Introducing CHRISTMAS AND OTHER ODDITIES by William J. Vinson
If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of Christmas, and mostly wanted to read about depraved ancient festivals and human sacrifice, then look no further.
New from Last Light is Vinson’s Christmas and Other Oddities. The ancient tales and distant origins of Christmas and its traditions have long been of very little interest to the right thinking. This book seems to arm and know-it-all, the boor, the acid-tempered and other social miscreants with information designed to harass the sensibilities of the more balanced celebrants of Christmas.
Read what The London Chronicle called “A work of utter madness,” and what Lloyd’s Illustrated Newspaper hailed as “An inelegant assortment of claptrap, poppycock, balderdash and rubbish with the aftertaste of an ill-stored cod.” The Hull Packet has even described it as “Repellent tripe of the first order… a tome so vile as to shame Gutenberg himself.”
WILLIAM J. VINSON is a character of dubious origins, unusual vocations and regrettable pursuits. His other writings have even less purpose then this treatise, unless kindling is required. He has been overly educated, having received a B.A. and M.B.A. for no Earthy reasons.
QUIET AMERICANS Earns More Honors
Quiet Americans, Erika Dreifus’s powerful collection about Jewish-American experience in the wake of the Holocaust, has just celebrated its first year in print. And quite a celebration it has been!
Most recently, Quiet Americans was named one of only three Honor Titles by the judges for the Sophie Brody Medal, which is administered by the American Library Association and recognizes exceptional Jewish literature. Previously, Quiet Americans was named one of the Notable Books of 2011 by The Jewish Journal, the largest Jewish weekly outside New York City. (All of this on the heels of earlier recognition from Shelf Unbound magazine, too.)
We’re proud of Quiet Americans, and proud of Erika!
P.S. Have a couple more moments? Check out this new Quiet Americans video, too.
Ericka Lutz talks writing, field trips, and food.
Ericka Lutz talks about her upcoming novel The Edge of Maybe, her writing process, and how location and food politics are woven into her work.
You have a background writing parenting books. Is fiction new to you?
Not at all. I’ve been writing fiction seriously for over 20 years, and publishing short stories in literary journals and magazines for most of that time. Actually, I began writing parenting books as a way to support myself while I was honing my craft as a fiction and creative nonfiction writer. And I stopped writing parenting books (and advice books for teens) once I began teaching and had a source of income that was more suited to writing fiction. Because it was always hard to shut down the computer after a long day of writing nonfiction on deadline, and then boot it up again to work on my fiction.
Even though The Edge of Maybe is my first published novel, it’s the third novel I’ve written. I also have a collection of short stories (many of which have appeared in literary journals) in “the drawer.”
Besides writing nonfiction advice books, I’m also widely published as a creative nonfiction writer. Many of my essays have been anthologized, and I’ve published dozens of personal columns. For me, writing fiction and creative nonfiction is a similar process. I enjoy both – and it’s the material itself that decides whether I’ll handle the project as fiction or nonfiction.
In terms of subject matter and theme, do you find there’s a lot of crossover between your fiction and nonfiction?
Sure. I tend to work empirically, fitting the form to the content rather than the reverse, so as a result, common subjects and themes emerge no matter what form I work in. I think I tend to be interested in contemporary families, relationships, marriage, parenting, poisons, truths and lies, food, real (not fake) sex, and life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What first drew you to the conflict and characters of The Edge of Maybe?
The initial seed of the novel ended up not being in the novel at all, except as a nightmare fantasy of Adam’s. As I wrote the novel, it twisted and turned like a just-caught fish, and ended up being a very different book than I’d originally envisioned. Though the characters and plot are completely fictional, a number of the stories are real – experienced by me, people I know, and people I’ve heard of. I’ve known a number of people whose carefully constructed lives have been blown open by the appearance of a “new” family member. I was intrigued by what happens to a rather self-satisfied and progressive Bay Area family when their politically-correct ideas of inclusiveness are directly challenged – and what happens in a marriage when real issues are swept under the rug for years. Read more…
‘The Edge of Maybe’ Launch Party and Performance
On February 29th make sure to be at the Stage Werx Theatre in San Francisco for The Edge of Maybe‘s Launch Party and Performance! Ericka Lutz will be launching her novel along with performances by musicians, storytellers, comedians, and more.
This event is Wednesday, February 29th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $18-$30, and can be purchased online here.
The Edge of Maybe is an honest and passionate look at a family and the people close to it. Join Ericka for a reading, as well as performances by:
Kay DeMartini – Storyteller
Bruce Pachtman and Tom Sway – Musicians
Ira Marlowe – Singer/Songwriter
Lisa Marie Rollins – Poet/solo performer
Coke Nakamoto – dancer/solo performer
Leslie Beam – comedian
Elizabeth Bernstein – author/editor
Sara Felder – solo performer/clown
Joe Klocek – comedian
Martha Rynberg – solo performer
Clara Bellino – Singer/Songwriter
Alison Luterman – poet/playwright
Joe Loya – author/storyteller
And of course, there will be fun (and wine). For more information about Ericka Lutz and The Edge of Maybe, visit http://erickalutz.com and http://theedgeofmaybe.com.
Celebrate the Birthday of QUIET AMERICANS with a Giveaway
It’s not easy to believe, but LLS published Erika Dreifus’s short story collection, Quiet Americans, almost one whole year ago. Erika has reminded us of this impending anniversary with a generous giveaway offer: She’ll be awarding three free copies to randomly selected readers. All you need to do is follow her on Twitter or “like” her Facebook page. Check out the details in this post. Winners will be announced on January 19–the exact anniversary of the original pub date.
