ElephantTalk

LiteraryMinded’s List for 2008

elephantearspress — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:19:46 +0000

Literature that Rocked My World for 2008 - December 21, 2008 – 4:10 pm, by LiteraryMinded

Blood & Tinsel - Jim Sharman. I said: ’The memoir is highly absorbing entertainment and has the potential to appeal to different ages and audiences, from those who will recognise suburban Australia, punk London, and hippie-era Tokyo, to those that only know Sharman through cult associations. Blood & Tinsel is an interesting and unique story of a personality with an original, genuine take on the world.’ See full review, and the interview with Jim Sharman.

Firmin – Sam Savage. I said: ‘It makes it a deeply artistic, truthful and quite absurd book. I walk around with the feeling of it still, a little unshakable – it feels a lot like Midnight Cowboy … I think about Firmin still weeks afterwards and bring the book up in all sorts of conversations, and I know its effect, its character, its purpose, its lines, are turning it into a favourite.’ See full review.

The Boat - Nam Le. A moving, intelligent, original, absorbing short story collection. I was lucky enough to see Nam at both the Byron Bay, and Melbourne Writers’ Festivals. Read my ‘responsive’ interview with him here.

The Spare Room - Helen Garner. Which left me staring at the wall.

Wintering: a Novel of Sylvia Plath - Kate Moses. An elegant, quiet book. Not reviewed on LM but it has stayed with me. I would recommend it for Plath fans, or fans of someone like Michael Cunningham.

Uncorrected Proof - Louisiana Alba. The most original book I read this year - utterly compelling postmodernism. I said: ‘Uncorrected Proof is a postmodern novel that entertainingly riffs on form, style, character, tense, person – but with an overall thriller/quest type plot appropriation, it folds you into its delicious bizarro metascapes and humorous oft-satirical, oft-homagical visions.’ Read the full review.

No Other Life But This - Nathan Curnow. An unassuming little chapbook that gets deep under your skin. The kind of poems you can read over and over. I have an interview with Nathan alongside another amazing poet Sean M Whelan lined up for the new year.

The Boy Detective Fails - Joe Meno. fear. alone. love. See here.

The Blogging Revolution – Antony Loewenstein. An eye-opener. A well-written, personalised nonfiction book that is essential to our era. Should be read by young and old. See my extensive interview with Antony.

The complete works of Kafka. That’s right. All of it. The short fiction, the novels, the diaries, the notebooks, and a bunch of biographies and essays about him. I fell in love with this man. I will write about him, I promise, in the future. A taste, from my visit to the Kafka museum in Prague.

The Two Kinds of Decay – Sarah Manguso. A striking biography of a woman’s years dealing with a rare illness. Compelling. Review possibly forthcoming…

Eat the Document – Dana Spiotta. I said: ‘Eat the Document had me enthralled. It is engaging, dignified, brilliant. No moments feel contrived. There is no message forced upon the reader but a series of characters in a completely defined reality, echoing our own. It is edgy, involved and tightly written.’ Read full review, and interview with Dana Spiotta.

I really had a great reading year (and I just realised how many books I have read, besides working, writing, blogging, travelling and moving interstate!). Thanks to everyone who recommended and sent books to me. Of course, there were a lot of books that I didn’t love, and you’ll find a few peed-off reviews in the archives. There were also many good books, that nonetheless didn’t completely blow me away. The above are books I will always remember. The above are books I would recommend widely. The above books I learnt from, and am grateful for their existence. They made me feel both alive and understood, they taught me, they spoke to me. I love them.

I must note that I am currently reading The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, and I’m sure it would have made the list… it’s so defiant, intelligent, truthful and compelling. I must get back to it right now…

And 2009 is…

Well, I’ll try.

Also, Miss LiteraryMinded is blogging all the way through the holidays, with maybe just a few days hiatus over Christmas, so stay tuned lovely readers!

Excerpts of Uncorrected Proof

elephantearspress — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:57:11 +0000

See excerpts of Uncorrected Proof by Louisiana Alba on http://swimanog.wordpress.com

Review of Uncorrected Proof from (Ms) Literary Minded

elephantearspress — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:01:45 +0000

From (Ms) Literary Minded in Melbourne http://blogs.crikey.com.au/literaryminded/

Uncorrected Proof – Louisiana Alba
November 7, 2008 – 7:54 am, by LiteraryMinded

ElephantEars Press, 9780955867606, 2008 (UK)

Can something be playfully and overtly postmodern and still be readable – driving you through a compelling plot? Louisiana Alba proves it can be done. Uncorrected Proof is a postmodern novel that entertainingly riffs on form, style, character, tense, person – but with an overall thriller/quest type plot appropriation, it folds you into its delicious bizarro metascapes and humorous oft-satirical, oft-homagical visions.

Somehow Alba (if that’s who she really is… death of the author etc.) incorporates stylistic elements of hard-boiled fiction, screenplays, cookbooks, metafiction, the spy novel, cyberpunk, the literary novel, A Clockwork Orange, Gaelic, intertextuality, memoir and so much more in a book that self-consciously satirises the entire book and publishing industry – authors, editors, publishers – literary celebrity, literary delusions, literary snobbery, literary stupidity and so on.

So what’s it ‘about’? Archie’s novel manuscript has been pilfered and plagiarized by Martyn Varginas, prolific mystery writer. Archie and his friend Cal plot a convoluted revenge through Archie getting work as an editor, and employing a re-plagiarisation of the book by a young hired-gun (or pen, as it were). What follows are kidnappings, political intrigues, sex, jaunts to New York and Paris (from London), Stake-outs, party crashings, a couple of book launches, boardroom drunkenness, author cameo appearances, mean streets, cop/spy banter, and a few disturbing murders.

I was completely absorbed in this book – somehow Alba makes it so easy to read, despite the switcheroos in style, and shifts in narrative drive and character motivation. The book’s title Uncorrected Proof displays irony – those not in bookselling or publishing may be unfamiliar with a ‘proof copy’ or ‘uncorrected proof’ – books that become available before release, oft-unedited versions of the final with spacing, grammatical and typing errors. This ‘published’ book, has a few (tongue-in-cheek) placed throughout.

Alba has worked in publishing, and is actually avoiding traditional distribution methods for the book, keeping in the uber-hip underground spirit of the novel – with a well-handled guerilla internet and out-of-hand distribution system. I came across the author through Facebook.

This book proves to me that extraordinary talent can be represented through shunning traditional publishing methods. This book is inventive, imaginative, and inspiring. It is a unique publication. If you enjoy Italo Calvino or John Fowles, or if you also work or have worked in the book industry, even on the fringes, you would get a great kick out of this novel.

There’s an amazing offer at the moment on the ElephantEars Press website. Postage on Uncorrected Proof FREE to any destination! (world-wide)

See some of you at the Page Seventeen launch tomorrow…

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/literaryminded/

Free Post & Packing from ElephantEars Press

elephantearspress — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:00:26 +0000

ElephantEars Press is offering FREE first class/air mail to ALL DESTINATIONS until the end of 2008.

Buy direct from ElephantEars Press and get post and packing FREE to ANYWHERE.

For UK this means a saving of GBP 2.20

For Europe a saving of GBP 3.40

For North America a saving of GBP 5.00

For Australasia a saving of GBP 5.00

“Uncorrected Proof” mailed to your door for GBP 7.99 ONLY

Go to Elephantearspress.com

Elephant’s coming titles

elephantearspress — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:51:05 +0000

Soon to be released in the UK and North America for the first time:

Eric Willmot’s acclaimed novel

Pemulwuy:The Rainbow Warrior

(From reviews on Amazon)

“This is the story of the resistance of the Aboriginal people to the invasion of their lands. A gripping novel of an aspect of Australia’s contact history not often written about.” saliero (NSW Australia)

“After spending years in the Australian educational system being told there was no resistance to white invasion (settlement) of Australia, reading this book 13 years ago was a revelation. I guess (I hope) there is much more literature around about aboriginal resistance these days, but this book is both educational and a good read. Buying it again.” Kontich (Belgium)

And from a blog:

Pemulwuy is as “fundamental to Australian history as Captain Cook, Joseph Banks, and Mathew Flinders. Pemulwuy is as important to Australian history as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse or Geronimo are to American history.” Posted by: Booker T

see http://swimanog.wordpress.com for more on Eric Willmot and his writing.

Edit this entry.

“Uncorrected Proof” with Shakespeare & Company

elephantearspress — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:10:43 +0000

image by Toshio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4kJ_sTznnE

A review from LA on Louisiana Alba’s novel

‘A sly poke at genre fiction, literary untouchables and the publishing industry. Even though I wasn’t able to pick out all the literary styles — and frankly I was so into the story it didn’t matter — when I was able to pick up on an author or style it just added to the fun. A thoroughly enjoyable pulp story…’

Paul Duran, LA director and writer (Flesh Suitcase and The Dogwalker), Los Angeles

‘Uncorrected Proof’ – first taste, good on the ‘palate’

elephantearspress — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:44:00 +0000

So postmodern and referential. I delighted in your sources. You should come out west and do a reading sometime.’ Richard Olafson, Editor, Pacific Rim Review, Victoria, B.C.

‘A splendidly maintained & protracted metafictional elaboration.’ Tom Gibbons, painter, writer (Rooms in the Darwin Hotel) and academic, Perth

‘Quite an extraordinary work.’ Eric Willmot, author of Pemulwuy and Below The Line, Melbourne

Uncorrected Proof in Stoke Newington Bookshop

elephantearspress — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:43:32 +0000

and

Eastside Books
166 Brick Lane
London, E1 6RU
United Kingdom
020 7247 0216

Rye Wholefoods
35 Myddelton Street
London, EC1R 1UA
United Kingdom
020 7278 5878

Shakespeare Company
37, Rue de la Bucherie
Paris, 75005
France
01 43 25 40 93

Libreria Le citta’ Invisibili
Via Roma, 58017
Pitigliano (GR)
Italy

but closest to home is…

Stoke Newington Bookshop
159 Stoke Newington High Street
London, N16 0NY
United Kingdom
020 72492808

Uncorrected Proof in Stoke Newington

elephantearspress — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:47:50 +0000

Exhibiting Uncorrected Proof at the BEA

elephantearspress — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:24:14 +0000

Uncorrected Proof on BEA website

See Uncorrected Proof at BookExpo America May 29- June 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in LA, California. North American volume and film rights available.