Parakeet Brings out the Delightfully Weird, Unexpectedly Wise Side of Marie-Helene Bertino, by Taylor Hickney

Cultural Cross Sections Taylor Hickney In this profile, one of Marie-Helene Bertino’s students at the New School provides a personal glimpse of the author, whose new novel, Parakeet, was published June 2. On the evening of the National Book Awards, Marie-Helene Bertino strolled into our workshop ready for the after party adorned in a gold, sequined ball gown and black hoodie. There was already an electric air in the program that night, because we, her students—mostly aspiring and emerging writers—were impressed to know the faculty invited or involved in what we perceived as a night for authors who’ve Made It. Her hair had been curled—it was typically pin-straight—and accented with a rose behind her ear. She laughed and blushed at the compliments and laid her small, gold watch on the table next to her notes as she does in every class she teaches. She commands the space in a room: even with five minutes left before the start, our chitchat dies down, our attention drawn to her because she gives it back to us. Even with five minutes left before the start, our chitchat dies down, our attention drawn to her because she gives it back to us. On June 2, her second novel, Parakeet, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, hit the shelves. In the book, a soon-to-be-wed woman known only as “the bride” is confronted by her late grandmother, who takes the form of a bird. Her grandmother tells her to seek out her estranged brother, a reclusive... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-04 19:40:55 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Parakeet Brings out the Delightfully Weird, Unexpectedly Wise Side of Marie-Helene Bertino, by Taylor Hickney"


‘Wicked Fox’ is an engrossing – if convoluted – YA fantasy

Kat Cho’s debut novel “Wicked Fox” is a little complicated, but the poignantly rendered family relationships and fantasy drama are worth the ride. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-08-22 23:52:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘Wicked Fox’ is an engrossing – if convoluted – YA fantasy

Kat Cho’s debut novel “Wicked Fox” is a little complicated, but the poignantly rendered family relationships and fantasy drama are worth the ride. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-08-22 23:52:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Nigerian American in Utah Strives to Be ‘A Particular Kind of Black Man’

Tope Folarin’s debut novel is all at once a search for identity, an immigrant story, and a bildungsroman. A Particular Kind of Black Man follows Tunde Akintola, a Nigerian American in a small town in Utah. Torn between the culture of his Nigerian parents, and the white Mormon culture of Utah,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-08-21 11:00:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


John Murray signs Gallen's 'darkly comic' debut

​John Murray will publish Michelle Gallen's "darkly comic" debut novel set on the Irish border.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-20 14:25:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this


More than 'story, bonking, story': why you've never heard of Australia's best-selling authors

In pushing the romance genre aside, Australia’s publishing industry sent its most successful writers to pursue their careers abroadNalini Singh is trying to convince me to read a love story starring bears. The tiny author is tucked up under a huge scarf in a cafe on a freezing August day in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-08-17 22:00:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Shaun Hamill Has a Scary Story to Tell You

His debut novel ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ is both a horror novel and a rich love story, told with tenderness and brimming with darkness. The post Shaun Hamill Has a Scary Story to Tell You appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2019-08-16 10:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Revisiting ‘The Tiger’s Wife’ and the Balkan Wars

In Téa Obreht’s 2011 debut novel “The Tiger’s Wife,” a young doctor untangles the peculiar circumstances of her grandfather’s recent death. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-08-16 09:00:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Obituary: Toni Morrison (18/02/1931-05/08/19)

Four publishing industry figures pay tribute to and share their recollections of acclaimed author and the first African-American Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-15 22:10:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this


2019 Writer’s Digest Annual Conference Pitch Slam Agents

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry, and more than 50 literary agents and editors will be listening to pitches at the 2019 Writer's Digest Annual Conference as part of its popular Pitch Slam program. Here are a few Pitch Slam agents who have been featured on Publishing... Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-08-14 13:31:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


O'Keeffe debut goes to Coronet

Coronet has snapped up the “big-hearted” debut novel from journalist Alice O’Keeffe, inspired by her experience of becoming a parent. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-14 11:36:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


IPA Outlines a First Middle East Regional Seminar in Amman

In a first-time focus on the Middle East's publishing industry, the International Publishers Association is planning a regional event in the Jordanian capital. The post IPA Outlines a First Middle East Regional Seminar in Amman appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-13 13:55:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


UK’s Publishers Association Leads ‘Axe the Reading Tax’ Campaign

With Brexit looming larger as the UK's new government takes charge, the publishing industry steps up its drive to drop the VAT on digital reading. The post UK’s Publishers Association Leads ‘Axe the Reading Tax’ Campaign appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-12 05:30:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Mystery Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Find mystery literary agents open to submissions in this post. List will be updated regularly. The post Mystery Literary Agents Open to Submissions by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-08-07 14:00:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Romance Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Find romance literary agents open to submissions in this post. List will be updated regularly. The post Romance Literary Agents Open to Submissions by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-08-05 14:46:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Two Families Linked By Secrets, Deaths, and Regrets

Regina Porter’s debut novel The Travelers includes short chapters, photos, and a compendium of voices—a full cast is listed in the front matter. This includes the Vincents, with patriarch “the man James” and his son Rufus; the Christies, headed by Eddie and Agnes with their daughters Claudia... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-08-05 11:00:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Kissick wins W&A Working-Class Writers’ Prize

Lucy Kissick’s debut novel Plutoshine has won the inaugural Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers’ Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-04 19:06:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Danskin and Parry's literary magazine beats Kickstarter target

A new Scottish literary magazine from Golden Hare Books manager Julie Danskin and writer Heather Parry has sailed past its Kickstarter target. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-04 14:37:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Nonfiction Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Find nonfiction literary agents open to submissions in this post. List will be updated regularly. The post Nonfiction Literary Agents Open to Submissions by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-08-02 14:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Emily Cook on the Art of Getting Books into Bookstores

There are more than 200,000 books being published each year. For host Mitchell Kaplan, “One of the questions that I’m asked more than anything else as a bookseller is: how do you find out about all the books that you carry in your stores?” This week on The Literary Life, his guest is publishing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-02 08:46:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this


7 Books About Past Decades That Feel Like Traveling Back in Time

The Amazon review for my debut novel was glowing, including words like “compelling” and “fun.” And then there was this: “If you love historical fiction, you’ll love The Last Book Party.” Say what? How could my novel, which is set during the 1980s—a decade of my own youth—be historical fiction?... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-08-01 11:00:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this