Some of you may remember Kirby Gann from the Lit Blog Co-op's October discussion of his new book and Gwenda's interview with him at the site. Carrie Frye is still singing his praises and has selected him as one of the most underappreciated writers, saying, "In Our Napoleon in Rags, Gann works language in amazing ways to capture the stories (and varied voices) of the regulars at the Don Quixote, a down-at-heels bar which exists in some parallel Louisville. One of the best books I read this year."
More about Kirby Gann
+ Official Site of Kirby Gann
+ Gann shares his favorite book of 2005 with The Millions
+ Dan Wickett's interview with Gann
+ "Tether" --a short story by Gann
Kirby was a featured speaker in Western Kentucky University Libraries Kentucky Live! series in December, 2005 and both read from his new novel "Our Napoleon in Rags" and discussed his journey as a writer. See my review of this novel in the Bowling Green Daily News, Sunday, November 27, 2005, page 12C. "It's an intriguing novel of extraordinary characters which linger in your mind long after you finish the novel."
Gann's 2004 novel "The Barbarian Parade: Or, Pursuit of an Un-American Dream" was Kentucky Educational Television's Bookclub book of the month in July, 2005. "It's a coming-of-age
novel of unusual depth which tells the story of a small town Kentucky boy who aspired to become a professional soccer player and managed to do so while preserving his humanity and
dealing with a very dysfunctional family."
Kirby is a writer to watch!
Posted by: Brian Coutts | January 02, 2006 at 11:25 AM