Lauren Groff http://www.laurengroff.com Author of Arcadia, Delicate Edible Birds and Monsters of Templeton Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:19:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Minneapolis; Books and Bars; April 9th; Bryant Lake Bowl http://www.laurengroff.com/minneapolis-books-and-bars-april-9th-bryant-lake-bowl/ http://www.laurengroff.com/minneapolis-books-and-bars-april-9th-bryant-lake-bowl/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:19:30 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1151 Books and Bars is that Jeff hosts two discussions about a book. The book is available for purchase at the magnificent indie bookstore Magers & Quinn. On Tuesday, April 9, at 6:00pm, I Skype in to the Bryant Lake Bowl (810 West Lake St.) Minneapolis, MN, where Jeff leads a discussion. I will even wear makeup! Makeup is a big deal for me. I'll probably have a martini, frankly, to feel as if I'm there. And then there is a follow-up discussion at Amsterdam bar in St. Paul on April 16th from 6:15-7:30. ]]> http://www.laurengroff.com/minneapolis-books-and-bars-april-9th-bryant-lake-bowl/feed/ 0 Denver, Fly-By Writer’s Project, Lighthouse Writers; April 6-7 http://www.laurengroff.com/denver-fly-by-writers-project-lighthouse-writers-april-6-7/ http://www.laurengroff.com/denver-fly-by-writers-project-lighthouse-writers-april-6-7/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:58:11 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1143 here. I hope I get to meet you there.

Fly-By Writer's Project Craft Talk: The Art of Structure feat. Lauren Groff Saturday, April 6, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM @Lighthouse Grotto, 1515 Race Street Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” We will explore different ways of thinking about and playing with narrative form in this workshop.

Fly-By Writer’s Project Benefit Dinner: Utopian Feast w/ Lauren Groff Saturday, April 6, 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM @Lighthouse, 1515 Race Street Come enjoy the best of the best vegan food—so good that you’ll forget that there’s no meat to be found, anywhere (unless we chicken out and add… chicken?).  Enjoy delicious eats, good conversation, a toast to the utopia that is a writing community, and a stirring performance of Lauren Groff’s work by Stories on Stage.  Lauren will talk briefly and take questions afterwards. All proceeds go to support our Writership Tuition Assistance fund.

Fly-By Writer's Project Craft Talk: Narrative Time feat. Lauren Groff Sunday, April 7, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM @Lighthouse Grotto, 1515 Race Street Time in a story can be so subtle that a reader never notices it, or it can be the major locomotive force of the narrative; in any case time in stories is never simply the chronology of events. We will look at masterful and unusual uses of time in diverse narratives, and we will discuss how skillful attention to time can give a story greater emotional resonance.]]> http://www.laurengroff.com/denver-fly-by-writers-project-lighthouse-writers-april-6-7/feed/ 0 Hartford, Conn; Trinity College, April 2; 4:30 http://www.laurengroff.com/hartford-conn-trinity-college-april-2-430/ http://www.laurengroff.com/hartford-conn-trinity-college-april-2-430/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:48:53 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1139 reading will be at MH Alumni on Trinity's campus. I don't know what that is, but I'm sure it's lovely.    ]]> http://www.laurengroff.com/hartford-conn-trinity-college-april-2-430/feed/ 0 Cincinnati, University of Cincinatti, March 28th, 7pm http://www.laurengroff.com/cincinnati-university-of-cincinatti-march-28th-7pm/ http://www.laurengroff.com/cincinnati-university-of-cincinatti-march-28th-7pm/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:39:31 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1137 March 28, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library  ]]> http://www.laurengroff.com/cincinnati-university-of-cincinatti-march-28th-7pm/feed/ 0 Nashville. Vanderbilt, March 22nd. 4:00pm http://www.laurengroff.com/nashville-vanderbilt-march-22nd-400pm/ http://www.laurengroff.com/nashville-vanderbilt-march-22nd-400pm/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:34:31 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1131 Vanderbilt University on March 22nd. Here's the information: 4:00 pm: Reading in Buttrick 101 5:00 pm: Book signing and Reception in Robert Penn Warren Vaughn Home  ]]> http://www.laurengroff.com/nashville-vanderbilt-march-22nd-400pm/feed/ 0 List of Lists http://www.laurengroff.com/lists-of-lists/ http://www.laurengroff.com/lists-of-lists/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:26:26 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1110
  • The New York Times for naming the book as one of 2012's Notable Books.
    • Also, Janet Maslin of The New York Times for naming it to her list of ten favorite books of 2012.
    • The Washington Post for naming it one of the Ten Best Books of the year. (A special thanks to Ron Charles).
    • The Globe and Mail for naming ARCADIA one of their 29 picks for best International Fiction this year. (A special thanks to Juliet Sutcliffe).
    • Kirkus Reviews for naming it to the top 25 books of fiction for 2012.
    • BookPage for naming it to the top 50 books of 2012.
    • Christian Science Monitor for naming it to the top ten fiction books of the year.  (In the #1 spot! Though I'm not sure if that's chance or design).
    • Vogue for naming it to their top ten books of the year. (A special thanks to Megan O'Grady).
    • NPR for naming it one of the top ten book club books of 2012. (A special thanks to Lynn Neary).
    • The Cleveland Plain Dealer for naming it to their list of Best Fiction of 2012. (A special thanks to Karen R. Long).
    • The Columbus Dispatch for naming ARCADIA to their top books of 2012. (A special thanks to Margaret Quamme)
    • Salon for naming it to the top ten books for the year. (A special thanks to David Gutowski, Ron Charles and Michele Filgate for putting it on their lists, and thank you to Laura Miller for mentioning it in the q&a).
    • Largehearted Boy (aka David Gutowski), for listing it as one of his favorite books of the year.
    • Book Riot for listing it as one of their favorite books of 2012. (A special thanks to Greg Zimmerman). Also, thanks a million to Book Riot readers, who voted for ARCADIA to be on the top 25 books of the year list. This is a fabulous thing, because Book Riot readers are passionate and smart as hell.
    • The lovely Book Maven (Bethanne Patrick) for saying it was one of her favorites of the year.
    • And, of course, my wonderful friend and mentor, Jesse Lee Kercheval, for naming it to her "Just Read It" list for the Wisconsin State Journal (I just discovered this, belatedly!).
    Thank you, also, to my readers. A book is nothing until you open it and begin to read.]]>     http://www.laurengroff.com/lists-of-lists/feed/ 0     More good news http://www.laurengroff.com/more-good-news/ http://www.laurengroff.com/more-good-news/#comments Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:49:41 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1091
    The Washington Post names Arcadia one of its best books of the year.

    Great reviews in Canada, The Middle East, Australia, and more...

    NPR Loves Lauren Groff! ]]>     http://www.laurengroff.com/more-good-news/feed/ 0     Review Roundup! http://www.laurengroff.com/review-roundup/ http://www.laurengroff.com/review-roundup/#comments Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:27:05 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1077 Clay here again, holding down the fort while Lauren is out on the Book Tour.

    Arcadia is enjoying a great run! It is now out in the UK and on audiobook. There have been some more great reviews, here's a sampling:

    "From the child’s-eye view of nature to the adult theme of caring for the sick, Arcadia’s careful critique of man’s various attempts to get life right prove that a tie-dye heart needn’t be incompatible with a pinstripe suit." --The Daily Telegraph [UK]

    The quants, hedge fund managers, and titans of industry over at the Financial Times call it "brilliant," also saying in highbrow fashion: "The beauty of Groff’s creation lies in the fact that it is too richly particularised to function as allegory or synecdoche."

    The New York Times made Arcadia an Editors' Choice Selection and had more great things to say in the New York Times Sunday Book Review. Here's a quote that probably won't show up in the paperback edition, but I love the sentiment!

    "Readers doomed to miss their subway stops will wish the cover also included a warning: “This novel will swallow you whole.”" - The New York Times Sunday Book Review [Editors' Choice Selection]

    Lynn Neary interviewed Lauren for NPR's All Things Considered, which aired from coast to coast a few weeks ago. You can replay it at this link on the NPR website.

    Haaah-vahd likes it: "It is a fulfilling and well written novel that can find solace for a character despite a string of lifelong disconnects, and by the end of “Arcadia,” Groff does just that. " -The Harvard Crimson

    There's local love from the Gainesville Sun

    And last but not least, Arcadia is The Millions' Staff Pick! Major street cred. And here's an interview.

    ]]>     http://www.laurengroff.com/review-roundup/feed/ 0     More Reviews and Interviews, Post-Arcadia Release http://www.laurengroff.com/more-reviews-and-interviews-post-arcadia-release/ http://www.laurengroff.com/more-reviews-and-interviews-post-arcadia-release/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:02:40 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1061 last news update. Ron Charles is calling Arcadia one of the best novels of 2012. Here's a quote and link:

    "Groff’s miracle is to record the death of the fantasy but then show how the residue of affection can persist and, given the right soil, sprout again. “Arcadia” wends a harrowing path back to a fragile, lovely place you can believe in." --The Washington Post

    Here are more that just arrived:

    New York Times' Janet Maslin, woop woop!
    "The raw beauty of Ms. Groff’s prose is one of the best things about “Arcadia.” But it is by no means this book’s only kind of splendor." And here's one more from Maslin for good measure: "Beneath this book’s dazzling veneer of commune life its true thoughts about freedom, love, fear and envy lie ready to be exposed. “Arcadia” is stunningly sensual and visceral in describing behavior straight out of a time capsule." -The New York Times

    "Lauren Groff goes back to the garden and foresees a hellish future in her dazzling and unforgettable second novel, Arcadia (Voice), the sweeping story of one man’s journey from the utopian ideals of the 60s to a dystopian near future of pandemics and quarantines." -- Vanity Fair

    "But it's not so much the story as the storytelling that grabbed me. It builds on the talents Groff displayed in her 2008 debut novel, The Monsters of Templeton, which re-imagined the myths of the author's hometown, Cooperstown, N.Y." -USA Today

    "In Arcadia, Lauren Groff's excellent follow-up to her terrific debut novel, “The Monsters of Templeton,” paradise is located in upstate New York." -The Christian Science Monitor

    Also, shoutouts to great reviews from NPR as well as the likes of the Seattle Times, Dallas Morning News, The Globe and Mail (Canada), Columbus Dispatch, Metro News, Kansas City Star, Sun Herald, Lexinton Herald Leader, Modesto Bee, The Republic, The Macon Telegraph, The Centre Daily Times, the Bradenton Herald, the Belleville News Democrat, the News Tribune, the Bellingham Herald, and many other news outlets who were kind enough to showcase Arcadia to their readers/viewers/listeners.

    Here are some of the most interesting (in my personal opinion) in-depth interviews with Lauren:

    The New York Observer on how Arcadia came to be.

    largehearted boy has done a great feature on all Lauren's books, including ARCADIA, where readers can download a music playlist that relates to the book, and learn how the songs interact with each section.

    Write Place, Write Time on Lauren's workspace, a converted workshop in our garage.

    Other People does a (funny!) hour-long podcast interview.

    ]]>     http://www.laurengroff.com/more-reviews-and-interviews-post-arcadia-release/feed/ 0     Arcadia Pre-Release Praise http://www.laurengroff.com/arcadia-pre-release-praise/ http://www.laurengroff.com/arcadia-pre-release-praise/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:20:32 +0000 admin http://www.laurengroff.com/?p=1044
    So here's a giant heaping of advance praise for Arcadia:

    "The still center of Groff's phantasmagorical universe, Bit feels achingly real and not at all crazy, man." -- PEOPLE Magazine (4 out of 4 stars)

    "Lauren Groff's dazzling new novel brings the flawed visions of a '60s commune to life" -VOGUE Magazine

    "Poetic and Ambitious" - ELLE Magazine

    "a sensitive and skillfully written portrait of an eccentric bunch of survivors who are both damaged and sustained by their experience, and Groff spins their stories into a moving look at the value of human connection in a scary, chaotic world." - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

    "Lauren Groff's first book was a wonder and a delight. "the Monsters of Templeton" it was called, and it was funny, magnetic and clear-eyed in its wise portrayal of a young woman trying (and failing) to outrun her mistakes. What a happy relief to discover Groff's second novel is even better. Not every young writer lives up to the promise of a first book, but Groff has exceeded expectations." - The Miami Herald

    "Lauren Groff’s second novel, “Arcadia,” is so tenderly moving it actually swells the heart." --New York Daily News

    "an echo chamber of allusions to a gamut of literary Edens and Elysiums." -- The Wall Street Journal

    "... the novel’s rich tapestry of story exploring how we sustain hope and idealism in a world that presents us with unavoidable sadness and sometimes seems bent on its own annihilation." -- Bookpage

    "Bit reminds himself that to keep going, it's crucial to pay attention "not to the grand gesture, but to the passing breath." In a sense, this describes what Lauren Groff has achieved with this fine novel. Throughout, she's attentive to the smallest details, and "Arcadia" builds its power in a subtle, cumulative way. Somehow the author manages an epic sweep with her narrative, yet one that also feels intimate and concentrated." -- Newsday

    "Groff not only piques our interest in her daring glimpse into the delicate workings of societal trial and error, but also in her scrutiny on how such experiments affect the generation born into them." -- The Chicagoist

    " "Arcadia" is supremely authentic, capturing the grinding poverty and social arrangements (six-way marriages, for example) that commune life often entails. " -- The Sun Sentinel

    More to come, stay tuned!]]>     http://www.laurengroff.com/arcadia-pre-release-praise/feed/ 0