Readings, Rated
Elizabeth Hand and Matthew Sharpe
Photo of E. Hand courtesy of Locus; M. Sharpe courtesy of Small Spiral Notebook
Date: Monday, May 12, 2008
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Book Cellar
Generation Loss and Jamestown were not only two of the most engaging American novels published last year, but also two of the more entertaining literary meditations on violence released in recent memory.
Loss bears the distinction of being the only postpunk hardboiled mystery in existence (please correct me if there’s one I don’t know about). I would have loved it only for the way Hand seamlessly name-drops John Holstrom, but her queasy-making depictions of blood, guts, violence and decay send her off into Blood Meridian Land, and to really good effect. I’ve never read George Pelicanos, but I would think this is George Pelicanos for music geeks.
And Jamestown is just flat-out hilarious. I remember being really afraid to start it, since I lurved Sharpe’s first book, The Sleeping Father, and I feared a sophomore slump. But it was not to be! It was great!
Don’t miss it, kids. Super awesome double-headers like this don’t come along that frequently.
The link to comment box for the University of Chicago library article is broken so I’m using this one. I can’t resist pointing this out. I too love Morningstar products (the mushroom veggie burger my fave as if you cared) but I’m delighted to point out that it’s not that Morningstar. The benefactor is founder of Morningstar investments and mutual funds, a self-made multi-millionaire from investments, not a vegetarian food company guy, but still, he must be cool to pay this much for the new library and have Helmut Jahn design it.
HA! First, I’d like to apologize for taking so long to reply to your comment — I’ve been on vacation for a bit. Second, thanks for pointing that out, but I have to admit I’m terribly dissappointed!