HITTING SHELVES #37: Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein

children-of-the-new-world-alexander-weinstein

Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein comes out today!

It’s debut collection of slightly speculative fiction that shows, with uncanny precision, what might be in store for our society in the coming years. Alexander Weinstein’s visions–of social media implants, robots adopted as as children, and virtual worlds that surpass the real one–are creepy, exciting, and always grounded in the familiar humanity of the characters who experience them.

We asked the author one question.

How are you celebrating the publication of Children of the New World?

About a dozen years ago, I was working as a chef, had just become a new father, and was feeling overworked, unpublished, and under-slept. I received The French Laundry Cookbook as a gift that Christmas—an incredible cookbook by Thomas Keller. I remember reading about his love for cooking and his endless devotion to the art, and thinking: If I ever publish a book, I’m going to celebrate at one of his restaurants.

Alexander Weinstein
Alexander Weinstein

Lo and behold, a dozen years later—after blood, sweat, and tears—my debut collection, Children of the New World, was signed by Picador. This past November, I invited my parents and my son (who have been deeply supportive of my writing) to dinner at Thomas Keller’s restaurant, PerSe, and we celebrated the publication together.

The book releases on Sept 13th, and I give my first reading at Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor. After that I go on a national tour. For the Literati launch, I’ll be giving a reading and throwing an after-party at a local venue. I’m a big fan of soul music, so I’m hoping to have a band play at the party (My new dream is to have Charles Bradley perform at an after-party). We’ll end the night with dancing, drinks, and merriment. And my hope is to continue celebrating when I go on tour, as I have family and friends in many of the cities where I’ll be reading.

And, of course, I’ll be working on my writing. I’m presently finishing my second collection, teaching university classes, and directing The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. So it’s a busy time for me—all the more reason to celebrate when I can. And perhaps, one day, I’ll make it to The French Laundry; it’ll be a kind of tribute to the book/restaurant/chef who inspired me to keep going so many years ago.

Get the book here.

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