Graceful Living

Just got back from a question and answer session with Michael Dahlie, the winner of the 2009 Hemingway Foundation/PEN award and author of A Gentleman’s Guide to Graceful Living. I have to say, I really enjoyed the session. Mr. Dahlie showed an tremendous skill for answering all the various questions about process and getting an agent and working with an editor, etc. (which obviously is what MFA students really care about), while at the same mentioning his novel frequently enough and in such an engaging way that I wound up really wanting to read it.

I’m going to have to remember this trick in case I ever win an award and get invited to something. Right.

Anyway, he made the book sound sort of fabulous, and I’m not sure if this copy is doing it justice:

Arthur Camden’s greatest talents are for packing and unpacking suitcases, making coleslaw, and second-guessing every decision in his life. When his business fails and his wife leaves him—to pursue more aggressive men—Arthur finds that he has none of the talents and finesse that everyone else seems to possess for navigating New York society.

Arthur tries to reinvigorate his life with comic and tragic results: He dates women with no interest in him, burns down his Catskills fly-fishing club, runs afoul of the law in France, and disgraces himself before family members. Just when Arthur hits the depths of despair, an eccentric suitor (a woman who happens to resemble the model on Arthur’s vitamin bottles) helps him take a leap into a wonderful unknown.

Michael Dahlie’s novel digs into the consciousness of a self-doubting everyman—a man who, with a little inspiration, just might become something of a brilliant success.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm and is filed under books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.