The Story Bridge under construction, as depicted on the cover of Simon Cleary’s novel The Comfort of Figs.
Do you love a lively discussion about ideas and writing? A dollop of controversy? Then don’t miss From Brisbane to LA, a cracker of a Brisbane Writers Festival (17 – 21 September) event featuring three inspiring authors – including the controversial James Frey – talking about their latest books.
Though vastly different in writing style and background, New York-based James Frey, Toowoomba-born Simon Cleary and Brisbane author Ian Commins all display a common thread in their new works: each turns the spotlight on a particular city and its characters at a particular moment in time.
Bright Shiny Morning – James Frey
In Bright Shiny Morning, Frey’s trademark filmic snapshots zoom in on the parallel lives of diverse characters in Los Angeles, bringing their egos and ideals, hopes and despairs, anxieties and absurdities vividly to life.
A word of warning for the uninitiated: nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable. The enfant terrible of the book scene is as provocative as ever, with a new story that warps the line between fact and fiction.
Bright Shiny Morning is a fitting follow-up to Frey’s earlier bestselling works, the controversial A Million Little Pieces, and My Friend Leonard.
Watch the fun (and possibly fireworks) unfold as Frey talks about his new book in Brisbane.
The Comfort of Figs – Simon Cleary
One of Australia’s finest authors, David Malouf, describes Simon Cleary’s first novel, The Comfort of Figs, as “fresh, true, alive with images that work on the senses and glow in the mind. A brave and impressive debut.”
In the 1930s, the construction of the Story Bridge transformed Brisbane from a sleepy country town into a city. The Comfort of Figs tells the story of three young men who worked on this iconic Brisbane landmark, the dangerous conditions they experienced, their close bond, and the moment that altered their lives forever.
A generation later, the Story Bridge continues to divide a father and son. For readers who enjoyed the Mayne Inheritance, this is an engrossing story of the birth of Brisbane and the burden of a family secret.
Fiveways – Ian Commins
Winner of the 2007 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards – Best Emerging Author, Ian Commins’ intriguing debut novel, Fiveways, tells the story of five strangers who share a busy inner-city bus route but who are on very different journeys.
Featuring an immigrant cellist grieving the loss of his daughter; a young banker who finds that having a rich father isn’t always enough; a single mother being pushed to breaking point by her tearaway sons; an accountant’s wife struggling to come to terms with her husband’s mid-life crisis; and a runaway drug addict, Fiveways is a fascinating snapshot of modern city life. Many of its components were conceived by the author while travelling on public transport, both in Brisbane and the U.S.
According to Commins, the book is “a tribute to every day people and their qualities and concerns and their different ways of life”.
From Brisbane to LA takes place at the State Library of Queensland on Friday 19 September 2008.
