Mitch had spent years on this first novel, working as a postal employee to support his family. His contract was for two books and things began to go wrong for Mitch pretty quickly. His kids got sick, his agent left him, his publisher wasn't happy with his progress on the second novel. It eventually came out and died a quick death. He needed the time he had taken with his first book and he had none of it.
As far as I know, his career ended there. Maybe he is writing under another name and is wildly successful. I hope so.
7 comments:
That has a too-familiar sound to it...I have several books from writers with careers too similar awaiting my do them for FFB.
Though I'm not too sure that anyone else in my workshop courses in college has had a sustained career. So far.
A good question, Todd. Although there were people I cam to know through the program that were successful, none in any of my workshops, I think (Kathe Koja, Anca Vlasopolos and Patrick Leary come to mind as coming into a private group at that time and both successful.
You wrote about BARTOY when I posted my notes about this novel a few years ago. Too bad his writing career was waylaid. The period detail and race riot info was very well done.
Kinda reminds me of Scott Wolven. A collection of short stories with CONTROLLED BURN and a prepub notice for a novel that never showed. I presume he still teaches writing in Vermont or New Hampshire.
Awaiting my Doing the book/s in question for FFB, that should be. I did just look up one of my fellow writing students at George Mason U, whom I hadn't successfully tracked previously, while assembling today's FFB. She's been mostly teaching, including in some mildly exotic places, and some less so.
My high-school friend Bob Kowal, I joked with sf writer and academic Gregory Feeley recently on Facebook, was living with his womanfriend, our mutual friend Keiko Hassler in NYC in 1984, when Keiko had transferred from U Hawaii to Barnard...in the Barnard/Columbia-supplied apartment, Keiko's official roommate was Audrey Schulman, who has had a sustained writing career and won this year's Philip K, Dick Award for her novel THEORY OF BASTARDS. Meanwhile, Bob has since been married to writer and puppeteer Mary Robinette Kowal for a decade and change, who just won the Nebula Award for her novel THE CALCULATING STARS. Hence the joke: living with Bob is clearly a means of winning 2019 best novel awards in SF. Long-term planning was required.
Sad tale @ Bartoy, assuming he gave up. Did Rag Doll do well?
I have to admit, I've not heard of this one, Patti. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check it out.
I don't know, Matt. Very few first novels do.
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