Phoenix Books Misty Valley’s annual New Voices event took place on Saturday, January 28 at the First Universalist Church in Chester’s Stone Village. New Voices 2017 presented five promising debut authors to talk about their work.
From left to right: Adelia Saunders, Rebecca Dinerstein, Tom McAllister, Dan Cluchey, and Kaitlyn Greenidge.
Photo courtesy of Malcolm Moore.
As in the past, the authors were introduced to the audience by local community members. Here’s what the critics have said of New Voices 2017 books:
Kaitlyn Greenidge, We Love You, Charlie Freeman (introduced by Dr. Anne d’Avenas):
“This visceral feat of storytelling heralds Kaitlyn Greenidge as an extraordinary new voice in American literature.”
- Tea Obreht, author of The Tiger’s Wife
Dan Cluchey, The Life of the World to Come (introduced by Bill Dakin):
“At once obsessively readable, philosophically probing, and verbally acrobatic, The Life of the World to Come announces Dan Cluchey as a fresh new voice in literature.”
- BookBrowse
Adelia Saunders, Indelible (introduced by Diana Lawrence):
"A great novel of serendipities, coincidences, and connections, both missed and made. At times dark, even disturbing, and at other times tender and sweet, it’s a beautiful and engrossing story of intertwined lives."
- Anton Bogomazov
Rebecca Dinerstein, The Sunlit Night (introduced by Bill Reed):
“Lyrical as a poem, psychologically rich as a thriller, funny, dark, warm, and as knowing of place as any travel book or memoir, Sunlit Night marks the appearance of a brave talent.
- Jonathan Safran Foer
Tom McAllister, The Young Widower’s Handbook (introduced by Ed Wilkins):
“Funny, sad, and smart … Part wacky road novel, part romantic comedy, McAlister’s debut flies along yet reaches deep.”
- Stewart O’Nan, author of West of Sunset - and Misty Valley Books New Voice 1995.
Above left: Skiing at Grafton Pond.
Above right: Phoenix's general manager Colleen Shipman and co-owner Mike DeSanto.
Photos courtesy of Malcolm Moore.
In addition to the readings at the Stone Church, the public was invited to cross-country ski or snowshoe with the authors at Grafton Ponds on Saturday morning, meet the authors at a reception at the church after the readings and then have drinks and/or dinner with the authors at the Fullerton Inn, on the Green next door to Phoenix Books Misty Valley.
"Over the past two years I have done scores of readings and appearances,” writes former New Voice Bruce Bauman (And the Word Was), “The Misty Valley Books New Voices weekend was as rewarding and as well organized as the LA Times Festival of Books or the Miami Book Fair. Those are major productions, with a cast of thousands, and are very much needed and appreciated by all authors and book lovers. But New Voices is exactly what the world of literary fiction and nonfiction is about; and we need more like it.”
New Voices is a program which has attracted national attention, and a number of New Voices – including Dennis Lehane, Colum McCann, Arthur Golden, Gregory Maguire, Jennifer Egan, Alex Berenson, Heidi Durrow and Dr. Eben Alexander – have gone on to considerable fame. Over the years, New Voices has attracted thousands of loyal readers to hear well over 100 new authors read and discuss their work.
Right: Kaitlyn Greenidge reading at the First Universalist Church in Chester's Stone Village. Photo courtesy of Malcolm Moore.
IN THE NEWS:
- VTDigger: Literary New Voices Sound Off On Timely Topics
- Brattleboro Reformer: 'New Voices' Sound Off On Timely Topics
- The Message for the Week: 23rd Annual New Voices Program Planned
- Chester Telegraph: Phoenix Books Presents 23rd New Voices
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