Thaliad
 

Pub date (hardcover and softcover) for a new book of mine is tomorrow... Thaliad is a post-apocalyptic epic in blank verse, and am feeling the luck of small press co-conspirators; this is a marvelous-looking production with profuse art by a friend of mine, Clive Hicks-Jenkins of Wales, and design by Elizabeth Adams of Phoenicia Publishing in Montreal. The art is collage cut from painted papers. (Clive also did the "green man" art for my collection, The Foliate Head (UK: Stanza Press, 2012), and some of my book jackets.)

For a peep at poem, images, author comments from poets and novelists, and clips from the first few reviews, please hop over to http://thepalaceat2.blogspot.com/p/thaliad_7.html.

Review clip from Midori Snyder: --Midori Snyder, "The Sublime Collaboration of Author Marly Youmans with Artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins: Thaliad," from In the Labyrinth

Today and tomorrow are the last day to pre-order the Thaliad hardcover at discount directly from Phoenicia Publishing (the way that benefits them the most.)

Oh, Marly, this is so exciting. And what great comments! I will read the poem excerpts when I get my brain back--it's been a long day.... But I'm so happy for you!

Are you having a party?!

Charlotte

Charlotte, not a pub party, alas. I'm almost immediately going to Atlanta for an author luncheon and dinner. My year has just been a bit much, what with three books and the NBA judging.

But I'll be doing some jolly things later on...

Congratulations, it looks wonderful. The excerpts read beautifully, so I can't wait to read the whole poem. That won't be long from now, since I've ordered it for Christmas. Best wishes, Bill

Thank you, Bill--

I hope the poem fulfills expectations throughout! I've been very lucky in book production, but this one is truly astonishing. A long friendship with Clive Hicks-Jenkins has seen us collaborating quite a bit, and this book is very special to us both, and to Beth Adams, the designer.

Good cheer, and merry Christmas-to-come to you!
Marly

Congratulations, Marly. I'm losing track of all your many books!

Hi Susan--

You and me both! Recently I was astonished to realize that "Thaliad" is my 11th book. It's just a coincidence (three publishers, odd timing) that I had three books out in one year, right on the heels of last year's book--and then that the year coincided with the time I judged one of the National Book Awards. Between reading endlessly and touring and other things, the year has been rather over-stimulating... to put it gently. I'm doing an author luncheon in Atlanta soon, and after that I fantasize about having a nice long winter's nap before the new year, though I know it won't be that way.

Hope all is very well with you and yours, Susan! Hope your winter is full of light.

Good cheer,
Marly

If any passers-by are interested, those new books are the new epic, "Thaliad," plus a collection of poems, "The Foliate Head," and a novel, "A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage" (The Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction.) Last year's collection was "The Throne of Psyche." Book pages for each are on my website, http://www.thepalaceat2.blogspot.com.

Marly

Congratulations, first of all, and commiserations, secondly, at all the
hither and thithering. Midori's review is thoughtful and exuberant--at once!-,a skill she seems to possess that has always eluded me. I wish you the best with this new baby. Selfishly, I'd like to see more Youmans stories from Emmanuel County.

Lance

Hi Lance!

Thanks so much--and yes, Midori is rather special. I always liked her Endicott Studio essays, and I like "In the Labyrinth."

North Carolina today, Georgia tomorrow...

Good cheer to you--
Marly

John Wilson, editor of "Books and Culture," picks Thaliad (and A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage): Favorite Books of 2012.

Oh, what a terrific Christmas present. Congratulations.

This year's novel has been on a few lists, but to get a poetry book on one is more of a feat, as we all know, alas.

Testimonial: I gave this to my wife for Christmas. She is a lifelong sci-fi aficionado and a follower of epic poetry. On Christmas morning, she opened it and promptly disappeared with it for the next two hours. Tears were streaming down her cheeks by page 5. She loved it. "Fabulous," "original," she called it. She loves the "wiggly illustrations." We will read it together soon -- I can't wait. Congratulations!

Oh, I missed this. Congrats, Marly! You and Michael Connelly, eh? Soon you'll be making millions! Well... thousands... maybe...

Bill, that's a great testimonial for Thaliad (very tempting!). I would say the same for A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage, which I will continue to promote tirelessly. I loved that book.

Happy New Year, Marly! (And more books.)

Charlotte

A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage
 

Marly! Congrats! A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage was one of my favorite books this year. Keep on keeping on!

Dear Bill,

Thank you so much for that beautiful comment! Please tell your wife thank you for going so deeply into "Thaliad." That she did means much to me. I hope she enjoys the rereading--rereading being the best reading--and that you find the poem satisfying as well.

Good cheer,
Marly

Charlotte,

Thank you! Yes, I'm very glad that he picked both "Thaliad" and "A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage" (thank you for loving it) for the list. I just found out that he never saw my third book from my insane last year, "The Foliate Head." Oh, well.

Good wishes and book luck to you as well--I don't think I'll have another year quite as crazy as the last, but there are a couple books forthcoming.

Let me know if you come back to the land of Medusa again...

Carol,

Thank you, oodles--I love having a book that is among your favorites. Happy New Year!

***

If any passers-by want a peek, here's a link to the Phoenicia Publishing page for Thaliad: http://www.phoeniciapublishing.com/thaliad.html. It has lots of comments (from poets and from literary and genre novelists) and so forth, and also explains how to acquire the book in a number of different ways, and in hardcover as well as paperback.

A Pinterest page collects more than a dozen images from the book (more not shown, as surprises are good!) from the Clive Hicks-Jenkins art for the book: http://pinterest.com/marlyyoumans/th...blishing-2012/. A long friendship with Clive has resulted in book jackets and the rich, profuse art for The Foliate Head and Thaliad. I'm grateful to him!

Yay, Marly. Warmest congratulations.

Thank you so much--warmth always welcome! I'm hoping it manages to paddle along, despite a long poem being such a rare thing these days.

A nice fat review from poet Rachel Barenblat aka Velveteen Rabbi: http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog...s-thaliad.html.

Marly, do you think that "epic poem" is an outdated term? Or, at the very least, one that may feel daunting to modern readers? Thaliad is an epic poem, but that really means a novel in verse form. I wonder if there are other ways of describing such a book. My husband, for instance, would be unlikely to read an epic poem, but he loved Thaliad, and said he quickly forgot that to was in verse at all!

I just posted something about this on my blog and facebook, wondering how to talk about such a poem for the general reader in newspaper articles, on the internet, etc. I'm about to do some articles and feeling a little unsure.

Some say they have no trouble with "epic." Some say it might put people off, as might "novel in verse." "Saga" is mentioned.

The most recent comment from a poet is pretty interesting:

Is "story-poem" appealing in a way that "epic" is not? Saga? Tale in verse? Is he right? Does it all matter?

If anybody wanders back to this thread and has thoughts or advice, I'd love to hear, as I have not made up my mind on the whole issue, and it's time to get out some promised articles.

Marly,

I've heard the term "novel in verse." Also, could it be counted as narrative poetry? I'm sorry I haven't read the Thaliad (yet!) so it's hard to judge. It does depend on your audience too, I suppose. I like "story poem" myself, although some people might think that's a short poem. Or you could just say the hell with it--it's an epic, so there, and here's why it's wonderful and different, and why there's nothing else like it! Thinking....

Charlotte

Thanks, Charlotte--

Sorry I did not see this earlier! Yes, I think it's a sort of hybrid piece that hews to epic conventions but has a lot of things in common with a novel...

I've discovered that people find "post-apocalyptic" more daunting than "epic," so I am figuring something out!

Painter Marja-Leena Rathje did a post about rereading "Thaliad" yesterday... I've updated the Thaliad page to take into account recent posts/reviews.

Here's a little postscript to the thread, for anyone who would like a peek...

Excerpts and comments are up at SCRIBD: http://www.scribd.com/doc/122176425/...ublishing-2012

Excellent! I hope that choppy melange of comments and excerpts will encourage people just to get the book. We just read it aloud with great interest and enjoyment. I'm looking forward to reading it aloud again, soon. Best, Bill

Thank you, Bill--

I'm tickled (and honored) that you would read it aloud twice!

Brand new fantabulous review:
http://tomcatintheredroom.com/2013/0...marly-youmans/

Marly,

You are being reviewed! Fabulous!

And I do hope to see you in Medusa, if at all possible this summer.....

Charlotte

Charlotte,

A bit... There are a few other reviews on the horizon. And that's good, as peddling an epic adventure in verse in our time is a downright curious thing to do.

Yes, I hope to see you again in Medusa, although that pitch-black drive through the boondocks of New York was wild. Sometimes I was lost, and sometimes I just thought I was lost...