>New York Times Reviews

>As hard as it is to get reviewed these days–declining space for book talk in print publication–it is wonderful to see reviews in The New York Times in recent days of books by three friends.

Two weeks ago, Anthony Doerr reviewed Josh Weil‘s The New Valley, a collection of three novellas: Hill Country Blues. Among other nice things, Doerr says, “Keep writing novellas, Josh Weil, because you write very good ones. You think on it, and we’ll watch.”

Then Gaiutra Bahadur reviewed Laila Lalami‘s Secret Son, her new novel set in Morocco: Vulnerable in Morocco. Bahadur says, “Secret Son is a nuanced depiction of the roots of Islamic terrorism, written by someone who intimately knows one of the stratified societies where it grows.”

And now we have Janet Maslin’s review of Ron Currie Jr.‘s Everything Matters, due out next week: The Sky is Falling Soon! (And Junior is Agitated). “Mr. Currie is a startlingly talented writer whose book will pay no heed to ordinary narrative conventions. His thoughts on cosmic doom somehow take the form of a joyride. He survives the inevitable, apt comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut and writes in a tenderly mordant voice of his own.”

I have some very talented friends!

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

Comments

  1. >Look forward to seeing the good reviews you generate, oh talented friend.

    Hooked up with Annette in Amsterdam this past weekend. She had organized an art opening for Breyten Breytenbach–the poet that taught in Mexico. Very intense material.

  2. >Breyten's a brilliant man. Did you meet him? That's cool that you and Annette are friends . . .

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.