Sam Lipsyte has always been a funny, engrossing writer, but with this latest novel the author of Home Land, Venus Drive and The Subject Steve is staking his claim as the city's singular source for mordant laughter.
The Ask is the story of Milo Burke, a more-or-less employed development officer at a small university whose further solvency depends on his wooing of one major, mysterious donor. The book discusses, with varying levels of terror, "work, war, sex, class, child rearing, romantic comedies, Benjamin Franklin, cooking shows on death row, and the eroticization of chicken wire." Sam will be here to discuss the book with his celebrated editor at FSG, Lorin Stein.
News of Note
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Written by Sandy
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
by Scott Lynch (Bantam Spectra, $7.50)
Locke is an orphan, raised under a hill, made into a thief. This thief is taught the ways of the aristocracy, the ways of priests, the ways of merchants. He is taught to be the ultimate con man, so that he rubs elbows with dukes, dons, and even kings. He and his band, the games, the lessons, the rise, all right here in this original book set in an original world.
Locke is an orphan, raised under a hill, made into a thief. This thief is taught the ways of the aristocracy, the ways of priests, the ways of merchants. He is taught to be the ultimate con man, so that he rubs elbows with dukes, dons, and even kings. He and his band, the games, the lessons, the rise, all right here in this original book set in an original world.