Jan 21, 2015

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

I’m not a British statesman and this isn’t 1942, but I couldn’t help go for the Churchill reference. Here is a journal entry from one year ago, when I was more or less unemployed (I had no teaching hours that month) and was looking at the prospect of a multi-year process to publish Slim and The Beast:

The present is most assuredly an opportunity and that’s exactly how I view 2014: an opportunity. Even not working for a month — do I view it as financial stress, or creative/existential opportunity? How I spend this month will dictate how I spend this year, I think; because how I spend each day dictates how I spend my life. That takes some time to realize, but I’m getting there and liking it. If you don’t read every day, when do you read? If you don’t write every day, when do you write? Etc. I’m approaching the beginning of the third novel, and I can’t wait. Except that I can wait, and that’s important. I’ll know when it’s time, truly, to begin.

I’m tempted to cite the age-old trope that hard work pays off; that I knew I could do it; that I never had any doubt I would publish a novel; but the truth is everything that has happened this past year is a mixture of luck, hope, and humanism. I’ve always been optimistic about writing to the extent that I know I’ll keep writing, but nothing could have prepared me for all that has happened in 2014. 232 is a number I will remember for the rest of my life. Whatever happens with the novel—whether it disappears in a dusty attic or is a marginal success—what matters is that it’s out there. And yet “it” hasn’t even started yet; this is the end of the beginning. On February 3 the “business” side of things will commence: there will be signings and discussions, interviews and reviews. But all that really matters is interested readers. I don’t expect all of you to love or even like the novel. All in can say is I’m honored it’s on your bookshelf. But if any of you have already gotten through the novel and want to chat about it—what you liked/didn’t like, whatever you’re thinking—please email me at slbfiction@gmail.com . I’d love to continue the conversation.

Maybe the most humbling experience about this whole process is that the book is now out of my hands; that this part of my life, Slim and The Beast, strangely feels in the past even though “it’s” just beginning.

The first draft took three months and was written in the spring of 2012. Three years and countless drafts later, an imperfect but complete work is ready to escape me. The feelings I had, the themes I was pursuing, all of the edits and “you are a failure, what are you doing?”s were necessary for me to better understand myself and this experience (i.e. life). But now I can move on to the next chapter, and that's exciting.

Now for the sentimental part: I want to especially thank a few people for being there for me: my twin brother Aaron and my brothercousin Mark, for being the best brothers I could ever imagine and the deep inspiration for Slim and The Beast all along; my Paris buddies, Yann Rousselot, Alex Miles (now in Chicago), Matthew Mowatt and Ian Jagel (now in Seattle) for inspiring Boys’ Nights and for being there to support me from the beginning; my NC brothers (you all know who you are) for the childhood we shared; the Vermont Boys, who’ve been there since I reached maturity; my girlfriend, Lucile, who has and continues to push me and believe in me; my godfather, Johannes, who has always been a beacon in Paris; and of course my mom and dad, who believed in me from the real beginning, who told me to pursue love and gave me the chance to dream; and of course to all of you, the 232 Stars of The Year. Without you … well who knows? I don’t dabble in counter-factual history.

I am well into the third novel but remain hesitant to share anything substantial. The project is also at the end of the beginning, and I am excited to see where the characters take me. There will be tens of thousands of words to shed, but for now I’m still imagining and creating. I have written about a third of it so far, with dozens of other pages that I need to piece and puzzle together. (By the end of 2015, I hope to have a manuscript ready, but I’m also an optimist, so we’ll see).

Before I finish, I wanted to give you a brief idea of what’s been happening with Slim and The Beast since we last spoke. I’ve sold 788 total books (109 of those post-funding stage). The book tour will be from February 2-17, and I will visit New York City and North Carolina (event locations below). There are already reviews here, under “What the Critics Are Saying.” Perhaps more importantly, there are reader reviews here on Goodreads. If any of you are willing, every review helps. Whether it’s on Goodreads, Amazon, or otherwise, reader reviews are just as important as anything the critics have to say (and Goodreads is actually a pretty fantastic side for readers in my opinion).

Finally, just this week, I saw this photo of Slim and The Beast at my favorite bookstore in the world, Shakespeare & Company in Paris.

There’s no way I can properly thank you for making my dream a reality, but I am hoping to make that poster soon (Mark, we gotta talk) so I can have all of your names on my wall.

If I can give you a hug, that’d be ideal; so check out the events below, and if you can make it to any of them, it’d be an honor to see you there and perhaps even sign your copy.

Welp, that about does it, methinks. The end of the beginning. Next time we chat, I’ll have fantastical tales about book tour experiences. Who knows what the future holds, but the present is an opportunity; and I'm eternally grateful that you all gave it to me.

EVENTS IN THE OVERSIZED APPLE

Molasses Books (Brooklyn—Bushwick), Tuesday, February 3, 8pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/1553263644959876/

McNally Jackson Books (Manhattan), Sunday, February 8, 6pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/762734913774433/

EVENTS DOWN NORTH CACKALACK WAY

The Winter Institute (American Booksellers Association) (Asheville), February 9-11, http://www.bookweb.org/wi2015#

The Regulator Bookshop (Durham), Thursday, February 12, 7pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/896272117073135/

FlyLeaf Books (Chapel Hill), Monday, February 16, 7pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/432413866914000/