Monday, March 21, 2011

“The Book of Want: A Novel” to be released on Thursday, March 24

I am delighted that on Thursday, March 24, the University of Arizona Press will officially release my first full-length novel, The Book of Want, as part of its award-winning Camino del Sol series. My novel’s cover is adorned with a painting by the acclaimed artist, Gronk, whose "La Tormenta" has become an iconic figure and perfectly captures the spirit of my book.

Aside from some very kind blurbs from several of my favorite writers (i.e., Luis Alberto Urrea, Suzanne G. Chávez-Silverman, Michael Nava and Himilce Novas), the novel has received nice advance reviews from Los Angeles Magazine and Publishers Weekly. Also, this Friday, the Los Angeles Daily Journal will run an excerpt from the novel.

What’s the novel about? Well, to quote the Gustavo Arellano’s assessment from his award-winning ¡Ask a Mexican! column, The Book of Want is “a fantastic short novel chronicling the lives of a family just like any other gabacho clan—except it's Mexican and its matriarch visits from the other side.”

To celebrate the release, I will be making book appearances throughout California, from Boyle Heights to Orange County, Sylmar to Downtown L.A., Pasadena to the Bay Area. Here are the appearances that have been scheduled so far:

• March 26, 6 p.m.: Libros Schmibros, 2000 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 323-302-9408.

• March 30, 7:00 p.m.: Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA. Phone: 650-324-4321. This event is co-sponsored by the Stanford Chicano Latino Alumni Association of Northern California. The author, Stephen D. Gutierrez, will be introducing me.

• April 5, 7:00 p.m.: Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA. Phone: 626-449-5320.

• April 9: I will be a guest author at Literary Orange on the campus of UC Irvine. For a complete schedule, go here.

• May 7, 4:00 p.m.: Metropolis Books, 440 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 213-612-0174.

• May 28, 1:00: Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore, 13197-A Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA. Phone: 818-528-4511.

I hope to see you at an event! Visit my website for updates.

OTHER LITERARY AND ARTS NEWS:

◙ Tuesday, March 22, 7:00 p.m., Aloud at Central Library presents a reading and discussion featuring authors and artists Chuck Rosenthal, Alicia Partnoy, Ramon Garcia, Gronk and Gail Wronsky. Moderated by Los Angeles Times book critic (and one of my favorite reviewers), Susan Salter Reynolds. Richard J. Riordan Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, Free. (213) 228-7025.

◙ Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 p.m., Mario T. Garcia & Sal Castro, the authors of Blowout!: Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice, will discuss and sign their new book. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angele, Free. (323) 660-1175.

◙ Thursday, March 24, 2:30 p.m., Carlos Fuentes will be a guest on Michael Silverblatt's Bookworm, 89.9 KCRW-FM. You may, of course, listen online.

◙ Award-winning author, Rigoberto González, reviews Pablo Medina's sixth poetry collection, The Man Who Wrote on Water (Hanging Loose Press). He says that Medina’s collection is “an exemplary book by a seasoned writer and master of his craft.” Read the entire review here.

◙ All done. So, until next Monday, enjoy the intervening posts from my compadres y comadres at La Bloga. ¡Lea un libro!

1 comment:

Manuel Ramos said...

Congrats on the book, Daniel. Hope to pick it up soon.