I rode my bike around to a few events at the Newburyport Literary Festival today, and for those of you who might think it a charming provincial exercise, let me tell you I just got a sneak preview of one of the big books of 2008. In a nice gesture to the hometown fest, Andre Dubus III read from his hot-off-the-pad manuscript of "The Garden of Last Days," his followup novel to "House of Sand and Fog," and it's likely to be one of the most talked-about literary efforts of next year - or whenever it's published.
The book takes place on the Gulf Coast of Florida in late summer and early fall of 2001. I slipped in a few minutes late, but the two compelling, closely observed sections I heard him read were from the point of view of a strip club bouncer and one of the club's patrons...a young Saudi man ... who is about to achieve infamy as one of the 19 hijackers on 9/11. Dubus has given this character a fictional name, but researched him intensely. (A couple of the hijackers spent their last days in just such a joint, despite their faith.) And Dubus is as deeply inside the Saudi's head as any of his other characters. Those who read the (Oprah-anointed, Hollywood-approved, but never mind all that) "House of Sand and Fog" know that Dubus is an intensely empathetic writer. The crystal-clear prose here, and its spinning cultural compass, put me in mind of Robert Stone (including pop-cult zaps like "the Jew, David Lee Roth").
After reading, Dubus took audience questions and confessed to profoundly mixed emotions about getting so deeply inside his Saudi character. He spoke of his rage and sorrow on 9/11, but he was also very clear that he believes the Iraq war has been a great gift for al Queda recruiting. And despite his aw shucks stage manner, Dubus is not afraid to express his thoughts and do so eloquently and forcefully. His other comments made clear this is a manuscript in early days. His editor is only just now reading it, and it's 700 pages long, which you have to think will come down before it's published. But when "The Garden of Last Days" does hit shelves, I suspect you will again be reading much about the author from Newbury.
You write very well.
Posted by: Kylia | October 21, 2008 at 04:08 PM