July 10

Hot Dog! My First Book!

By Oronte

I’m thrilled to announce that my first novel, long in the making, has been accepted for publication. It was late and everybody else was in bed when I read the e-mail, but I was so excited I fired up the grill after midnight and made myself hot dogs to celebrate.

The title is A Democracy of Ghosts, and it’ll come out next year under my own name, John Griswold, from a very good literary press, Wordcraft of Oregon. Check them out! Their most recent book, just released, is a novel about the final years of writer Katherine Mansfield’s life.

I submitted to Wordcraft on the advice of novelist Duff Brenna. (Have you read Duff’s Holy Book of the Beard? It’s so powerful and life affirming that it’s like something John Kennedy Toole might have written if he’d lived.) Thank you, Duff, and publisher David Memmott! I’m honored to be in such good company.

A Democracy of Ghosts follows the lives of four couples in the most radical community in America at the time (1922). The town’s ambitions, self-doubts, pain, and social and sexual jealousies contribute to a great violence based on a historical event called the Herrin Massacre, in which seemingly average men, women, and even children tortured and murdered temp workers from upstate, ending an era of rising political power for the working class. The protagonist is based on my grandfather, a state senator and United Mine Workers president for the region, and there are three strong female characters, including one who’s a sort of Shakespeare’s sister.

It’s a novel of ideas as well as strong characters, the first being that just because one has an ability (oratory, physical strength), it’s not necessarily ethical to exercise it. This, it seems to me, applies beautifully to events in our own time.

When the book is released, I hope I can rely on you, dear and faithful reader, to be my regional marketing agent and sell a copy to every person you know. Tell them there’s torture, politics, murder, infidelity, drugs, philosophy, a whiff of necrophilia, and one particularly odd gunman whose idea of a joke is to shoot somebody through the neck. Tell them it’s Churm. Hot dog!

Comments

...And the Churm Household is Abuzz with Excitement

Starbuck, Wolfie and I are so proud of our dear Dad/Oronte. It has been long in coming and nobody is more deserving. Hurrah! and Love You!

—Mrs. Churm

Mrs. Churm, at 1:50 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

Congrats! The book sounds great, those midnight dogs are well-deserved.

Make a stop in Austin on the tour!

Amelia Gray, at 4:35 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

From your friendly Inside Higher Ed editor

Oronte:

We at Inside Higher Ed are thrilled about this. If your fiction writing is half as good as what you’ve been writing for us, the book will be a must-read.

Best,

Doug

Doug Lederman, Editor at Inside Higher Ed, at 4:40 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

Huzzah, Hot Churm!

Rory, at 7:00 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

Hot diggety dog, O. Churm. I look forward to reading it.

Christine, at 9:20 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

Mahzeltov, sir!

Dinty, at 9:25 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

Thank you all for your support. Thank you for your kind words. No, really. Please. Don’t, stop. Please, don’t. Stop. Please don’t stop.

Oronte, at 10:30 pm EDT on July 10, 2008

I’m stopping.

Rory, at 4:50 am EDT on July 11, 2008

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I will read your book!

Daniel, at 4:55 am EDT on July 11, 2008

Red Hot

Congratulations, John. Know if there will be a Korean translation in the future? I know a few ROK denizens who might be interested in some good ol’ fashion philosophy and necrophilia, Churm style.

Notesfromtherok, at 4:55 am EDT on July 11, 2008

Congratulations, Dr. Churm! (Hey, by the way, have you written a novel in the vein of those two early academic novels by John Barth? I loved those books. “Floating Opera” I believe was the title of one, I forget the name of the other. Have an old typescript gathering dust?)

Bob Schenck, at 8:50 am EDT on July 11, 2008

Yes!

I’m so happy for you! I will buy at least three copies.

Jodi, at 1:10 pm EDT on July 11, 2008

Congratulations. I trust you’ll notify us when it’s finally between covers. Can’t wait to read it.

Mike Donlin, at 1:40 pm EDT on July 11, 2008

You deserve a Porterhouse not a hot dog — maybe that’s why you went to the Meat Science Lab the next day. Congrats! It took damn long enough!

Jack, at 11:10 pm EDT on July 11, 2008

Awesome!

I’m really excited about the book. I started reading your writing over at McSweeney’s, was pleased to read something more regular at InsideHigherEd, and I was floored when you revealed your identity so that I could seek out your work in long form, but I was upset to learn you didn’t have a novel. I’m looking forward to the book.

Adam, at 3:00 pm EDT on July 13, 2008

Congratulations!

Colin Matthew, at 4:55 am EDT on July 14, 2008

Congratulations to Oronte Churm!

What fantastic news, and how wonderful for all of us to be able to look forward to reading your novel. Warm congratulations to you, “Oronte"!

Erika D., at 7:00 pm EDT on July 14, 2008

Fascinating

My family — coal-miners of Southern Illinois and union organizers — lived through this era of Illinois history. My grandfather (now 92) has a steel plate in his head from an (anti-union) assassin’s bullet intended for his father, who worked with John L. Lewis. I can’t wait to read your book and pass copies on to the rest of my family! Congratulations!

Beth, at 3:00 pm EDT on July 16, 2008

Hey Beth

I’d like to hear more about your family. Maybe my people know your people. Drop me a line if you want at OChurm@aol.com.

Oronte, at 4:00 pm EDT on July 16, 2008

Congratulations! I use one of your “Adjunct” essays in a college composition class I teach, and I can’t wait to read your novel.

Fritz, at 10:45 pm EDT on July 21, 2008

A Democracy of Ghosts

The Herrin Woman’s Club would like to discuss the possibility of you doing at book review at the Civic Center when you new book ispublished.

Please contact me at P.O.Box 310Herrin, IL 62948

Lois JacobsCommittee Chairman

Lois Jacobs, at 3:00 pm EST on November 15, 2008