Skylight Books Podcast Series

A Sense of Direction by Lewis-Kraus (Riverhead) Magic Hours (McSweeney's) by Bissell Essayists Gideon Lewis-Kraus and Tom Bissell will discuss and sign their new respective books, A Sense of Direction and Magic Hours. Praise for A Sense of Direction: "A very honest, very smart, very moving book about being young and rootless and even wayward. With great compassion and zeal he gets at the question: why search the world to solve the riddle of your own heart?" —Dave Eggers "If David Foster Wallace had written Eat, Pray, Love, it might have come close to approximating the adventures of Gideon Lewis-Kraus. A Sense of Direction is the digressively brilliant and seriously hilarious account of a fellow neurotic’s wanderings, and his hard-won lessons in happiness, forgiveness, and international pilgrim fashion." —Gary Shteyngart Praise for Tom Bissell's previous works: "Bissell is a Renaissance Man for our out-of-joint time… His descriptions of simulated gore and mayhem manage to be clinical, gripping, and hilarious all at once. He transmits to the reader the primitive, visceral excitements that make video games so enticing, even addictive, to their legions of devotees." —The New Republic "Written with such panache and laden with so much information that it rises to real seriousness… moves along as deftly as a novel… [A] combination of crack-up wit, wild ambition and preposterous youth." —The New York Times Book Review Gideon Lewis-Kraus has written for Harper’s, The Believer, The New York Times Book Review, n+1, McSweeney’s, BookForum, The Nation, Slate, and other publications. A 2007-2008 Fulbright fellowship brought him to Berlin, world capital of contemporary restlessness. For the moment he lives in Brooklyn. Tom Bissell is the author of Extra Lives, Chasing the Sea, God Lives in St. Petersburg, and The Father of All Things. A recipient of the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Bay de Noc Community College Alumnus of the Year Award. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 21, 2012.

Invitation to the Bold of Heart (Seagull Books) Skylight Books and Villa Aurora are thrilled to present young Swiss author Dorothee Elmiger, reading from her translated literary collection Invitation to the Bold of Heart. Dorothee Elmiger, born 1985 in Wetzikon, Switzerland, grew up in Appenzell. She studied at the Swiss Institute of Literature in Biel and spent one semester at the German Institute of Literature in Leipzig. She has been living in Berlin and Switzerland since 2009, studying political science. Dorothee Elmiger was awarded the Kelag Prize at the Ingeborg Bachmann Festival 2010 for her first novel Einladung an die Waghalsigen, as well as the Aspekte Literature Prize 2010 for the best German debut prose and the Rauriser Literaturpreis 2011. During her stay at Villa Aurora, she will be working on a novel concerned with the concept and fabrication of biography, searching for ways of (re-) writing seemingly lost biographies. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 20, 2012.

Slake Issue 4 The editors behind Slake: Los Angeles, A City and Its Stories, clean up with a collection of stories and images inspired by Dirt -- dirty politics, dirty air, dirty gossip, dirty sex, dirty family secrets and the dirt beneath our feet. Slake: Los Angeles is devoted to the endangered art of deeply reported narrative journalism and the kind of polished essay, memoir, fiction, poetry and portrait writing that is disappearing in a world of instant takes and unfiltered opinion. Designed with an artist's eye and published in a full-color, perfect-bound format, Slake: Los Angeles sets a new template for the next generation of print journalism -- collectible, not disposable; destined for the bedside table instead of the recycling bin. Seductive in its looks and content, Slake, created by former LA Weekly editors Joe Donnelly and Laurie Ochoa, marks a return to storytelling. Most important are the voices of Slake, some of the nation's finest writers, photographers and artists who live in Southern California and bring to Slake their own individual visions of Los Angeles and the world beyond. Contributors to Slake's past issues include Jerry Stahl, Luke Davies, Mark Z. Danielewski, Jonathan Gold, Geoff Nicholson, Michael Tolkiin, Michelle Huneven, Dana Goodyear, Sandow Birk, John Albert, John Powers, Judith Lewis, Iris Berry, Steven Kotler, Daniel Hernandez, C.R. Stecyk, Arty Nelson, Yxta Maya Murray and many more.

Radio Iris (Two Dollar Radio) Anne-Marie Kinney will read from and sign her debut novel, Radio Iris. "Radio Iris brings new shimmer and depth tot he word 'sensory'--Iris' perceptions are both keen and open, so mysterious and grounded, and the book builds to a narrative of mystery and longign with visceral, ringing precision." --Aimee Bender "Radio Iris is a revelation, a whimsical, charming and beautifully observed novel about quotidian life. Anne-Marie Kinney's Iris is a contemporary version of Calvino's Marcoaldo, caught between the rich expression of her own humanity and the random demands of the workaday world." --T.C. Boyle Anne-Marie Kinney's work has appeared in Black Clock, Indiana Review, and Keyhole, and has been performed by Los Angeles's Word Theatre. Radio Iris is her first novel. Author photo by Abraham Kinney. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 17, 2012.

The Cranes Dance (Vintage) Novelist Meg Howrey returns to Skylight to launch her latest, The Cranes Dance, set in the ultra-competitive world of professional ballet. “Howrey’s engaging new novel exposes the competitive world of professional ballet through Kate Crane, a charmingly sarcastic ballerina at a crossroads. . . . Kate is an ideal guide to an unfamiliar world, from her irreverent explanations of her ballets (Howrey was a professional dancer) to her relatable self-doubt and honesty. Her revelations about family, talent, and what makes us special create a thought-provoking and entertaining read.” —Publishers Weekly Meg Howrey was a professional dancer and actress. She currently lives in Los Angeles. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 16, 2012.

Dust to Dust (Ecco Press) Skylight Books is pleased to host author Benjamin Busch, reading from his acclaimed memoir, Dust to Dust. "Elegaic, funny, wistful, deep, and wonderfully human, Dust to Dust moved me to laughter and tears, sometimes simultaneously... . After reading this book, you will want to go outside and really look at our world." --Karl Marlantes, bestselling author of Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to War "Every religious practice I know contains a facet in which knowledge of your own mortality draws you closer to the ultimate truth. Now this brave soldier with his singular sensibility renders for us a life borne of that wisdom. Benjamin Busch was molded into one of Camus's perfect men: alert in the instant with a clear-eyed view of contingency and reflexes to act. In Dust to Dust, he builds us a fort we're loath to leave." --Mary Karr, author of The Liars' Club, Cherry and Lit Benjamin Busch was born in Manhattan in 1968 and grew up in rural New York State. He in an actor, photographer, film director, and a United States Marine Corps Infantry Officer who served two combat tours in Iraq. He played the role of Officer Anthony Colicchio on the HBO series The Wire, and has appeared onHomicide, The West Wing, and Generation Kill. His writing has appeared in Harper’s, has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and he has been a guest commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered. He lives on a farm in Michigan with his wife and two daughters. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 15, 2012.

Intensity (WriteGirl Publications) Participants in the WriteGirl program will read from their work, collected in the 10th anniversary anthology Intensity. “These girls started with a few words and the seed of an idea. With WriteGirl's encouragement, each girl allowed the words to keep coming until her idea grew into an essay, a story, or a poem. What do writers do? They write. And how lucky we are to have these writers' words to inspire us!” – Carole King, GRAMMY Award-winning singer and songwriter “The work of these young women reminds me what it's like to be young. Their voices are clear and passionate, carefully observant and exuberant. They celebrate their friends, their neighborhoods, new love, and mourn the losses from which their youth can't shield them. They tell the truth.” – Terry Wolverton, author WriteGirl is a nonprofit organization for high school girls centered on the craft of creative writing and empowerment through self-expression. Through one-on-one mentoring and monthly workshops, girls are given techniques, insights and hot tips for great writing in all genres from professional women writers. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 12, 2012.

Twice Upon a Time (Aladdin) Local novelist James Riley returns to Skylight to launch Twice Upon a Time, the sequel to his middle readers debut Half Upon a Time. Praise for Half Upon a Time: "Snappy dialogue, fast-paced action, unexpected twists, and the inevitable conflicts of a threesome made up of two teenage boys and a pretty girl make this an enjoyable read." --School Library Journal James Riley is the author of the Half Upon a Time series as well as many books too unwritten to count. He's met thousands of imaginary people, most of whom are more polite than you'd think, but less interesting than you'd hope. He doesn't believe fairy tales actually happened, mostly because he's never had tiny elves do his work for him at night, despite their promising several times.  James currently lives in Los Angeles, but it's not like he's special that way . . . so do a lot of other people. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 5, 2012.

The Angry Buddhist (Europa Editions) Los Angeles-based author Seth Greenland (Shining City) appears at Skylight to read and sign his new book, The Angry Buddhist, a satire of local politics with parallels to the national scene. A great election year read! "The Angry Buddhist is a great novel. It’s satirical, it’s political, it’s sexual. All things I love dearly. Finally, something to come home to." —Larry David Praise for Shining City: "Shining City is sassy, knowing, and irreverent. It’s too much of all those things to be pigeonholed as 'summer reading,' but if you have room for one entertainment this summer, let it be Shining City." —Washington Post "Shining City is very funny... readers will be seduced by the combination of narrative skill and sharp-pointed wit." —Los Angeles Times Seth Greenland is the author of the novels The Bones and Shining City and was a writer-producer on the Emmy-nominated HBO series Big Love. His play, Jungle Rot, was the winner of the Kennedy Center/American Express Fund for New American Plays Award, the American Theater Critics Association Award, and anthologized in Best American Plays. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, and the journal Black Clock. He Lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS MAY 3, 2012.

The Shyster's Daughter (Etruscan Press) by Paula Priamos Elsewhere, California (Counterpoint) by Dana Johnson L.A.-based writers Paula Priamos and Dana Johnson read and sign their powerful new books: The Shyster's Daughter, a memoir by Priamos about her deeply flawed father; and Elsewhere, California, a coming-of-age novel set in Los Angeles from Johnson, the award-winning author of Break Any Woman Down. Praise for The Shyster's Daughter: "Paula Priamos' The Shyster's Daughter is a wonderfully written charged memoir--utterly absorbing and packed with sharp details. Direct, evocative, emotionally honest, brave, and funny, Priamos' voice shines. The Shyster's Daughter is a suspenseful investigative journey, but its emotional core vibrates with Priamos' homage to her deeply flawed and deeply loved father, and to their complicated and enduring relationship." --Victoria Patterson, author of This Vacant Paradise and Drift Praise for Elsewhere, California: "Beautifully wrought. A contemporary Bildungsroman with a wise and winning heroine at its heart." —T.C. Boyle “Reading Elsewhere, California, Dana Johnson’s luminous, intelligent, linguistically dexterous first novel about growing up in Southern California, made me understand exponentially more about my own state, my own growing up, and the private lives of families in the homes all around me. An impressive, inspiring debut!” —Michelle Huneven, author of Blame Paula Priamos is a Los Angeles based writer whose writing has been regularly featured in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post and other high profile publications. She teaches at California State University and lives in Southern California with her husband, author James Brown, and stepsons. For more info on Paula Priamos, visit: http://www.paulapriamos.com.. Dana Johnson is the author of Break Any Woman Down, which won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Break Any Woman Down is taught at universities across the country. Born and raised in and around Los Angeles, California, she is an associate professor of English at the University of Southern California. www.danajohnsonauthor.com THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS JULY 20, 2012.