All But True Fiction Series:
New 2012 Fiction!
Readings and Discussion
with Liz Moore and Marc Schuster
Hosted by Doug Gordon
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Musehouse
DATE: Saturday, May 19th
TIME: 7 PM
LOCATION: 7924 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19118
FREE ADMISSION
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In Liz Moore‘s Second Novel, Heft, Arthur Opp has two great loves: Charlene Turner and food. Charlene vanished long ago, but food has proved such a solace that Arthur now weighs over 500 pounds. In less deft hands, Arthur would become a grotesque, but Moore makes him a rich and complex character. The same is true of the other protagonist, Charlene’s son Kel, a troubled teen who suddenly appears to disrupt
Arthur’s sedentary life.
“Heft achieves real poignancy… the warmth, the humanity and the hope in this novel make it compelling and pleasurable.” — Washington Post
“a quiet, absorbing tale of the redemptive quality of connection” –The Boston Globe
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In Liz Moore‘s Second Novel, Heft, Arthur Opp has two great loves: Charlene Turner and food. Charlene vanished long ago, but food has proved such a solace that Arthur now weighs over 500 pounds. In less deft hands, Arthur would become a grotesque, but Moore makes him a rich and complex character. The same is true of the other protagonist, Charlene’s son Kel, a troubled teen who suddenly appears to disrupt
Arthur’s sedentary life.
“Heft achieves real poignancy… the warmth, the humanity and the hope in this novel make it compelling and pleasurable.” — Washington Post
“a quiet, absorbing tale of the redemptive quality of connection” –The Boston Globe
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Liz Moore is both a writer and a musician. Her first novel, The Words of Every Song, was based on her knowledge of the music industry; Roddy Doyle called it “elegant, wise, and beautifully constructed.” Soon after the book appeared, she released her first album, Backyards. Now, in her second novel, Heft, she tells the story of a 500-pound recluse and a troubled teen-two misfits who develop into deep and compelling characters. The Washington Post praised the novel’s “real poignancy…the warmth, the humanity and the hope”; best-seller Mary Gordon called Heft”a novel of rare originality and sophistication”; and Publishers Weekly rated it “an insightful pageturner.” Liz lives in Philadelphia and teaches at Holy Family University.
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When Charley Schwartz learns that an old high school pal has committed suicide, he agrees to help his alma mater organize a memorial service. Soon, however, devestation turns to disgust as Charley discovers that what matters most to his school is the bottom line. This is the setup for Marc Schuster‘s darkly comic second novel, The Grievers, a coming-of-age story for a generation that’s still struggling to come of age.
“An extraordinary weave of humor, insight, and intelligence.” –Robin Black, author of If I loved You, I would Tell You This
“A work of astute perception, high-octane imagination, and utterly supple prose.” –Beth Kephart, author of You Are My Only |
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 Marc Schuster‘s interests roam widely across literature and popular culture. One of his early books compared the writer Don DeLillo and the social theorist Jean Baudrillard. Another focused on the mythical Doctor Who of the long-running British TV series. Turning to fiction in The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl, Marc created a conscientious, drug-addled, disaster-prone Everywoman for our times-a “truly funny and genuinely compelling” story (Library Journal). In his second novel, The Grievers, Marc takes his dark comedy and satire to a new level. When stalled grad student Charley Schwartz tries to memorialize a late prep-school pal, the result is “a surprisingly tender look at loss and grief” (Booklist) and “an extraordinary weave of humor, insight and intelligence” (Robin Black). In addition to writing for magazines ranging from Weird Tales to Reader’s Digest, Marc teaches writing and literature at Montgomery County Community College.
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