Wednesday at 8 PM on KPFK 90.7 FM in Southern California: LOUIS B. JONES. His new novel marks the return of one of the most engaging characters readers of sincere literary fiction have met in recent novels; Louis B. Jones’ always flummoxed theoretical physicist Mark Perdue of Particles and Luck, a weird science wunderkind with genius and plenty of problems. To say that Mark Perdue’s mind wanders is about as gratifyingly obvious as saying that Louis B. Jones’s prose exploration of his wandering is elegant, funny, smart and affirming. Perdue is back, shakily, trying once again to figure out the place of place, of certainty, perhaps looking to redeem himself for a tenure of happiness, some setbacks, and no startling insights to report. His daughter is gifted a teenage “American Idol”-style reality talent show vacation, a costly sort of be-a-star indulgence meant to cheer her up, set in the epicenter of dream and falsity, Los Angeles. Mark is anxious, naturally, and finds himself in exactly the wrong circumstances in which to be forced to confront existence, certainty, and meaning. By which we mean exactly the right circumstance in this funny, elegantly structured and itself joyful novel. Louis B. Jones is the author of three previous novels, and of short stories, including two recently anthologized, one in the brand-new collection from Heyday, New California Writing 2011. Listen live on the radio or online and download free for 90 days at the station’s website. Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment