How to Find My Novel: MN Book Awards from scott muskin on Vimeo.

How to Find My Novel: MN Book Awards from scott muskin on Vimeo.

That's me in the blazer.

I’ve done several book clubs now, and each has been such a great experience, it’s time I did a post about them. Most recetnly was a group of Grinnell alum (and a couple special non-Grinnellians), most of whom i didn’t know that well. They were celebrating their club’s (wait for it) 100th book. That’s right, they have read 100 books as a group. Which is more than ysome of you reading have probably read since college.

Not only do they read that many books, with kids and jobs and the whole deal also on their plates, but they also make dinner inspired by the book, they keep meticulous notes on their get-togethers, and they vote each book thumbs up or thumbs down (not finishing the book is not an option). And with all these rules, they still manage to laugh…a lot.

So kudos to them, and kudos to books in general. I thought reading serious books was supposed to be passe? Apparently not. I was so glad to see my “core demographic” is alive and well (and cute).

But Thursday I was on KFAI’s “Write On Radio!” started by J. Otis Powell! back in the day, and I was sweaty nervous. It didn’t help that I was to be on the show with one of my favorite writers, period, Charles Baxter. it also didn’t help that Jim Lenfestey read some of Bill Holm’s poems and sounded so much like the late poet that I started to tear up. Finally, it didn’t help that the damn literary calendar was CRAMMED with literary events such that it ate into my segment. Thanks ever so much for making the calendar rock, Rain Taxi. And to think I gave you 25 bucks. (BTW, the calendar is awesome and you can check it out here.)

Luckily, like any writer, when you ask me about my work, I can go and go. Steve McEllistrem, who said he normally does sci-fi and fantasy books, so thoroughly understood what my book was doing that it was like talking with myself. I loved every minute of it. And as Andrea and my mom both commented, I didn’t even say um or ah. AND I managed to make an unabashed pitch for agents to come snap me up. BTW, “unabashed” is the only way to pitch something.

The other piece is in the Star Tribune, a review of Rafael Yglesias’s new novel A Happy Marriage. It was a very difficult piece of writing for me, because I realized if you are going to take a critical stance on someone’s book, good or bad, your own writing better be impeccable. Read my review here.

“Scott Muskin is a very smart writer; each page is packed with literary, cultural, and historical references. Cliches are stood on their heads, metaphors barely kept from bleeding into each other. While his approach isnt inviting, it is truly compelling.”

Also exciting: I’ll be reading with fellow U of M alum Nicole Johns at Magers and Quinn bookstore in Minneapolis on July 12 at 7:00. More to come on THAT, to be sure.

Come join me. Tell your friends and neighbors, whether they be windy or or just gassy.

May 22, 7:30 P.M. at Barbara’s Bookstore UIC.

p.s. From Barbara’s Twitter page about my book: ”Fantastic…Like a Midwestern Woody Allen.” I love it!

Another in a step-by-step video guide to finding my novel, this time in downtown Minneapolis at the fabulous CorAzoN art and gift store. Click through previous posts for more videos, and enjoy. Thanks for watching, and for visiting my site.