Long Promised Road

Notes and news for spring

I haven’t been writing here as much as I’d like, as now I enter the home stretch of a nonfiction book project. It’s been fascinating, if quite the hustle with very tight timelines. I hope to talk more about it soon.

In the meantime, I want to remind you my new novel, Colossus, arrives April 28th. For those who enjoyed Glass Century, my hope is that Colossus proves gratifying. There should be reviews and interviews forthcoming, and I just want to say it’s an attempt to grapple with the here and now. My protagonist, Teddy Starr, walks about 2020s America, and he’s a figure infused with the disorienting spirit of this age. He’s a pastor and local real estate mogul, and he harbors a dark secret. The great Matthew Specktor calls Colossus a “broad interrogation of the American psyche in its myriad conflicting parts. The result is masterful, as thrillingly devious—and as brilliantly controlled—as Philip Roth’s The Counterlife.” Kirkus thinks it’s a “canny, twisty satire of all-American posturing.” Library Journal regards it as a “a challenging portrait of a thoroughly modern man.”

I’ve got events planned for New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Ottawa. I’ll share more details soon. If you’re interested in having me come to your town, reply to this email.

First, pre-order Colossus. Every last order counts. You won’t be disappointed.

Second, come to my book launch on May 11th with Shadi Hamid. It’s going to be a great event—we’ll talk the novel, politics, culture, and keep you fully entertained. You show up, you need to get a ticket, and capacity is strongly capped. Get one today before it sells out!

And don’t forget, tickets to The Metropolitan Review party are almost sold out. If you’re around Thursday, come say hello.