Long Distances
excerpt
Columbia University, Philosophy Hall
Dear Kate,
Enjoyed our brief encounter a few weeks ago, even if it did serve to remind me that poets get all the girls.
I've been reading Eileen Simpson's book, Poet's in Their Youth, and find myself wholly absorbed. She was John Berryman's first wife, and fondly recalls him (an alcoholic suicide), R. P. Blackmur (both he and his wife alcoholics), Robert Lowell (certified manic depressive), Delmore Schwartz (alcoholic paranoid), Randall Jarrell (almost normal), and Allen Tate (womanizer). Tate was the oldest and outlived the rest, which shows that fucking is healthier than drinking.
Give me a call if you're lonely. Don't know why Michael chose to spend his sabbatical year in England to finish the book. Distance erodes relationships.
Semper Fidelis,
Bill
Reviews for the national bestseller and Marsh's first novel...
“What an impressive debut…Great charm and power and the ability to breathe life into each character. LONG DISTANCES deserves every hyperbole it receives. The reviewer would attempt to add an ornate and spectacular one here, but he is too impatient to get back and re-read the book.” — Orange Country Register (California)
“witty…a charming debut.” —Time Out (London)
“Strong, wise and entertaining…Marsh’s wit is devilish. Her compassion great.” — Boston Herald
"compulsively readable" — Chicago Tribune
“A fresh spin on (the) first novel…”
— The New York Times Book Review
“Fabienne Marsh uses a respected literary form, the epistolary, seldom seen in contemporary works, with skill, grace and deft effectiveness; she creates a real and likeable family…” — Pittsburgh Press
“What makes the novel fascinating is…the technique…By the end of the novel, I felt like a small town postal worker snooping through mail, piecing together my own version of this unfolding drama.”
— Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)
"very funny, touching, and sad all at once"
— James Atlas
“A SUPERB FEAT OF MAGIC, A MASTERFUL NOVEL.” — San Mateo Times (California)
“A surprisingly accomplished effort for a first-time author…” — ALA Booklist
"This book is pure magic. I loved reading every page of it. Long Distances is the debut of a superb new writer.” — Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides
“This book is made up of letters and postcards many of which are so accurate they make your skin crawl.”
—The Observer (London)
Literary Editor’s Selection (The Times, London)
A Book-of-the-Month-Club Alternate Selection