I am not the worst self-promoter, because if I was, I wouldn’t even have a website. But among those with websites, I must be near the front of the pack, in marathon-speak. Or maybe that’s the back of the pack? I’m a nightmare, is what I’m saying, but I’m trying. I swear I’m trying.
My new book Invisibilia has launched, from Slant Books. We had a fun Zoom book launch (organized by Slate) that ended up being attended by a lot of my old VCFA writing buddies, which is honestly the exact kind of crowd I appreciate. I’ll link to the launch video on Slant’s website when it’s available, but I just want to say I’m not to be trusted when it comes to estimating how long a reading is going to take. I said “35 minutes or so, maybe, I think” when Slant asked how long it would run, and I think it was a lot closer to an hour. Which is so much longer than anyone wants a reading to be! Especially late on a weeknight (on the east coast). But if you want an audio version of”Heart of Gold,” you’ve got it.
My initial plan was to read the title story, which I think is a pretty fun, breezy read. (That’s my ideal blurb in case anyone wants to give it: “a pretty fun, breezy read.” That’s gold to me.) But I found it tougher to read out loud than I expected, which got me to thinking about story rhythms and what makes a story good “out loud” in the first place. I’m really a sound guy at heart. I need to hear the ebb and flow of it and think it’s got rhythm, otherwise I won’t finish it. But “Invisibilia” (the story) made me think about how some stories may be better when they’re playing out in the quiet, the strange quiet, of the imagination. Still “heard” but in that submerged and ideal voice we all have inside our head when we read.
This isn’t to say I would’ve love someone to do an audio version of the whole book… I just have so much appreciation for those artists who can do it, especially when the rhythms are tricky, when the feeling is intimate. It’s probably not unlike singing. In my head (literally in my head) I can sing, and I’m pretty good in my head, but there are songs… most songs… I won’t even try to sing alone in my car. Because I know my limitations, and because I respect the music. Just let it do its thing.
