#liamcallanan

Paris by the Book Liam Callanan

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️▫️ PUBLISHER Dutton PUBLISHED April 3, 2018

A touching story of a family consumed by a mysterious disappearance that launches them on a literary journey in the City of Light.

SUMMARY They met outside a bookstore in Wisconsin! Leah, a former film student, whose favorite film was The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse and Robert, a struggling author, loved the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans. The two continued to debate about which was better, even after they got married and had children of their own, two little girls. Both works are set in Paris, and Leah and Robert’s ultimate dream was to go to Paris, but there was never enough money. And then one day Robert went out for a run and totally disappeared. No one could find any trace of him, or knew whether he was dead or alive. Leah and the girls, Daphne, 14, and Ellie, 12, were devastated, confused and inconsolable. They don’t want to believe that he is dead, but they also can’t believe he would leave them for good. Perhaps it was time to go to Paris, maybe Robert was there. There are clues pointed in that direction, particularly a half finished manuscript about a family in Paris. Once they are there, it’s not long before they are living above and running a failing bookstore…and believe they are seeing Robert everywhere.

Tonight, Thursday, July 9, at 7 pm, Liam Callanan (Listen and Other Stories) will read with Jayne Benjulian, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, Robin McLean, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, and Patrick O'Neil for Why There Are Words (333 Caledonia St.) in Sausalito, CA.

This Saturday, July 11, at 1 pm, Liam Callanan (Listen and Other Stories) will read at Vroman’s Bookstore (695 E. Colorado Blvd.) in Pasadena, CA.

This Thursday, July 9, at 7 pm, Liam Callanan (Listen and Other Stories) will read with Jayne Benjulian, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, Robin McLean, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, and Patrick O'Neil for Why There Are Words (333 Caledonia St.) in Sausalito, CA. 

Tonight, Wednesday, May 20, at 8:30 pm, Liam Callanan (Listen and Other Stories) will read at Aurora (276 Westminster St.) in Providence, RI. The reading will be hosted by Jared Paul and there will be a curated open mic.

“I think one of the benefits, one of the many benefits, of being with Four Way Books is that they made me think about that, ordering. Because Four Way began as a poetry-focused press, so they think about ordering the contents of a book all the time. It’s funny, when they asked me what order I wanted these stories in, I all but shrugged: ‘Whatever, we can do them alphabetically, or chronologically.’ And they thought I was insane: ‘This is your book. You need to think about where the stories go, how they speak to one another.’” Read the full interview by Emily Gray Tedrowe with Liam Callanan (Listen and Other Stories, available from Four Way Books) for Fiction Writers Review here. 

Tonight, the second of two FWB spring launches will be held at McNally Jackson, featuring Liam Callanan, Elizabeth T. Gray, Jr., Josh Kalscheur, and Daniel Wolff. We’ll be at McNally Jackson on 52 Prince St., NYC, at 6 PM. Details here.

Also in New York, FWB author Yona Harvey will be reading with Afaa Weaver, hosted by Charif Shanahan, as part of the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House’s New Salon series. The event starts at 7 PM, and will be held at 58 W 10th St. Details here.

Again in New York, our spring author Andrea Cohen will be reading with two of our other authors, Paul Lisicky, and Patrick Donnelly at the Bureau for General Services: Queer Division. The event begins at 7 PM, at 208 W 13th St., Room 210. Details here.

If you’re in Chicago this evening, our spring author Rachel Eliza Griffiths will be reading with R.A. Villanueva at the Poetry Center of Chicago. The event begins at 6 PM, at 78 E Washington St. Details here.

One of our spring authors, Liam Callanan, has a great essay up on the Fiction Writers Review website.