Maybe Death Wishing will turn out to be the little novel that could. The book tour season was energetic, followed by a sleepy summer of putting together a collection of short stories, and now I am really pleased to see that my novel, which came out last October, is still on some reader’s minds. Here’s an excerpt from a new review by Joseph Clifford from The Ampersand Review that takes a tough look at the novel’s post-Katrina context:
Katrina made us look at American life differently, and not just in terms of FEMA (here lampooned by the T-shirt Victor wears: Find Every Mexican Available). However undesirable, catastrophe presents the opportunity to evolve. This is certainly what happens with Victor, who comes to realize that his love for Pebbles betrays selfishness; the higher calling demands altruism and guidance.
Reviews and other kinds of press coverage, at this late stage in the life of a novel, are wonderful. But I’m also really surprised and pleased by the folks who are coming up to me and saying things like, “We were talking about your book at dinner last night,” or “I read it during the heatwave,” or “I miss Victor.” This was what I was going for, but never expected to happen.
Wish Tank 