From My Bookshelf: Famous Drownings in Literary History, by Kevin Haworth
Okay, Kevin Haworth’s latest book, an essay collection, isn’t on my physical bookshelf. But it is among my recent Kindle purchases. And I recommend it.
I recommend it not only because, in the years since I interviewed him about his prize-winning novel, Kevin has become a friend and valued colleague in the arena of Jewish literary culture (even if we don’t always agree). I recommend it because Kevin is a talented writer whose nonfiction is at least as compelling as his fiction; because his is a voice worth knowing; and because his take on elements of Jewish identity in our time–whether he writes about the circumcision of his son, the culture of the Catskills, or what it’s like to leave Ben Gurion Airport just after the Israeli victims’ bodies have returned there from a terrorist attack in Bulgaria–should reach a wide audience.
If you’d like a taste of the previously published essays that featured in this collection, may I recommend the one titled “The News from Bulgaria”? I suspect strongly that after you read it, you’ll want to learn more about Kevin and his book.
This just in: If you’re a Goodreads member, you can enter a giveaway. Up for the winning: 5 print copies. See http://www.cclapcenter.com/2012/10/hey_fellow_goodreaders_win_a_c.html
Thanks for the nice mention, Erika, and I’m glad you liked the book so much. I just wanted to let your readers know that they can actually download a free copy of the entire book over at our website if they want; the address is http://www.cclapcenter.com/drownings . That’s also where they can order a copy of the handmade paper edition.
Thank you so much for the comment, Jason. I’m sorry I neglected to go into the publishing model. Definitely my bad. I did purchase my copy (to support Kevin), but it’s absolutely true that readers can avail themselves of a free version. Thanks again!
A nice write-up today of CCLaP’s newest book, by famed fellow Jewish writer Erika Dreifus: http://t.co/wnsCKPlY