Friday, April 13, 2007

Many Thanks; A Second Printing

I want very much to thank everyone who came to the Barnes & Noble reading last Thursday, and the Felix party this past Tuesday. Moreover, I want to thank the early readers of my novel, whose support has pushed it into a second printing just six days after its initial run. There is an undeniable sadness that comes in parting with something that you have loved and worked on for years in a state of very pure intimacy, then having it become so public, so quickly. But it is true that the reader is the one who completes the book, and I have never had any illusions about the truth that we write to be read. So it is quite touching to see the book taking its first steps with all of you holding its hands. As for the debate around the novel, I must quite guiltily confess to enjoying it immensely. Some of you are buying the book in bulk. Some of you are throwing it against your walls. Most of you seem to be reveling in the novel's many charms and forgiving it its flaws as you move through the story to see what happens to Tommy, Frances and Roger next. One person even found a recurring pattern of references to 5th century Rome, and to him my most sincere congratulations. What I've realized is that the book is yours now, and this is to say that it is in very good hands.

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