Lunievicz

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Of Falling Objects

I had dinner with writer Andrew Smith (Ghost Medicine, In the Path of Falling Objects, Marbury Lens, Stick) on Friday.

We talked about a lot of things writing and non-writing. I found out things that surprised me about him and found myself talking about things I haven’t talked about with anyone in a long, long time. I’m still processing the evening.

I will tell you that Andrew is the real deal. He’s a writer’s writer who can talk about words and how to use them to tell stories in the most extraordinary way. He works his ass off on his writing. He’s very disciplined in the way he writes and accomplishes an incredible amount of completed pitch perfect work in addition to being part of a family with two kids, holding a day job, raising horses, and feeding a running habit. He paid his dues working as a journalist and has found a true mastery of the written word in his work as a novelist. If you haven’t read one of his books your life as a reader of books is not complete. You’ve been slumming.

I hung out with Andrew Smith on Friday evening.

I took him to The Fencer’s Club. Outside of rugby, fencing is the greatest sport in the world. You heard it here first. You can close your eyes, sitting on the spectator’s bench and just listen to the music of the blades, tapping, beating, sliding, cutting into the air, and pressing into canvas.

Andrew introduced me to Macallan 12 year old scotch.

Of course I forgot to take pictures.

My wife just rolled her eyes when I told her. Perhaps some things need to be savored in the mind and not on the photographic pixilated plate. Okay. I’m taking pictures first next time I have the fortune to see him so I don’t forget.

What Andrew made me want to do more than anything else when I went home that evening was write. Now because I’d had two scotches and could barely feel my toes much less navigate a keyboard I had to wait until the morning.

But the next morning I got up early and got back to work on my next book, his many words of wisdom ringing in my head.

Posted by Joe Lunievicz | December 12, 2011 | Categories: Andrew Smith, Blog, Fencing, Rugby | 1 Comment

A Good Friday Hang-out Dittie

It’s Friday. I love Fridays.

Today is an especially good Friday (no pun intended) because I’m meeting Andrew Smith this evening and hanging out with him.

I don’t really hang out much not being a real hang out kind of guy – but I thought I should say the words because they would make me sound cool. I got special dispensation from my family to have a hang-out night. I mean… it’s Andrew Smith.

So I’m going in to the city early and not working (really, I’m taking the day off). I’m going to have an hour or two of precious writing time before I meet Andrew. And I’m looking forward to it. This is after going to my son’s holiday show at school in which he will be singing with his class all kinds of christmas and holiday ditties. Now there’s a word, ditties, that doesn’t get used much these days. Maybe this post will help it make a come-back… probably not. And I’m really looking forward to hearing him sing. He’s been practicing a lot. Anyway it’s going to be a great Friday from beginning to end.

Oh yeah. I’m bringing my books to get signed too. Seriously. This chance won’t come around too often.

Also I’m reading on Saturday in Manhattan in Gramercy.

Fellow WestSider Karen DelleCava (author of the YA debut novel A Closer Look) was invited to read at the NYC LearningSpring School Book Fair this Saturday and was kind enough to get me and another WestSider Selene Byrack-Castrovilla (author of Saved by the Music, The Girl Next Store, and Melt) invited too. All three of us will be reading from our novels and signing books this Saturday, December 10th, 247 East 20th Street NY, NY from 1-3pm. If you’re in the neighborhood, come on by.

Posted by Joe Lunievicz | December 9, 2011 | Categories: Andrew Smith, Blog, Events, Publicity & Marketing, Reading | 2 Comments

Quick Review: Amulet Graphic Novel by Kazu Kibuishi

My son and I are reading a graphic novel series together. He gets to read them first and I get them when he’s finished. We both polish off each book in about an hour. There are only four books in the series so we’re hungry for more. I love a good graphic novel. I was never big into comic books but I have always loved longer , book length works. There’s something about both the visual and textual elements of them that really brings a smile to my face. Here’s what we’re reading now:

Amulet Book 1: The Stonekeeper

Amulet Book 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse

Amulet Book 3: The Cloud Searchers

by: Kazu Kibuishi

Here’s the book description for book 1 from Amazon: After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

What did I love about this? The opening is harrowing and real, and very, very dark. I love the artwork. Perspective is very effectively used to show the world from different characters ponts of view. I love that there is a young girl who is the protagonist. I love the world-building that Kibuishi does in creating a place for these characters to exist in. A walking house, ferocious adversaries, the lure of power over others, and a mom who is not a stereotype who worries about her children and actively protects them are all bonus features. And we haven’t even been through book 4 yet. I hope to pick it up tomorrow. Only, my son gets to read it first.

Age is 9 and up but keep in mind the opening is rough.

Posted by Joe Lunievicz | December 8, 2011 | Categories: Blog, Book Reviews, Graphic Novels | 2 Comments

Espresso, Wool Jacket, and Bad Lighting

Espresso - my son in the background!

I read at Espresso 77 last night. My son sold books for me and gave out free mugs as gifts. Four friends, ten customers, and three employees listened in. I read the opening six pages of Open Wounds and the first five pages of the second part, The Bells of Hell – where Lefty is introduced to the reader and to Cid – the protagonist.

The shop turned off the music.

The customers looked up from their conversations and laptops, took out their earphones, put away their phones.

Just about everybody tuned in for twenty minutes. It’s hard not too in such a small space.

I stood by the register with my back to the milk and condiment cart. The owner’s art-work surrounded me on both walls.

I love this place.

Espresso 77

I wore my Espresso 77 t-shirt which says, “I love espresso,” on the front and Espresso 77 on the back. The writing is in white and red. The t-shirt is black. I wore my special, thick, writer-ly, wool coat. It doesn’t have elbow patches. It is slate black. And it is cool.

I may not be cool.

But my jacket is.

Espresso 77 Reading

My son sold three books – two to friends, and one to a customer who got into the reading and decided to give it a try.

It was just about perfect.

Earlier that day my son and I went to a local pool hall and played ping-pong – 30 pool tables, 5 ping-pong tables, 2 air hockey tables, and one foosball table. I introduced my son to foosball. He liked it – a lot.

If the sun had come out and it had rained diamonds it couldn’t have been a more perfect day.

Posted by Joe Lunievicz | December 6, 2011 | Categories: Blog, Espresso 77, Events, Open Wounds, Public Speaking, Reading | 3 Comments

Cold Nose and Fridays

Flyer at Espresso 77

My son asked me if I had a nickname when I was growing up. I told him yes. When I played rugby I was called Joe Nose, usually accompanied by, “the Nose knows.” I broke my nose 9 times on the rugby pitch, so often that the last few times I had to push it back in place myself before it swelled and I had to go the doctor for rearrangement. Rugby players all have nicknames. I don’t know why. One guy we called IDK because whenever someone asked what his name was none of us knew. “I don’t know,” became IDK.

In Open Wounds Cid calls Winston Arnolf Leftingsham, his cousin from England who comes to get him from the orphanage he is stuck in for five years, “Lefty.” Winston has no left arm or leg (the leg is a wooden replacement) and is badly scarred on the inside and out from mustard gas fighting at Ypres in the First World War. Cid never calls him “Lefty” to his face because… that would be wrong. But the nickname sticks.

My son has had some nicknames so far, like Maximum Max, Maximo, and Maximillion, but nothing that has stuck yet like Lefty or The Nose or IDK. I hope he gets a good one. They’re good for character and myth building.

In case I forget later, I’ll be at Espresso 77 in my neighborhood on Sunday evening 7-8pm reading and talking about Open Wounds. If you’re in Jackson Heights, Queens, come on by and have a latte with me and talk books.