The novel of social satire is alive and well, and funny. . .

This review written by "Jack Of Most Trades" disappeared from America's Amazon site, but is still visible at the one in France.

"Way beneath the top one percent lurk the fast food workers, the home attendants, the custodial staff, and this underclass (the working poor) has been the subject of a plethora of sociological studies and case studies. But how about so-called "educated" members of that class. That's where Alex Kudera’s novel Auggie’s Revenge fills the void. It is a witty, satiric story about one hapless adjunct who joins forces with three other members of mainstream society’s fringe in an attempt to exact revenge on their downtrodden status. Vittinger joins up with Auggie, who waxes ineloquent about pick-up techniques, a small-time hood named Johnny November, and a young, but savvy student of Vittinger’s, Melody.

"But among the four, it is Vittinger who is doubly screwed by society: not simply financially but in terms of values. Vittinger, a philosophy adjunct, reflects on the value of knowing about Heidegger and Kant in a corporate-run universe, and his conclusion is that there pretty much is no value. If you think a well-executed mix of Kafka’s Amerika, Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, and Robert Reich could result in a socially relevant, comic, and propitious novel, you’re right. Kudera’s language as channeled by Vittinger expertly slides between the discourse of academia and the slang of the street like the glissandos of a master violinist. This is refreshing satire. . ."

where and when did i write Auggie, and what does it cost right now?

I wrote Auggie's Revenge over twelve years, from winter 2004-2005 to spring 2016, and completed writing for it variously in Philadelphia, PA; Clemson, SC; Xi'an, China; and Oakwood, Ohio. It wasn't easy for me to write this novel, and writing it in four places probably makes my life seem exciting or at least vaguely interesting in ways it may not be. I will say that in the off-the-tourist-track neighborhood I live in when I visit Xi'an, China, I'm the only one of European ancestry I've ever seen, but on this last visit a McDonald's that had stood partially complete for more than a year finally sprouted. I was still the only one of the European diaspora, but the new McDonald's had a few lines of poetry by Mary Oliver on the interior walls. I know buying from Amazon isn't best for publishing, bookstores, or writers, but the book is only $8.79 direct from Bezos, so if you'd like to purchase an affordable copy, you have my appreciation for doing so. Of course, anywhere books are sold is always fine by me. It won't disappoint unless it does.

interviews, book reviews, visuals, etc.

I updated my list of literary interviews and hope to do so soon for my lists of book reviews, excerpts, videos, and other visuals.

#AWP17, #CEA48

I won't be attending the AWP conference beginning February 8 in Washington, D.C., but I will be a guest speaker at the College English Association's 48th conference in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina from March 30 to April 1, 2017.

For the Coffee on the Commons "breakfast event for contingent faculty and all those with an interest in this vital component of the academy," I'll be speaking about adjunct teaching and writing fiction about adjuncts. I look forward to seeing you there!

No two countries. . .

Sorry, Ronald.

"No two countries that both had [Trump Towers] had fought a war against each other since each got [Trump Towers]."

--a correction for Thomas Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive Leaf

Harry Mathews

Harry Mathews, noted here previously and a novelist I'll always associate with Frank Reeve, is no longer among the living. I read and enjoyed this Mathews interview in The Paris Review several years ago.

Frade Killed Ellen on sale

At Amazon, Frade Killed Ellen from Dutch Kills Press is on sale for 99 cents.

A Christmas Memory at When Falls. . .

Enjoy a Christmas memory of a day without three servings of dumplings.

Mo Yan and the writer's wealth of dumplings

"One old-timer talked about all the famous dishes he had seen as a waiter in a Qingdao restaurant: braised beef tournedos, pan-fried chicken, things like that. Wide-eyed we stared at his mouth until we could smell the aroma of all that delicious food and see it materialize, as if it had dropped from the sky. The 'rightest' student said he knew someone who had written a book that brought him thousands, maybe tens of thousands, in royalties. Each and every day the fellow ate jiaozi, those tasty little pork dumplings, at all three meals, the oil oozing from inside with each bite. When we said we didn't believe anyone could be so rich as to eat jiaozi three times a day, the waiter said scornfully, 'He's a writer, for goodness sake! Do you understand? A writer!' That's all I needed to know: become a writer and you can eat meaty jiaozi three times a day. Life doesn't get any better than that. Why, not even the gods could do better. That's when I made up my mind to become a writer someday."

~~from Mo Yan's introduction to his stories collected in Shifu, You'll Do Anything For A Laugh

attention discount shoppers

Auggie's Revenge is only $8.76 at Amazon. By all means, buy one from an indie store if you can afford to, but any help is appreciated.