On Tuesday, January 18th, come meet local author John Vanderslice at 7:00 p.m. and hear about his new book “Nous Nous.” John Vanderslice teaches creative writing to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Central Arkansas. His short stories, essays, poems, and one-act plays have been published in scores of literary journals, including Seattle Review, Sou’wester, South Carolina Review, 1966, Crazyhorse, and Exquisite Corpse. His recent books include the short story collection Island Fog (Lavender Ink, 2014), the historical novel The Last Days of Oscar Wilde (Burlesque Press, 2018), and the just released Nous Nous (Braddock Avenue Books).
Described as a “…collective of love and longing, of disappointment and loss and, ultimately, faith” (William Lychack), John Vanderslice’s new novel, Nous Nous, lays out a dark vision of the awful human consequences a community faces when one man’s small world is shattered. Never especially kind or lovable, Lawrence Baine’s life is radically changed with the birth of his daughter, Paige. She is the one thing that this career middle manager doesn’t hold in cynical disregard. Instead, she inspires a reason for him to be the best possible version of himself. Indeed, for a brief time, Baine sees, through her life, a hopeful vision of the future—until the unthinkable happens: Paige is kidnapped and brutally murdered by those who should have had her best interests at heart. Across town, Elizabeth Riddle, a recently divorced Episcopal priest, tries to guide the diminished fortunes of her church at the same time as she manages her children’s experience of divorce. Worn down by the effort, she is blind-sided when her daughter is abducted one afternoon from school. Set in small-town Arkansas, and told through multiple voices, Nous Nous brings together these two damaged people with all the poignancy and painful absurdity—of our 21st century lives.
This Author Talk will be held at the Faulkner County Library at 1900 Tyler Street, Conway, AR on 1/18/2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the stage. Light refreshments will be served and pre-registration is not required for this event. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information please call the library at 501-327-7482 or email fcl@fcl.org
