Poor Man's Autumn: A Novel

The unforgettable story of a poet who disappears.

Jack Malley is a struggling graduate student who opens his mailbox one morning to discover a human ear. So begins the quirky and beautifully written mystery of a famous poet and his heartsick protégé. Poor Man’s Autumn is a thrilling ride through love, art, and the complexities of fame.

Interview with the Author

Q: I love the multiple layers of this book: A novel about growing up… the struggle to become an artist… and a kind of “whodunnit” that holds it all together. What made you write Poor Man’s Autumn?

A: A girl. What else? The true story of how I got my heart broken and how it got mixed up with the history of art.

Q: The opening sentence is wonderful: “If there’s a meaning to life, I finally discovered it like a cereal-box prize the day I opened my mailbox and found a detached human ear in the mail.” Does this book give away the meaning of life?

A: Well, I’ll say this much: The final scene contains the answer I’ve found after twenty years of wondering about it.

Q: Many passages in this book feel like poetry. Are you a poet yourself, or was that just a nod to the main character?

A: I don’t consider myself a poet, no. But I’m fascinated by books that dissolve the line between poetry and prose. For example, Richard Brautigan’s Trout Fishing in America and Paul Harding’s Tinkers.

Q: You’re giving away the e-book for nothing. Why?

A: Writing is my religion.

The important thing for me is to spread my ideas. For example, the idea that “one change to your reality can illuminate the world.” You’ll find that idea at the center of all my books.

Categories:

Magical Realism
Coming of Age
Visionary & Metaphysical
Black Humor
Literary Fiction

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