Saturday, August 09, 2008

What is Danit Brown reading?

The current featured contributor to Writers Read: Danit Brown, author of Ask for a Convertible.

Her entry begins:
This summer I am very pregnant and living in an apartment with inadequate and very noisy air conditioning, which means that my powers of concentration are nearly nonexistent, as are my ankles. In terms of reading, all I want are light-hearted books with happy endings. At the same time, I’m trying to read with an eye for structure in preparation for writing a novel of my own.

Joshua Henkin’s Matrimony is another interesting book in terms of structure: it’s comprised of a series of episodes from Mia and Julian’s relationship with friends, with each other, and with their families. Part of the pleasure of reading this novel is seeing Henkin slide all the pieces into place so that when we leave Mia and Julian, we know they’re going to be just fine on their own. [read on]
Read selections from Ask for a Convertible, and learn more about the author and her work at Danit Brown's website.

Among the praise for Ask for a Convertible:
“Brown is a writer to savor.”
Library Journal

“An uncomfortably funny but never boring debut.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Both funny and poignant, these stories communicate a subtle wisdom about what is important in life.”
School Library Journal

“At once openhearted and close-minded, Brown's characters often offend one another when they collide, and their stories capture the awkwardness of both coming to America and coming-of-age.”
Publishers Weekly
Writers Read: Danit Brown.

--Marshal Zeringue