A cross between William Faulkner and John Irving, Dufresne masterfully charts the power of truth and lies and the magic hidden in the mundane in this collection of colorful stories.
Reissue of a favorite novel by “a generous and lyric storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle) known for his tragicomic voice and unforgettable characters. Ever since Lafayette Proulx quit his day job, left his wife, hauled his dog and his Royal portable across town to Judi Dubey’s house, and set out at last to be a fiction writer, his life has been a sordid mess. Judi’s exotically dysfunctional family isn’t all to blame. Sure, the murders are disconcerting. And, yes, Judi’s father’s gone off the deep end. Worse are the vicious rejection letters Laf gets from editors. To top it off, Laf’s falling for Judi at the same time he’s nettled with guilt, is in marriage counseling with his wife, and is writing his long-hoped-for novel. When Judi is diagnosed with stage IV cancer, they both struggle to find the memory that will comfort, the truth that will redeem in a world where everyone suffers some kind of love disorder. John Dufresne, called “a highly readable Faulkner,” will once again take the literary world by storm with this new tragicomic tale.
In the tragicomic mode of his bestselling "Louisiana Power & Light" comes Dufresne's hilarious and tenderhearted novel about a son's attempts to save his dysfunctional family.
A favorite novel by “a generous and lyric storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle) known for his tragicomic voice and unforgettable characters. Welcome to Shiver-de-Freeze, a boot-shaped precinct deep in the Louisiana swamp, famous for its healing waters and curious fauna. Grisham Loudermilk is marrying Ariane Thevenot at Paradise, the family’s ancestral home, and we're here for the wedding. But reason and love, it would seem, keep little company in Paradise these days: Grisham’s cousin Adlai Birdsong has fallen desperately in love with the bride-to-be. Adlai’s ill-advised courtship proceeds even as his daddy, Royce, struggles to recall his past in the face of Alzheimer’s; as Father Pat McDermott realizes his passion for the mother of the bride; as the conjoined twins, Tous-les-Deux, train their eyes on Boudou Fontana, the last of the star-crossed Fontana clan. And just when it seems that Adlai must resign himself to a prolonged season of bachelorhood, Miranda Ferry, Grisham’s recent lover, wanders into town unawares. With his signature tragic-comic voice and cast of unforgettable and lively characters, Dufresne explores love, death, imagination, and memory. Reading group guide available.
“A very cool ride. If Raymond Chandler was reincarnated as a novelist in South Florida, he couldn’t nail it any better than Dufresne.”—Carl Hiaasen On Christmas Eve in Eden, Florida, Wylie “Coyote” Melville, therapist and forensic consultant, is summoned to a horrific crime scene. Five members of the Halliday family have been brutally killed. Wylie’s rare talent is an ability to read a crime scene, consider the evidence seen and unseen, and determine what’s likely to have happened. The police are soon convinced that the deaths were a murder-suicide carried out by a broken and desperate Chafin Halliday, but Wylie’s not so sure. As Wylie begins his own investigation with the help of his friend Bay Lettique—a poker-playing sleight-of-hand artist with links to the Everglades County underworld—he discovers a web of corruption involving the police union, Ponzi-scheming lawyers, county politicians, and the Russian mob. What follows is a heart-stopping, edgy novel that introduces a completely original crime solver.
“If Raymond Chandler were reincarnated as a novelist in south Florida, he couldn’t nail it any better than John Dufresne.”—Carl Hiaasen John Dufresne has been hailed by the New York Times as “an original talent . . . [whose] humor is frightfully dark, but . . . dazzling.” I Don’t Like Where This Is Going continues the misadventures of therapist-on-the-run Wylie “Coyote” Melville. Wylie has witnessed a woman falling to her death outside the Luxor Hotel. Troubled by the ensuing cover-up, he becomes a man on a mission, enlisting the help of his old friend, an ace card player and master magician, to help find answers. The duo’s escapades range from poker tables to desert highways, from bordellos to child beauty pageants, resulting in a thoroughly satisfying and hilarious whodunit.
A smart and funny guide to writing fiction, with engaging infographics that bring storytelling techniques to life. Whether you are daunted by a blinking cursor or frustrated trying to get the people in your head onto the page, writing stories can be intimidating. It takes passion, tenacity, patience, and a knowledge of?and faith in?the often-digressive writing process. A do-it-yourself manual for the apprentice fiction writer, Storyville! demystifies that process; its bold graphics take you inside the writer’s comfortingly chaotic mind and show you how stories are made. In Storyville!, seasoned guide John Dufresne?whose approach “will anchor the newbie and entertain the veteran” (San Francisco Chronicle)?provides practical insight into the building blocks of fiction, including how to make the reader see your characters, create a suspenseful plot, and revise, revise, revise. Storyville! is a combination handbook and notebook, with original prompts and exercises crafted with Dufresne’s singular dry wit and Evan Wondolowski’s playful and illuminating graphics on every page.
This is an essential guide for writers in general, fiction writers in particular, beginning writers, serious writers, and anyone facing a blank page"--Page 4 of cover.
It's Christmas Eve in Eden, Florida, and Wylie 'Coyote' Melville, professional therapist and hobbyist forensic consultant, is called to the scene of a horrific crime at a quiet suburban address. Wylie has enough on his plate as it is, his father is slipping deeper into the clutches of Alzheimer's, his new kitten Django is wreaking havoc with the soft furnishings and a homeless man has taken up residence on his front lawn. But a local family has been found brutally slain in their own home, and Wylie's friend Detective Sergeant Carlos O'Brien wants him to use his rare ability to 'read minds', to see the clues. So he starts his own haphazard investigation, but with suspicions of mob involvement and the police strangely keen to shut down Wylie's amateur operation, he might be biting off more than he can chew. No Regrets, Coyote is a wild ride to the dark heart of the Florida underworld. For fans of Christopher Brookmyre, Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard, and introduces a brilliantly original detective with the crime scene skills of Sherlock Holmes and the personal life of Jeff 'the Dude' Lebowski.
An engaging and frank guide to writing the very short story, full of sound advice, exemplary models, and provocative exercises. The history of fiction has been dominated by the novel and the short story. But now a brave new genre has emerged: very brief fiction. FLASH! identifies the qualities that make for excellent flash fiction, demystifies the writing process, and guides writers by exercise and example through the world of the very short story. John Dufresne’s characteristic warmth, wit, and humor remind writers of the joy in the creative process, making this a perfect guide for any writer interested in trying a new form.
The highly acclaimed author of Louisiana Power and Light now presents a beautifully crafted collection of tales which are told with insight, humor, and tenderness--stories "full of whimsy and wisdom" . . . a collection that "takes you by the lapels and demands that you listen while it works its magic" (James W. Hall).
In 1972, Billy Wayne Fontana, last of the famous Fontanas of Monroe, Louisiana, trades his religious calling for an impulsive marriage to Earlene deBastrop, while trying to preserve his spiritual longing
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