Author: Elaine Kraf
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593731824
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
“That rare thing: a true underappreciated classic” (The New Yorker), about a smart and sensitive yet deeply troubled young woman fighting to live on her own terms “Provocative . . . Almost half a century after it was first published, The Princess of 72nd Street sounds like a contemporary cry for freedom from the expectations of others.”—The Atlantic “Kraf’s groovy, glimmering novel . . . deserves to be read—not for the nitty-gritty New York of it all but for her wry, confiding voice, which is funny, disarming and frequently ruthless.”—The New York Times I am glad I have the radiance. This time I am wiser. No one will know. . . . The radiance drifts blue circles around my head. If I wanted to I could float up and through them. I am weightless. My brain is cool like rippling waves. Conflict does not exist. For a moment I cannot see—the lights are large orange flowers. Ellen has two lives. A single artist living alone on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1970s, she periodically descends into episodes of what she calls “radiances.” While under the influence of the radiance, she becomes Princess Esmeralda, and West 72nd Street becomes the kingdom over which she rules. Life as Esmeralda is a colorful, glorious, and liberating experience for Ellen, who, despite the chaos and stigma these episodes can bring, relishes the respite from the confines of the everyday. And yet those around her, particularly the men in her life, are threatened by her incarnation as Esmeralda, and by the freedom that it gives her. In what would turn out to be her final published work, Elaine Kraf tackles mental health and female agency in this utterly original, witty, and inventive novel. Provocative at the time of its publication in 1979 and thoroughly iconoclastic, The Princess of 72nd Street is a remarkable portrait of an unforgettable woman.
The Princess of 72nd Street
Author: Elaine Kraf
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593731824
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
“That rare thing: a true underappreciated classic” (The New Yorker), about a smart and sensitive yet deeply troubled young woman fighting to live on her own terms “Provocative . . . Almost half a century after it was first published, The Princess of 72nd Street sounds like a contemporary cry for freedom from the expectations of others.”—The Atlantic “Kraf’s groovy, glimmering novel . . . deserves to be read—not for the nitty-gritty New York of it all but for her wry, confiding voice, which is funny, disarming and frequently ruthless.”—The New York Times I am glad I have the radiance. This time I am wiser. No one will know. . . . The radiance drifts blue circles around my head. If I wanted to I could float up and through them. I am weightless. My brain is cool like rippling waves. Conflict does not exist. For a moment I cannot see—the lights are large orange flowers. Ellen has two lives. A single artist living alone on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1970s, she periodically descends into episodes of what she calls “radiances.” While under the influence of the radiance, she becomes Princess Esmeralda, and West 72nd Street becomes the kingdom over which she rules. Life as Esmeralda is a colorful, glorious, and liberating experience for Ellen, who, despite the chaos and stigma these episodes can bring, relishes the respite from the confines of the everyday. And yet those around her, particularly the men in her life, are threatened by her incarnation as Esmeralda, and by the freedom that it gives her. In what would turn out to be her final published work, Elaine Kraf tackles mental health and female agency in this utterly original, witty, and inventive novel. Provocative at the time of its publication in 1979 and thoroughly iconoclastic, The Princess of 72nd Street is a remarkable portrait of an unforgettable woman.
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593731824
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
“That rare thing: a true underappreciated classic” (The New Yorker), about a smart and sensitive yet deeply troubled young woman fighting to live on her own terms “Provocative . . . Almost half a century after it was first published, The Princess of 72nd Street sounds like a contemporary cry for freedom from the expectations of others.”—The Atlantic “Kraf’s groovy, glimmering novel . . . deserves to be read—not for the nitty-gritty New York of it all but for her wry, confiding voice, which is funny, disarming and frequently ruthless.”—The New York Times I am glad I have the radiance. This time I am wiser. No one will know. . . . The radiance drifts blue circles around my head. If I wanted to I could float up and through them. I am weightless. My brain is cool like rippling waves. Conflict does not exist. For a moment I cannot see—the lights are large orange flowers. Ellen has two lives. A single artist living alone on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1970s, she periodically descends into episodes of what she calls “radiances.” While under the influence of the radiance, she becomes Princess Esmeralda, and West 72nd Street becomes the kingdom over which she rules. Life as Esmeralda is a colorful, glorious, and liberating experience for Ellen, who, despite the chaos and stigma these episodes can bring, relishes the respite from the confines of the everyday. And yet those around her, particularly the men in her life, are threatened by her incarnation as Esmeralda, and by the freedom that it gives her. In what would turn out to be her final published work, Elaine Kraf tackles mental health and female agency in this utterly original, witty, and inventive novel. Provocative at the time of its publication in 1979 and thoroughly iconoclastic, The Princess of 72nd Street is a remarkable portrait of an unforgettable woman.
The Princess of 72nd Street
Author: Elaine Kraf
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593731816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
A provocative and thoroughly feminist “cult classic” (The New Yorker) about a smart and sensitive yet deeply troubled young woman fighting to live on her own terms—now returning to print for the first time in over a decade I am glad I have the radiance. This time I am wiser. No one will know. . . . The radiance drifts blue circles around my head. If I wanted to I could float up and through them. I am weightless. My brain is cool like rippling waves. Conflict does not exist. For a moment I cannot see—the lights are large orange flowers. Ellen has two lives. A single artist living alone on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1970s, she periodically descends into episodes of what she calls “radiances.” While under the influence of the radiance, she becomes Princess Esmeralda, and West 72nd Street becomes the kingdom over which she rules. Life as Esmeralda is a colorful, glorious, and liberating experience for Ellen, who, despite the chaos and stigma these episodes can bring, relishes the respite from the confines of the everyday. And yet those around her, particularly the men in her life, are threatened by her incarnation as Esmeralda, and by the freedom that it gives her. In what would turn out to be her final published work, Elaine Kraf tackles mental health and female agency in this utterly original, witty, and inventive novel. Provocative at the time of its publication in 1979 and thoroughly iconoclastic, The Princess of 72nd Street is a remarkable portrait of an unforgettable woman.
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593731816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
A provocative and thoroughly feminist “cult classic” (The New Yorker) about a smart and sensitive yet deeply troubled young woman fighting to live on her own terms—now returning to print for the first time in over a decade I am glad I have the radiance. This time I am wiser. No one will know. . . . The radiance drifts blue circles around my head. If I wanted to I could float up and through them. I am weightless. My brain is cool like rippling waves. Conflict does not exist. For a moment I cannot see—the lights are large orange flowers. Ellen has two lives. A single artist living alone on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1970s, she periodically descends into episodes of what she calls “radiances.” While under the influence of the radiance, she becomes Princess Esmeralda, and West 72nd Street becomes the kingdom over which she rules. Life as Esmeralda is a colorful, glorious, and liberating experience for Ellen, who, despite the chaos and stigma these episodes can bring, relishes the respite from the confines of the everyday. And yet those around her, particularly the men in her life, are threatened by her incarnation as Esmeralda, and by the freedom that it gives her. In what would turn out to be her final published work, Elaine Kraf tackles mental health and female agency in this utterly original, witty, and inventive novel. Provocative at the time of its publication in 1979 and thoroughly iconoclastic, The Princess of 72nd Street is a remarkable portrait of an unforgettable woman.
The Inquisitory
Author: Robert Pinget
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 9781564783271
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 414
Book Description
The Inquisitory consists entirely of the interrogation of an old, deaf servant regarding unspecified crimes that may or may not have taken place at his master's French chateau. The servant's replies - which are by turns comic, straightforward, angry, nostalgic, and disingenuous - hint at a variety of seedy events, including murder, orgies, tax fraud, and drug deals. Of course, the servant wasn't involved with any of these activities - if the reader chooses to believe him. In trying to convince the inquisitor of his innocence, the servant creates a web of half-truths, vague references, and glaring inconsistencies amid "forgotten" details, indicating that he may know more than he's letting on.
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 9781564783271
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 414
Book Description
The Inquisitory consists entirely of the interrogation of an old, deaf servant regarding unspecified crimes that may or may not have taken place at his master's French chateau. The servant's replies - which are by turns comic, straightforward, angry, nostalgic, and disingenuous - hint at a variety of seedy events, including murder, orgies, tax fraud, and drug deals. Of course, the servant wasn't involved with any of these activities - if the reader chooses to believe him. In trying to convince the inquisitor of his innocence, the servant creates a web of half-truths, vague references, and glaring inconsistencies amid "forgotten" details, indicating that he may know more than he's letting on.
Bodies of Summer
Author: Martin Felipe Castagnet
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628972076
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 92
Book Description
The existence of an afterlife is now a fact: heaven is the internet. Death is only an interruption as souls can be uploaded to the web and new bodies can be purchased by those wishing to reenter the physical world. The need to settle an old score pushes Ramiro Olivaires to move from the comfort of virtual existence back into a human body. Ramiro’s grandson, however, can only afford the body of an overweight middle-aged woman. In the shell of this new body, Ramiro must adjust to the dizzying transformations that the world has undergone since his death. Using Ramiro himself as an avatar, Castagnet walks us through a stifling new version of reality where sex, gender, identity, religion, and politics are defined by the limitless possibilities of the human body. Castagnet is considered one of the most promising new voices in Latin American literature and Bodies of Summer shows us why.
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628972076
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 92
Book Description
The existence of an afterlife is now a fact: heaven is the internet. Death is only an interruption as souls can be uploaded to the web and new bodies can be purchased by those wishing to reenter the physical world. The need to settle an old score pushes Ramiro Olivaires to move from the comfort of virtual existence back into a human body. Ramiro’s grandson, however, can only afford the body of an overweight middle-aged woman. In the shell of this new body, Ramiro must adjust to the dizzying transformations that the world has undergone since his death. Using Ramiro himself as an avatar, Castagnet walks us through a stifling new version of reality where sex, gender, identity, religion, and politics are defined by the limitless possibilities of the human body. Castagnet is considered one of the most promising new voices in Latin American literature and Bodies of Summer shows us why.
Lions of the Grunewald
Author: Aidan Higgins
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628974249
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
Here is the great Irish novel of Berlin, way back before the Wall came down. Dallan Weaver, a writer and professor who’s been fêted and flattered but has seen better days, has come to the great divided city as a guest of DILDO (Deutsche-Internationale Literatur-Dienst Organization). On arriving, Weaver’s life immediately begins to fall apart. Women fight over him. He is not always in the soberest state of mind. Moving from relatively conventional narrative to deliriously long lists, incorporating everything from children’s drawings to minute recollections of dreams, Lions of the Grunewald is—in the author’s own words—a “missionary stew,” marvelously served up in Aidan Higgins’s inimitable style.
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628974249
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
Here is the great Irish novel of Berlin, way back before the Wall came down. Dallan Weaver, a writer and professor who’s been fêted and flattered but has seen better days, has come to the great divided city as a guest of DILDO (Deutsche-Internationale Literatur-Dienst Organization). On arriving, Weaver’s life immediately begins to fall apart. Women fight over him. He is not always in the soberest state of mind. Moving from relatively conventional narrative to deliriously long lists, incorporating everything from children’s drawings to minute recollections of dreams, Lions of the Grunewald is—in the author’s own words—a “missionary stew,” marvelously served up in Aidan Higgins’s inimitable style.
The Bamboo Bed
Author: William Eastlake
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 9781564782649
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
"The plot revolves around Captain Clancy, who--mortally wounded while leading a charge up Ridge Red Boy--lies dying in a bamboo bed."--Back cover.
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 9781564782649
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
"The plot revolves around Captain Clancy, who--mortally wounded while leading a charge up Ridge Red Boy--lies dying in a bamboo bed."--Back cover.
Nothing but Waves and Wind
Author: Christine Montalbetti
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628972475
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 249
Book Description
A musty bar in off-season Cannon Beach, Oregon, provides the setting for an unsuspecting Frenchman’s introduction to the many ways life can go wrong for the unlucky in America. He listens as the barflies nightly recount their tales of woe—betrayal, broken families, financial ruin. Though they seem at first to tolerate the newcomer’s presence and sympathy, a tide of violence is rising, one he perceives only dimly until it is too late to escape. Made doubly powerful by her poetic fascination with the violence and volatility of the American landscape itself, Montalbetti’s novel is a thrilling study of the senseless cruelty disappointed men are capable of.
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
ISBN: 1628972475
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 249
Book Description
A musty bar in off-season Cannon Beach, Oregon, provides the setting for an unsuspecting Frenchman’s introduction to the many ways life can go wrong for the unlucky in America. He listens as the barflies nightly recount their tales of woe—betrayal, broken families, financial ruin. Though they seem at first to tolerate the newcomer’s presence and sympathy, a tide of violence is rising, one he perceives only dimly until it is too late to escape. Made doubly powerful by her poetic fascination with the violence and volatility of the American landscape itself, Montalbetti’s novel is a thrilling study of the senseless cruelty disappointed men are capable of.
Camera
Author: Jean-Philippe Toussaint
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 156478522X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 130
Book Description
"In this improbable love story, we meet a man who is obsessed with himself: how he does things and all the ways he might have done them, how he thinks, why he thinks the way that he thinks, how he might do or think otherwise. What happens? He takes driving lessons, goes grocery shopping, slowly yet methodically battles an olive on a plate. It is all simple and amusing until life intercedes: there is love, suddenly, and change, a flurry of emotion, and an unexpected incident with a camera on a ship. Only Jean-Philippe Toussaint - master of poignant deadpan - could write a novel at once so aloof and so touching, where we come to know our narrator intimately while knowing almost nothing about him."--BOOK JACKET.
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 156478522X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 130
Book Description
"In this improbable love story, we meet a man who is obsessed with himself: how he does things and all the ways he might have done them, how he thinks, why he thinks the way that he thinks, how he might do or think otherwise. What happens? He takes driving lessons, goes grocery shopping, slowly yet methodically battles an olive on a plate. It is all simple and amusing until life intercedes: there is love, suddenly, and change, a flurry of emotion, and an unexpected incident with a camera on a ship. Only Jean-Philippe Toussaint - master of poignant deadpan - could write a novel at once so aloof and so touching, where we come to know our narrator intimately while knowing almost nothing about him."--BOOK JACKET.
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
Author: Rainer Maria Rilke
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 1564784975
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
"First published in Paris in 1910, Rilke's The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge is one of the first great modernist novels: Partly a ghost story, partly an autobiography, and partly the diary of a young poet teaching himself how to see the world, this new translation by Burton Pike captures not only the beauty but also the strangeness and spirit of the original."--BOOK JACKET.
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 1564784975
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
"First published in Paris in 1910, Rilke's The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge is one of the first great modernist novels: Partly a ghost story, partly an autobiography, and partly the diary of a young poet teaching himself how to see the world, this new translation by Burton Pike captures not only the beauty but also the strangeness and spirit of the original."--BOOK JACKET.
Savage
Author: Jacques Jouet
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 1564785351
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 98
Book Description
Alluding to Jean-Paul Sartre's famous study of Gustave Flaubert, Jouet's recent book asks, "What, at this point in time, can we make of a man?" As a member of the Oulipo (Ouvroir de Littrature Potentielle), a group of French writers and mathematicians who use constrained writing techniques for inspiration, Jouet's literary output is often characterized as avant-garde. This is a work of fiction based upon the life of painter Paul Gauguin. The prose is a first-person stream of consciousness that follows Paul, a clothing designer, in search of inspiration. Traveling among the people of France's colonies, Paul adopts a radical approach to design and, in the process, unravels his own sense of civility among the "savages." While his ideas expand artistically, his body and mind deteriorate physically from disease. In the end, the reader wonders whether Paul gained insight at the expense of sanity or vice versa. Often fascinating and brilliant, this book contains much of value for the patient reader, but it is not for everyone. Recommended for those interested in subversive and experimental fiction.Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 1564785351
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 98
Book Description
Alluding to Jean-Paul Sartre's famous study of Gustave Flaubert, Jouet's recent book asks, "What, at this point in time, can we make of a man?" As a member of the Oulipo (Ouvroir de Littrature Potentielle), a group of French writers and mathematicians who use constrained writing techniques for inspiration, Jouet's literary output is often characterized as avant-garde. This is a work of fiction based upon the life of painter Paul Gauguin. The prose is a first-person stream of consciousness that follows Paul, a clothing designer, in search of inspiration. Traveling among the people of France's colonies, Paul adopts a radical approach to design and, in the process, unravels his own sense of civility among the "savages." While his ideas expand artistically, his body and mind deteriorate physically from disease. In the end, the reader wonders whether Paul gained insight at the expense of sanity or vice versa. Often fascinating and brilliant, this book contains much of value for the patient reader, but it is not for everyone. Recommended for those interested in subversive and experimental fiction.Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.