Thursday, April 23, 2015

Kieran Shea's Shelves

QUESTION: What books are currently on your nightstand?
 

ANSWER:  Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon,  A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing by H.L. Mencken,  Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy, The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette, and Treatise on Tolerance by Voltaire.

QUESTION: Who is your favorite novelist of all time?
   
 ANSWER: Thomas McGuane

QUESTION: What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

 
ANSWER: Guerrilla Warfare by Che Guevara, Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens, and
Peterson Field Guides to Eastern Birds (4th Edition) by Roger Tory Peterson.


QUESTION:  Who is your favorite fictional hero?
 

ANSWER:  Thomas Skelton, the protagonist in Thomas McGuane's 92 in the Shade


QUESTION:    What book do you return to?

 ANSWER: Moby Dick
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KIERAN SHEA’s fiction has appeared in dozens of venues including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Thuglit, Dogmatika, Word Riot, Plots with Guns, Beat to a Pulp, Crimefactory, and Needle: A Magazine of Noir ...as well as in some beefy-looking anthologies most of which will make you question the tether of his shiny, red balloon. To his self-deprecating astonishment he's also been nominated for the Story South’s Million Writers Award twice without sending the judges so much as a thank you note. He co-edited the satiric transgressive fiction collection D*CKED: DARK FICTION INSPIRED BY DICK CHENEY and his debut novel KOKO TAKES A HOLIDAY is out now from Titan Books. Kieran divides his time between 38°58′22.6″N- 76°30′4.17″W and 39.2775° N, 74.5750° W. KOKO THE MIGHTY is out next.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm really enjoying this series, Patti. Kieran, thanks for sharing what's on your shelves. I like the variety of books on your 'surprised to find on your shelves' list.

Kieran said...

Truth is, I don't keep many books around much anymore as I donate most of the books I buy to my local library. Had a watershed moment about twenty years ago, moving from apartment to apartment, when I looked at all the books I'd accumulated and said--screw this. Why am I keeping all these tomes? As back-breaking trophies to prove to myself (and others) that I read them? With gusto, I began donating my books the next day. Sent hordes of paperbacks addressed to 'ANY SOLDIER' overseas too. Don't know about any of you, but my library system's budget has been GUTTED. Anyway, the whole initial and ongoing purge has been very liberating. I miss some of the collection from time to time, especially a lot of the plays, poetry, and out-of-print stuff...(meh) I'll live.

pattinase (abbott) said...

We give most of ours to the library and the AAUW's annual book sale.?More than 1000 this top year because we are moving. our library has more donations than they can handle.

Charles Gramlich said...

Moby dick? I kept returning to Moby Dick as well, but that was because it took me about 2 years to read it. :)

Kieran said...

Moby Dick, for me at least, just gets better and funnier the older I get.