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Author: Elise Blackwell

Publisher: Toby

ISBN:  13 978 159264 1994

Elise Blackwell’s most recent novel, Grub, is an updating of the British author, George Gissing’s New Grub Street which was published in 1891. Blackwell's Grub is dedicated to every writer with an unpublished book.

As was the case of Gissing’s satire, Blackwell’s theme focuses on today’s literary world where what counts is the bottom line and where in order for an author to be published he or she must pander to the masses with a built in audience and a way of reaching it.

The novel is narrated with a series of vignettes depicting several characters that are interconnected. We initially encounter most of the characters at the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference where we are introduced to Jackson Miller, Eddie Renfros and his ambitious wife, Amanda. All three were graduate school friends coming out with books around the same time.

We also make the acquaintance of a “has been” author, Andrew Yarborough who was invited as a paid guest in order to pass on his "expertise" based on his many years of writing. Yarborough just lost his editor’s job with a publication called The Monthly to someone whom he detests, Chuck Fadge. When Jackson finds out that Yarborough is about to start a new journal, he approaches him in the hope that he may be hired as an assistant editor. According to Jackson, they both share similar tastes in literature-“whatever those may be.”

Jackson’s ego is somewhat deflated when Yarborough is unable to remember him from the previous day’s workshop. When Jackson informs Yarborough that if things go his way, and he has every hope they will, he will be hearing his name a good deal in the next few years, Yarborough retorts, “not if I can  help it, but Jackson Miller, I guarantee you that I won’t ever forget your name again.” It should be mentioned that Jackson coincidentally meets up with Yarborough’s daughter, Margot, whom he has a brief fling with and to whom he confessed that he would use any connections he had in a second to further his career.

Another aspiring writer attending the conference is Henry Baffler, who Jackson and Eddie take a liking to and adopt him as a sidekick. Henry authored The Quotidian World and he also wrote passionate essays pertaining to something he called The New Realism that were published in obscure periodicals. Baffler succeeds in attaining some fame when he saves his manuscript from the burning flames of his apartment jumping to safety closely clutching his prize possession.

The only one of the authors attending the conference, who achieved an early success, was

Eddie with his published critically acclaimed breakout first novel Sea Miss.

However, he currently was having a great deal of difficulty with a follow up. If he couldn’t finish and sell his second book soon, he and Amanda would have to give up their fancy apartment-something his wife would not tolerate. Eddie refuses to write what others want him to say but rather what he wants to say.

On the other hand, Amanda, who is quite pushy, confesses that if she had to choose between literary reputation and contemptible popularity, she would opt for the latter. Eventually, as we discover, Amanda follows through and becomes a best-selling author, leaving Eddie for Jackson, who likewise becomes quite successful in pandering to the masses. Poor Eddie fades away as an author and winds up as a professor in a small liberal arts college.

Blackwell’s strength is allowing the story to unfold naturally and to infuse the right combination of situations to make them feel true to life. Ultimately, she pulls off a believable story where her fascinating kaleidoscope of characters are like people we know with all of their strengths and weaknesses that deal with what has to be dealt with in the literary world. This is a novel that deserves to be noticed and, hopefully, announces a strong voice in the world of fiction.

To read Norm's Interview With Elise Blackwell CLICKHERE

The above review of the ARC copy was contributed by: The Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com, Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L, Retired Title Attorney: Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily, the couple meld Norm's words with Lily's art. To check out their travel site click on Sketchandtravel.com   Click here to view Norm’s Reviews & Interviews.