Shaved Meats, Piled High: May 2019
A Baker's Dozen
For two year's now, I've been giving away books from my own shelves. Often, people think this means I am giving away my books, books I've written, but that is seldom the case. (I've sneaked a few titles in, but not every month and never more than one in any given month.) Last month, the Mystery Box featured a dozen books I would never give away and a galley of my newest book, Lady in the Lake. The winner also received a letter explaining the significance of the books I chose, most of which were used copies that matched up with the edition I still own and treasure. The text of that letter is below.
Meanwhile, the Mystery Box is taking a hiatus until the publication of Lady in the Lake. Head over to Twitter, Instagram, my personal Facebook page or my author page to see what I'm giving away this month, a little piece of memorabilia from my Baltimore childhood.
Dear --
You are actually receiving a Baker's Dozen -- 12 books I love and a galley of my new book. Normally, I ask recipients of the Mystery Box to keep it a mystery -- I wouldn't want any writer to feel bad because I've decided to let go of his/her book. But this month, you are receiving books I love, books that will always remain on my shelf, so feel free to share on social media if you are so inclined.
In chronological order (I think):
The Annotated Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov (and Alfred Appel): I first tried to read Lolita at age 12. Then I got to Northwestern and studied the book with Appel, who wrote this annotated version. I read mine to pieces; this is a copy of the one I now own.
Sula,Toni Morrison. My first Toni Morrison. I am eternally grateful to my creative writing teacher, Meredith Steinbach, for introducing me to Morrison. Steinbach was an important mentor, one of the first people to say to me, "I think you could write fiction."
Reeling, Pauline Kael. Why did I buy a paperback of film criticism for pleasure reading while at Northwestern? I don't know. But I own everything Kael has written.
Zuckerman Unbound, Philip Roth. I was already a Roth fan when I bought this hardcover, an incredible extravagance, at the bookstore in the Waco Mall. It remains my favorite Roth novel, which makes me a total oddball.
All My Friends are Going to be Strangers, Larry McMurtry. I don't remember why I bought it, but I always remember how I began to read it -- on a Greyhound bus, heading from Waco to San Antonio for a weekend with my boyfriend. All I've ever wanted to do is to write a book that makes a reader feel the shiver of joy I felt at McMurtry's first line.
Listening to Billie, Alice Adams. I think I read everything I could find by Adams after she had a big hit with Superior Women. (1984). She was sui generis as a writer.
Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson. I bought my copy at Half Price Books in San Antonio and never forgot a particular image in the first chapter.
Marjorie Morningstar, Herman Wouk. This one makes me sad. I found the book while staying with friends who are no longer friends. Twenty-whatever seems late to read MM, but it made a big impact on me and is now one of the novels I re-read every year -- and a novel that influenced Lady in the Lake.
A Novel Called Heritage, Margaret Mitchell Dukore, and Suspects, David Thomsen. Two gifts from my sister, who has the best taste in books. Both have enormous twists.
Emma Who Saved My Life, Wilton Barnhardt. My memory, always suspect, says I found a free copy of this floating around the Evening Sun, circa 1990. It made me laugh out loud. It still makes me laugh out loud.
The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure, Jack Pendarvis. In 2007, or maybe it was 2008, my friend Tom Franklin passed me a story from this book while we were listening to a lecture at Eckerd College's Writers in Paradise, where we were both on faculty. "Sex Devil" remains one of the best short stories I have ever read.
Lady in the Lake. My latest book. I hope you like it. I like to think that some day it will sit on the shelf of someone who never wants to let it go. But it's OK if you pass it -- or any of the other books -- on to other readers.
All my best,
[World's worst signature]
READ/READING: Never Look Back, Alison Gaylin; Baja Oklahoma, Dan Jenkins; Very Nice, Marcy Dermansky; All This Could Be Yours, Jami Attenberg; Sunset Beach, Mary Kay Andrews; All the Rage, Darcy Lockman; An American Summer, Alex Kotlowitz; Pictures at a Revolution, Mark Harris.
REREADING: Going Steady, Pauline Kael; Waverly Place, Susan Brownmiller.
ME, ME, ME: Lady in the Lake has received two more reviews, both starred. Booklist described it as a "riveting historical thriller" while Publishers Weekly called it "Smoldering."
Meanwhile, last year's baby, Sunburn, won the eDunnit at Crimefest in Bristol and is nominated for both the Strand Award and the Anthony Award.
Laura Lippman
May 2019