May 23: John Dunning
May 30: Me
But what the hell, right? And truth is, it was great fun and Kowars kept a nice balance between obvious questions and follow-up.
The interview should be up at the main link later today. Enjoy.
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» Sarah Weinmann Interview from NYC Photo
Over on Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, Sarah has an entry on a great online interview she did for the Kacey Kowers Show. Check out both Sarah's entry and the link to Kasey's site. The interview has a lot of... [Read More]
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Excellent job Sarah....
Posted by: Dave White | May 30, 2005 at 09:56 AM
Sarah, after all this time its finally great to hear your voice, kind of like I imaged it to be. great interview!
Posted by: Aldo | May 30, 2005 at 10:16 AM
What the hell kind of interview was that???
No mention of Cambodian midgets, no mention of iguanas, no mention of ME!
Sheesh.
I liked hearing your voice, though.
Posted by: Guyot | May 30, 2005 at 11:47 AM
That is so cool. It does sound like you, but with a slight difference brought on by the fact that its through the phone.
Posted by: Mary | May 30, 2005 at 12:57 PM
How come you never say 'Aboot?' in this interview? Where's the oot and abooting?
You come across well - no nervous tremor at all. You've done this before, right? Good interview.
Posted by: Stuart MacBride | May 30, 2005 at 02:20 PM
Your voice is like a symphony written by Mozart. Except without, you know, basoons and stuff.
Posted by: JDRhoades | May 30, 2005 at 04:35 PM
Great questions. Perfect answers. You did a fantastic job. Made me wish I could continue the conversation.
Posted by: Becky | May 30, 2005 at 05:12 PM
Great interview, Sarah. You speak like you write (a rare achievement, in my experience) - articulate and thoughtful.
Posted by: Emily | May 30, 2005 at 08:11 PM
Great range of topics covered in a relatively short interview. Fantastic job, Sarah!
Posted by: Tania | May 31, 2005 at 05:05 AM
Great range and depth, indeed.
Posted by: Gerald So | May 31, 2005 at 10:21 AM
Very cool. Nicely done.
Posted by: Anthony Rainone | May 31, 2005 at 01:17 PM
sarah, your voice is like a smooth cup of coffee on a brisk fall day...
Posted by: christin | May 31, 2005 at 04:40 PM
How does one add to the many compliments already received? I'll just add that you were terrific. But then, could we expect less?
Posted by: Elaine Flinn | May 31, 2005 at 11:25 PM
Good work SW!
Keep up the good work
Ali
Posted by: Ali | June 06, 2005 at 12:42 PM