Writeful

a weblog for readers and writers

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

DC Examiner: Tracks is … a Journey

The DC Examiner has published a review of Tracks: “Riding the rails with Tracks by Eric D. Goodman.”



The review describes the book as “a collection of short stories tied together by the train on which they ride ...” It adds, “However, that is not all that ties these stories together; it is the people themselves and their transformations.


“…the stories exude local culture and nuances that only a local writer could bring to life. Whether the characters are running away from their lives in Baltimore or eager to get back to them, the protagonists in each story are seeking change and the rails is the best way to examine their lives and find solutions to their problems.

“Goodman has created a novel in stories about the everyman that will reach into the reader's core and transport them inward to examine his/her own life more closely. Tracks is a novel and short stories, but much more than that, it is a journey.”


Read the entire review at the link below.


http://www.examiner.com/review/riding-the-rails-with-tracks-by-eric-goodman

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The Potomac—Goodman Brings Baltimore to Life

The Potomac, a journal of poetry and politics, recently ran a review of Tracks: A Novel in Stories, describing it as “a real dour de force.



“Goodman brings Baltimore to life in story after story,” the review explains. “Make no mistake, this is a book whose entertainment value makes it worth reading for anyone, particularly if you’re from Baltimore.”


Whether you’re from Charm City or anywhere else, take a look at the review in the most recent issue of The Potomac.


http://thepotomacjournal.com/issue12/ArticlesReviews/Rammelkamp5.html

Monday, May 21, 2012

Gaithersburg Book Festival Interview

With sunshine, books, and thousands of visitors, this weekend’s Gaithersburg Book Festival was a lot of fun. Featured authors included Jennifer Miller, Sarah McCoy, Buzz Bissinger, Keith Donohue, Siobhan Fallon, Kate Feiffer, Judah Friedlander, Alex George, Meredith Goldstein, Marvin & Deborah Kalb, Jen Lancaster, “Bloggess” Jenny Lawson, Jim Lehrer (who also has a train book!), Madeline Miller, Stewart O’Nan, Sarah Pekkanen, Leonard Rosen, Jill Casse, Ron Charles, Larry Doyle, B. Morrison, Henry Alford, and a number of others.

It was nice to meet some new friends, get to know some people in person I’ve only known online, and to be surrounded by such talent.

During my reading from Tracks, a train passed by and blew its whistle at just the right time.

The folks at the Gaithersburg Book Festival interviewed me about writing, inspiration, advise to aspiring authors, and some of my own favorite writers.

“I like to capture everyday moments that seem simple on the surface, but that contain the essence of life.”

Read the interview at the GBF website.

http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/qa-with-2012-featured-author-eric-goodman



Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Book Buzz Blog Re-boards Tracks


Book Buzz, the literary section of the York Daily Record / Sunday News blog, York Blog, has hopped back on the train with the latest news. Their headline reads, “Author Wins Independent Publisher Book Award.”


Tracks took home the gold medal for best fiction in the mid-Atlantic Region,” the article says. “The awards ceremony will be held June 4 in New York.”

The article invites readers to listen to a podcast of my recent NPR radio appearance, to join me at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 19, and to read the feature their newspaper did on me last year, shortly after Tracks was published: “Train passengers’ stories become a novel.”

Check out Book Buzz at the link below.

http://www.yorkblog.com/books/2012/05/09/york-author-wins-independent-publisher-book-award/







Labels: , ,

Friday, May 11, 2012

Feature in the DC Examiner

Just yesterday, I was interviewed for an article in the DC Examiner. Later that same day, the article was published with the headline “Local author Eric D. Goodman wins gold medal in IPPYs for Tracks.”


The story is …

… in part a review of Tracks (“The interconnected stories provide an overarching story as told by a variety of perspectives, including a workaholic and a languishing poet.”)

… partly a news flash about my medal (“His novel recently earned the 2012 Gold Medal for Best Fiction in the Mid-Atlantic Region from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.)


… partly an announcement of my appearance at the Gaithersburg Book Festival (“catch Eric D. Goodman at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 19 at the Gertrude Stein Pavilion at 3:20 p.m.”)


… and mostly an interview with me about writing, reading, and going local. (“Being a local author, how important is it that local culture and settings be featured in your work?”)


Check out the article in the DC Examiner at the link below.




http://www.examiner.com/article/local-author-eric-d-goodman-wins-gold-medal-ippys-for-his-novel-tracks

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Short Stories Take Skill and Work

If you visit the Atticus Books website, you’ll see a celebration of National Short Story Month with a series of musings from writers about short stories.


I started the conversation off with a post Atticus published earlier this month: “Short Stories Take Skill and Work.”

In it I write about one of my motivations to write a “novel in stories” after having written both novels and stories. I also talk about some of the reasons a writer should focus on short stories before tackling the novel.

“Short stories force a writer to do more with fewer words. That takes skill and work.”

Read more on the Atticus Books website (where you can also check out some good books. And a little insider info: prices have been cut short for Short Story Month, too!)

http://atticusbooksonline.com/eric-d-goodman-nssm12


Labels: , , ,

Monday, May 07, 2012

Tracks Wins Gold Medal for Year’s Best Fiction in Mid-Atlantic

The 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards have been announced. Tracks: A Novel in Stories won the 2012 Gold Medal for Best Fiction in the Mid-Atlantic Region.


"Winning these awards brings well-deserved recognition to novelists who typically fly so unjustly far under the marketplace radar that they need to wear glow-in-the-dark cardigans to get attention," said Dan Cafaro, founder and publisher of Atticus Books. "We indie lit presses take pride in identifying and supporting writers whose inventive works fall through the cracks of commercial houses. The IPPY Awards help us build awareness and establish a bond with librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and readers. We're not publishing formulaic books that we think people will buy in droves. We're publishing compelling books that we think people should read in earnest."

The 2012 IPPY medalists are an elite group. There were more than 5,000 entries.

Tracks: A Novel in Stories is set on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago. Readers meet the strangers we encounter every day: a soldier returned from war, a traveling salesman, a computer geek on the run from the mob, a Holocaust survivor, a couple in love, a poet, a hit man. The New York Journal of Books calls Goodman “a born storyteller who weaves his tales of each individual character, and then ties them together to create a finely patterned cloth.” Madison Smart Bell called Tracks “a perfect read,” and Thomas Steinbeck dubbed Goodman “an exciting talent” who takes the craft of short story writing “to the level of art.”

Hop on the train and bring home the gold. Get it on sale, directly from the publisher, at https://atticusbooksonline.com/shop/tracks-a-novel-in-stories.

Hop on the online train at http://www.tracksnovel.com/

Labels: , , , , , ,

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Featured Author at Gaithersburg Book Festival

Good news: I’ve been selected as one of the featured authors for this year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival!


City of Gaithersburg is proud to welcome readers and writers to the region’s premier literary event! Join us for the third annual Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 19, 2012, where you’ll have a chance to see and meet some of the world’s best writers – from best-sellers to acclaimed up-and-comers, terrific workshops, a full day of fun at our Children’s Village, and all the rest of the fun!

I’m joining a nice list of featured authors, including such acclaimed greats (and local favorites) as Cathy Alter, Rae Bryant, Michael Buckley, Steve Coll, Keith Donohue, Larry Doyle, Alex George, Meredith Goldstein, Jim Lehrer, Sarah McCoy, Jennifer Miller, B. Morrison, Chris Pavone, Richard Peabody, Sarah Pekkanen, Tim Wendel, and Washington Post book critic Ron Charles.

Here is a complete list of featured authors appearing at the Gaithersburg Book Festival this May 19:

http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/featured-authors

And below is a link to my Gaithersburg Book Festival page. Note that I’ll be reading from and answering questions about Tracks, and about novels in stories and writing in general, at 3:20; at 4 I’ll be in the book-signing pavilion. Bring your copy of Tracks, or get one at the festival bookstore, run by Politics & Prose.

See you in Gaithersburg!

http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/featured_author/goodman-eric




Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,