Jessica Keener
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Book Talk Liar's Diary by Patry Francis On JANUARY 29, 2008 THE LIAR'S DIARY Blog Day fest, 400 bloggers posted in support of this wonderful debut novel by Patry Francis. Our literary community propelled her novel to the #1 spot in Amazon's psychological suspense category. Click and type in a question or comment Hi, Robin. Thanks for writing and for supporting Patry on your blog: In Her Own Write. Thank you so much for your tireless work in organizing this event, Jessica. And what a fabulous post. I will be back later today to let your readers know about your fabulous generosity in connection with this event. xo Robin Slick Why 400 bloggers came out to support Patry Francis: Patry Francis, mother of four children, spent years writing novels, not getting published, working as a waitress on Cape Cod. But this Massachusetts native finally sold and published her debut last spring. Within a few months of this pivotal event, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, which you can read about on her blog, Simply Wait:http://simplywait.blogspot.com/ Since November she's had two surgeries and a third scheduled. When the writing community learned about her illness a few weeks ago, the response was stunning! More than 300 bloggers have rallied to help promote her book as she is still recovering. Liar's Diary is a provokative story about a family ripped apart by twisted secrets and what happens when Jeanne Cross, mother and thwarted wife, discovers the horrible truth about her husband and son. Read this book. Buy it for a friend, sister, husband, mother. Visit Patry's website: www.patryfrancis.com to learn more about Patry. For a full list of bloggers and their links, visit Susan Henderson's Litpark:www.litpark.com; Karen Dionne's Backspace at www.bksp.org; Laura Benedict's website (Laura came up with this glorious idea) at www.laurabenedict.com and Tish Cohen: www.tishcohen.com THANKS! ************************************* More books I've read or reread recently and recommend: Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn - a memoir about a son coming to terms with his homeless, alcoholic father and much, much more. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson - One of the finest books I've ever read. Eerie, palpably transformative. How I missed this when it came out in the 1980s, I don't know. Chronicles, vol. 1 by Bob Dylan - a revelation in every paragraph. These books by Backspace Writers: Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants, Elizabeth Letts' Quality of Care, Martha 0'Connor's Bitch Posse, Jon Clinch's Finn, Vertigo by Lauren Logsted-Baratz. Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout - Exquisitely told story about a mother daughter relationship and the secret that shaped their lives. The Keep by Jennifer Egan--a wonderful book that twists the known into the unknown. Egan's signature sharp eye cuts through the veils of the modern world. Sabbath Night in the Church of the Piranha -- short stories by master zen story maker Edward Falco. Jane Fonda, My Life So Far --autobiography that is honest, smart, entertaining and moving. Bookmark Now, a delightful collection of essays about writing, reading, blogging, googling and more. Edited by Kevin Smokler. The Wonder Spot and The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing --linked stories and a novel by Melissa Bank whose writing will often take your breath away for its wit, intelligence and comedic timing. On Writing, a memoir of the craft by Stephen King--a wonderful mix of a writer's formative years and hard core dissection of writing dos and don'ts. The Pleasure Was Mine by Tommy Hays is a wise, bittersweet novel about Alzheimer's disease and the impact it has on a family. The Kite Runner, a remarkable first novel by Khaled Hosseini, set in Afganistan. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, a novel by Mark Haddon that offers insights into an autistic, savant mind. Untangling My Chopsticks--a culinary sojourn by Victoria Abbott Riccardi War Trash, a novel by Ha Jin, won the Pen/Faulkner award(3/23/05) and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Crazed, a novel by Ha Jin Waiting, a novel by Ha Jin In the Pond, a novel by Ha Jin Pride and Prejudice, a novel by Jane Austen Shooting the Heart, a novel by Paul Cody Country of Origin, debut novel by Don Lee Yellow (short story collection) by Don Lee Lucky, a memoir by Alice Siebold Trump: The Art of the Comeback, a business book Trump: How to Get Rich, a business book Do you have a question you'd like to ask me? Click and type in a question or comment mention dos and don'ts in vertigo how are you doing? Peace Tina Q: How did you get the name Brilliant Keener? JBK: I was born Jessica Brilliant and married a Keener. |
Selected works, excerpts and previewsAgni Magazine
Fiction
Shoreline, a short story published in Northeast Corridor
Laura moves out of her house and into a summer cottage to reconsider the viability of her marriage. Others Less Fortunate, a novel
16-year-old Sarah, a gifted singer from an upper middle class Jewish family, comes of age following the tragic loss of her mother. Set in suburban Boston in the late sixties, illusions of stability collapse when Sarah's mother, a country club socialite and pill popper, dies in a fatal car crash on a winter day. Body Chemistry, a novel
College grad, Elizabeth Gold, learns she has contracted a fatal illness called Aplastic Anemia. The difficult news sends her on a search for a cure, but she quickly learns the options are high risk. In the process she faces ambiguities in family relationships, a failing romance, and an influx of caretakers, including an eccentric faith healer and an entrepreneurial apartment mate. A novel about the healing power of love. Memoir
The Quiet Revolution, published in CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, annual report '02
A personal story about aplastic anemia. Profiles
The Afterlife of Louis Brown, A Boston Globe Magazine cover story. June 2002
How the murder of a Boston teenager became a force for change. |
