Description
Best Translated Book Award Longlist Reader's Digest Great New Book World Literature Today Holiday Gift Guide Recommendation "Offer[s] surprise and revelation at every turn." Reader's Digest "Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller." DANIEL ALARCON, author of At Night We Walk in Circles In Monastery, the nomadic narrator of Eduardo Halfon's critically-acclaimed The Polish Boxer returns to travel from Guatemalan cities, villages, coffee plantations, and border towns to a private jazz concert in New York's Harlem, a former German U-Boat base on the French Breton coast, and Israel, where he escapes from his sister's Orthodox Jewish wedding into an erotic adventure with the enigmatic Tamara. His passing encounters are unforgettable; his relationships, problematic. At once a world citizen and a writer who mistrusts the power of language, he is pursued by history's ghosts and unanswerable questions. He is a cartographer of identity on a compelling journey to an uncertain destination. As he draws and redraws his boundaries, he confronts us with the limitations of our own. Eduardo Halfon was named one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the prestigious Jose Maria de Pereda Prize for the Short Novel. The Polish Boxer, his first book to appear in English, was a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and finalist for the International Latino Book Award. Halfon is currently the Harman Writer in Residence at Baruch College in New York and travels frequently between his homes in Nebraska and Guatemala.
Co-op available Significant bound galley printing for media and booksellers, with a special emphasis on soliciting nominations for the Indie Next list. Additional eGalley distribution to media, booksellers, and librarians through Edelweiss National print, public radio, and online campaigns, targeting NPR; coverage in all major newspapers; literary magazines (New Yorker, Harper's, etc.); and literary / pop culture magazines (Believer, Rain Taxi, etc.) as well as popular literary websites and blogs, including Bookslut, Rumpus, Nervous Breakdown, Largehearted Boy, etc. We will also seek special coverage from world literature, Latino, and Jewish media outlets Release to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15, 2014) Tour will include bookstore events as well as high-profile festivals and reading series such as the Brooklyn Book Festival and the City of Asylum/Pittsburgh Salon Readings Featured title at Book Expo America Reading group guide development and book club outreach Simultaneous eBook publication and promotion Postcards available Promotional support from Words Without Borders and the PEN American Center, organizations that featured the author in the past and have run excerpts from this book. The Great Books Foundation may also offer promotional support in conjunction with the Spring 2014 release of Immigrant Voices: A 21st-Century Reader, an anthology that includes an excerpt from this book Academic marketing plans include Consortium subject catalog and Required Reading newsletter advertising Giveaways through Goodreads and LibraryThing Blurbs: we have blurbs for The Polish Boxer from Daniel Alarcon, Francisco Goldman, Norman Lebrecht, and Andres Neuman to use for this book Promotion through BLP's social media networks and website (www.blpress.org) Marketing and publicity efforts supported by Molly Mikolowski of A Literary Light
About the Author
Eduardo Halfon was born in Guatemala City, moved to the United States at the age of ten, went to school in South Florida, studied Industrial Engineering at North Carolina State University, and then returned to Guatemala to teach literature for eight years at Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Named one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota, he is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the prestigious Jose Maria de Pereda Prize for the Short Novel. He has published eleven previous books of fiction in Spanish. The Polish Boxer, his first book to appear in English, was a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and finalist for the International Latino Book Award. Halfon is currently the Harman Writer in Residence at Baruch College in New York and travels frequently between his homes in Nebraska and Guatemala.
Reviews
Best Translated Book Award Longlist Reader's Digest Great New Book World Literature Today Holiday Gift Guide Recommendation Jewish Journal Noteworthy Book for the New Year Shelf Awareness World Literature: Booksellers Recommend selection Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation: Don't-Miss Titles from Around the World Jewish Book Council Weekly Recommended Read "A moving, reflective, and humbly resounding work of fiction. . . . Monastery, with its beautiful prose, vibrant imagery, and singular outlook on the abundance of individual and shared experience, deserves to win this year's Best Translated Book Award. As an ambassador of both worldly wonder and sublime storytelling, Eduardo Halfon's Monastery, despite its brevity, is truly a marvel." Best Translated Book Award Longlist citation "[The protagonist] may be the perpetual wanderer, but his meditations are focused and absorbing." Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation of the Year citation "Zip[s] us around the world from Tel Aviv to rural Guatemala to New York, offering surprise and revelation at every turn." Reader's Digest "Intelligent and authentic." Jewish Book Council "Monastery, which looks at Guatemala and the world from the divided perspective of a Jew and Guatemalan [displays] a constantly surprising sensitivity, even tenderness toward both worlds and the ways they resonate even when they appear deaf to each other. . . . In the admirable translation by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn, the idiomatic, contemporary American English voice comes across as innate to this cosmopolitan narrator, without losing all its Spanishness." The Common "Call it a confirmation bias. Everywhere I turned this year, I saw a new expression of Arab Jewish identity. The revival seems to be happening across all fields literature, food, music yet somehow nobody's talking about it. . . . Imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered Eduardo Halfon's new novel, Monastery, in which the conflicted, tragicomic protagonist denies his Arab identity when talking to certain Jews, and his Jewish identity when talking to certain Arabs." Forward "Halfon gives voice to a lesser-known sector of the Jewish diaspora, reminding us in the process of the ways in which identity is both fluid and immutable." Publishers Weekly "[A] sly, quietly penetrating account of life on the road. . . . One of [Halfon's] special attributes is never forcing meaning on his experiences. . . . But he's also great at reversing our initial impressions of people and places. . . . A rising star among Latin writers, Halfon is a lively traveling companion." Kirkus Reviews "In this enigmatic follow-up to Halfon's lovely The Polish Boxer, readers follow the same narrator as he journeys around Central America, Europe, and Israel. . . . As if slowly filling in negative space, Halfon gradually gives shape to the uneasy relationship he has with his own allegiances and heritage as well as the outsider position he occupies wherever he goes, even within his own country. A subtle work that defies easy categorization in the best way." Booklist "If I were still a bookseller, I'd happily place [Monastery] in your hands and say, 'You've got to read th[is]!'" Shelf Awareness for Readers
Best Translated Book Award Longlist Reader's Digest Great New Book World Literature Today Holiday Gift Guide Recommendation Jewish Journal Noteworthy Book for the New Year Shelf Awareness World Literature: Booksellers Recommend selection Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation: Don't-Miss Titles from Around the World Jewish Book Council Weekly Recommended Read "A moving, reflective, and humbly resounding work of fiction. . . . Monastery, with its beautiful prose, vibrant imagery, and singular outlook on the abundance of individual and shared experience, deserves to win this year's Best Translated Book Award. As an ambassador of both worldly wonder and sublime storytelling, Eduardo Halfon's Monastery, despite its brevity, is truly a marvel." -Best Translated Book Award Longlist citation "[The protagonist] may be the perpetual wanderer, but his meditations are focused and absorbing." -Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation of the Year citation "Zip[s] us around the world from Tel Aviv to rural Guatemala to New York, offering surprise and revelation at every turn." -Reader's Digest "Intelligent and authentic." -Jewish Book Council "Monastery, which looks at Guatemala and the world from the divided perspective of a Jew and Guatemalan [displays] a constantly surprising sensitivity, even tenderness toward both worlds and the ways they resonate even when they appear deaf to each other. . . . In the admirable translation by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn, the idiomatic, contemporary American English voice comes across as innate to this cosmopolitan narrator, without losing all its Spanishness." -The Common "Call it a confirmation bias. Everywhere I turned this year, I saw a new expression of Arab Jewish identity. The revival seems to be happening across all fields-literature, food, music-yet somehow nobody's talking about it. . . . Imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered Eduardo Halfon's new novel, Monastery, in which the conflicted, tragicomic protagonist denies his Arab identity when talking to certain Jews, and his Jewish identity when talking to certain Arabs." - Forward "Halfon gives voice to a lesser-known sector of the Jewish diaspora, reminding us in the process of the ways in which identity is both fluid and immutable." -Publishers Weekly "[A] sly, quietly penetrating account of life on the road. . . . One of [Halfon's] special attributes is never forcing meaning on his experiences. . . . But he's also great at reversing our initial impressions of people and places. . . . A rising star among Latin writers, Halfon is a lively traveling companion." -Kirkus Reviews "In this enigmatic follow-up to Halfon's lovely The Polish Boxer, readers follow the same narrator as he journeys around Central America, Europe, and Israel. . . . As if slowly filling in negative space, Halfon gradually gives shape to the uneasy relationship he has with his own allegiances and heritage as well as the outsider position he occupies wherever he goes, even within his own country. A subtle work that defies easy categorization in the best way." -Booklist "If I were still a bookseller, I'd happily place [Monastery] in your hands and say, `You've got to read th[is]!'" -Shelf Awareness for Readers
Book Information
ISBN 9781934137826
Author Eduardo Halfon
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Bellevue Literary Press
Publisher Bellevue Literary Press
Weight(grams) 156g
Co-op available Significant bound galley printing for media and booksellers, with a special emphasis on soliciting nominations for the Indie Next list. Additional eGalley distribution to media, booksellers, and librarians through Edelweiss National print, public radio, and online campaigns, targeting NPR; coverage in all major newspapers; literary magazines (New Yorker, Harper's, etc.); and literary / pop culture magazines (Believer, Rain Taxi, etc.) as well as popular literary websites and blogs, including Bookslut, Rumpus, Nervous Breakdown, Largehearted Boy, etc. We will also seek special coverage from world literature, Latino, and Jewish media outlets Release to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15, 2014) Tour will include bookstore events as well as high-profile festivals and reading series such as the Brooklyn Book Festival and the City of Asylum/Pittsburgh Salon Readings Featured title at Book Expo America Reading group guide development and book club outreach Simultaneous eBook publication and promotion Postcards available Promotional support from Words Without Borders and the PEN American Center, organizations that featured the author in the past and have run excerpts from this book. The Great Books Foundation may also offer promotional support in conjunction with the Spring 2014 release of Immigrant Voices: A 21st-Century Reader, an anthology that includes an excerpt from this book Academic marketing plans include Consortium subject catalog and Required Reading newsletter advertising Giveaways through Goodreads and LibraryThing Blurbs: we have blurbs for The Polish Boxer from Daniel Alarcon, Francisco Goldman, Norman Lebrecht, and Andres Neuman to use for this book Promotion through BLP's social media networks and website (www.blpress.org) Marketing and publicity efforts supported by Molly Mikolowski of A Literary Light
About the Author
Eduardo Halfon was born in Guatemala City, moved to the United States at the age of ten, went to school in South Florida, studied Industrial Engineering at North Carolina State University, and then returned to Guatemala to teach literature for eight years at Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Named one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota, he is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the prestigious Jose Maria de Pereda Prize for the Short Novel. He has published eleven previous books of fiction in Spanish. The Polish Boxer, his first book to appear in English, was a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and finalist for the International Latino Book Award. Halfon is currently the Harman Writer in Residence at Baruch College in New York and travels frequently between his homes in Nebraska and Guatemala.
Reviews
Best Translated Book Award Longlist Reader's Digest Great New Book World Literature Today Holiday Gift Guide Recommendation Jewish Journal Noteworthy Book for the New Year Shelf Awareness World Literature: Booksellers Recommend selection Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation: Don't-Miss Titles from Around the World Jewish Book Council Weekly Recommended Read "A moving, reflective, and humbly resounding work of fiction. . . . Monastery, with its beautiful prose, vibrant imagery, and singular outlook on the abundance of individual and shared experience, deserves to win this year's Best Translated Book Award. As an ambassador of both worldly wonder and sublime storytelling, Eduardo Halfon's Monastery, despite its brevity, is truly a marvel." Best Translated Book Award Longlist citation "[The protagonist] may be the perpetual wanderer, but his meditations are focused and absorbing." Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation of the Year citation "Zip[s] us around the world from Tel Aviv to rural Guatemala to New York, offering surprise and revelation at every turn." Reader's Digest "Intelligent and authentic." Jewish Book Council "Monastery, which looks at Guatemala and the world from the divided perspective of a Jew and Guatemalan [displays] a constantly surprising sensitivity, even tenderness toward both worlds and the ways they resonate even when they appear deaf to each other. . . . In the admirable translation by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn, the idiomatic, contemporary American English voice comes across as innate to this cosmopolitan narrator, without losing all its Spanishness." The Common "Call it a confirmation bias. Everywhere I turned this year, I saw a new expression of Arab Jewish identity. The revival seems to be happening across all fields literature, food, music yet somehow nobody's talking about it. . . . Imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered Eduardo Halfon's new novel, Monastery, in which the conflicted, tragicomic protagonist denies his Arab identity when talking to certain Jews, and his Jewish identity when talking to certain Arabs." Forward "Halfon gives voice to a lesser-known sector of the Jewish diaspora, reminding us in the process of the ways in which identity is both fluid and immutable." Publishers Weekly "[A] sly, quietly penetrating account of life on the road. . . . One of [Halfon's] special attributes is never forcing meaning on his experiences. . . . But he's also great at reversing our initial impressions of people and places. . . . A rising star among Latin writers, Halfon is a lively traveling companion." Kirkus Reviews "In this enigmatic follow-up to Halfon's lovely The Polish Boxer, readers follow the same narrator as he journeys around Central America, Europe, and Israel. . . . As if slowly filling in negative space, Halfon gradually gives shape to the uneasy relationship he has with his own allegiances and heritage as well as the outsider position he occupies wherever he goes, even within his own country. A subtle work that defies easy categorization in the best way." Booklist "If I were still a bookseller, I'd happily place [Monastery] in your hands and say, 'You've got to read th[is]!'" Shelf Awareness for Readers
Best Translated Book Award Longlist Reader's Digest Great New Book World Literature Today Holiday Gift Guide Recommendation Jewish Journal Noteworthy Book for the New Year Shelf Awareness World Literature: Booksellers Recommend selection Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation: Don't-Miss Titles from Around the World Jewish Book Council Weekly Recommended Read "A moving, reflective, and humbly resounding work of fiction. . . . Monastery, with its beautiful prose, vibrant imagery, and singular outlook on the abundance of individual and shared experience, deserves to win this year's Best Translated Book Award. As an ambassador of both worldly wonder and sublime storytelling, Eduardo Halfon's Monastery, despite its brevity, is truly a marvel." -Best Translated Book Award Longlist citation "[The protagonist] may be the perpetual wanderer, but his meditations are focused and absorbing." -Library Journal Indie Fiction in Translation of the Year citation "Zip[s] us around the world from Tel Aviv to rural Guatemala to New York, offering surprise and revelation at every turn." -Reader's Digest "Intelligent and authentic." -Jewish Book Council "Monastery, which looks at Guatemala and the world from the divided perspective of a Jew and Guatemalan [displays] a constantly surprising sensitivity, even tenderness toward both worlds and the ways they resonate even when they appear deaf to each other. . . . In the admirable translation by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn, the idiomatic, contemporary American English voice comes across as innate to this cosmopolitan narrator, without losing all its Spanishness." -The Common "Call it a confirmation bias. Everywhere I turned this year, I saw a new expression of Arab Jewish identity. The revival seems to be happening across all fields-literature, food, music-yet somehow nobody's talking about it. . . . Imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered Eduardo Halfon's new novel, Monastery, in which the conflicted, tragicomic protagonist denies his Arab identity when talking to certain Jews, and his Jewish identity when talking to certain Arabs." - Forward "Halfon gives voice to a lesser-known sector of the Jewish diaspora, reminding us in the process of the ways in which identity is both fluid and immutable." -Publishers Weekly "[A] sly, quietly penetrating account of life on the road. . . . One of [Halfon's] special attributes is never forcing meaning on his experiences. . . . But he's also great at reversing our initial impressions of people and places. . . . A rising star among Latin writers, Halfon is a lively traveling companion." -Kirkus Reviews "In this enigmatic follow-up to Halfon's lovely The Polish Boxer, readers follow the same narrator as he journeys around Central America, Europe, and Israel. . . . As if slowly filling in negative space, Halfon gradually gives shape to the uneasy relationship he has with his own allegiances and heritage as well as the outsider position he occupies wherever he goes, even within his own country. A subtle work that defies easy categorization in the best way." -Booklist "If I were still a bookseller, I'd happily place [Monastery] in your hands and say, `You've got to read th[is]!'" -Shelf Awareness for Readers
Book Information
ISBN 9781934137826
Author Eduardo Halfon
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Bellevue Literary Press
Publisher Bellevue Literary Press
Weight(grams) 156g
