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Released from Hawthorne Books, one of the more top notch among strong indie publishers, Monica Drake’s CLOWNGIRL is a fun, easy to read, and also intricately crafted story of a woman who works as a clown for kid’s parties (and slightly racier side projects) and whose life is in the middle of a tailspin. Recently having been left behind by an ex also clown who she thinks soon to return, and seemingly unable to keep her life straight, CLOWNGIRL goes on a bizarre little vision quest in her neighborhood trying to keep her head in the game.

Overall, a read you won’t be able to quit with before you make it to the end. Some books are work, but CLOWNGIRL is entirely pleasure, pieced with artifice and unique style.

In the coming weeks this site will feature 100-300 word review of new books that should be required reading, including work by authors like Brian Evenson, Ander Monson, David Foster Wallace, Nicholson Baker, William Gass, Gordon Lish, David Ohle, Tao Lin, Joy Williams, Dawn Raffel, McSweeney’s authors, FC2 authors, Kelly Link, Norman Lock, Michael Kimball, Kim Chinquee, David Markson, W.G. Sebald, William Gay, Dean Young, Paul Auster, Lynne Tillman, Fence Books authors, Walter Kirn, Rick Moody, Dzanc Books authors, Miranda July, Steve Erickson, Robet Lopez, Diane Williams, Christine Schutt, Robert Coover, Yannick Murphy, Matthew Derby, Ben Lerner, Cormac McCarthy, David Gates, Donald Barthelme, A.M. Homes, George Saunders, David Mitchell, Amy Hempel, Ryan Boudinot, Franz Kafka, Jose Saramago, Gary Lutz, Calamari Press authors, John d’Agata, Mary Gaitskill, Lorrie Moore, Julia Slavin, Jim Shepard, Harry Crews, Barry Hannah, Sam Lipsyte, Stephen Dixon, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Stephen Elliott, William Burroughs, Tobias Wolff, and on and on and on,

as well as literary magazines like Bear Parade, NOON, Ninth Letter, New York Tyrant, elimae,  LIT, The Believer, Willow Springs, Quick Fiction, Georgia Review, Failbetter, and tons more there as well.

Keep checking in for daily updates!