Maud Newton's "When the Flock Changed"

"When the Flock Changed," an excerpt from my friend Maud's novel, is now up on the Narrative Backstage site, in the company of work by Ann Beattie, Tobias Wolff, and Stuart Dybek (some of my favourites among the many famous writers featured there). A few years ago Maud and I met in person when she came to stay with me here in Nova Scotia in order to work on this novel. I'm expecting one day soon to be able to announce proudly to guests, "See that red desk there in Luke's room? Well, Maud Newton wrote part of her first novel at that very desk in this very room." And they'll be appropriately awed.

I've read a couple of drafts of Maud's novel and it's fitting that this excerpt is being published in the company of work by such acclaimed writers. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who write and I often find myself reading drafts of their work. I also wade through the slush pile for Hobart. It's often a chore, sometimes a mixed experience, and very rarely an absolute joy. It has been an absolute joy to read the draft or two of Maud's novel I've been privileged to see. Every time she has sent me some part of it to read, I've printed it out, scuttled upstairs to curl up on my bed, and savoured it. You know when you get a well-reviewed new book by a favourite author? And it turns out to be just as good as you'd anticipated? That's the way I feel about this work. I can't wait for the entire novel to come out. (Then I can post an excerpt or two about the mother in the story, who I'm dying to write about as part of my Parents in Literature series.)

Comments

[victoria thorne]

love these words of yours...can't wait to see more of Maud's...and that red desk story, I love also!