There was a thin child, who was three years old when the world war began.” Ragnarök: The End of the Gods (Grove Press, February 2012) by A. S. Byatt. Sixteenth book, thirteenth novel. Agent: Deborah Rogers. Editor: Amy Hundley. Publicist: Stephanie Gilardi.
“Who could sustain such pale plentitude / and not want to shake the knopped white blossoms / from the swarthy branches.” Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys (Graywolf Press, February 2012) by D. A. Powell. Fifth book, poetry collection. Agent: None. Editor: Jeffrey Shotts. Publicist: Marisa Atkinson.
“In 1966, the president of CocoLoco Pictures broke the news to us in English: ‘As the Americanos say, it is time to listen to the music.’” Monstress (Ecco, February 2012) by Lysley Tenorio. First book, story collection. Agent: Julie Barer. Editor: Lee Boudreaux. Publicists: Marlena Brown and Michael McKenzie.
“The Thursday edition of the Riverdale Press carried a story that began An unidentified white man was struck and instantly killed by a Metro-North train last night as it pulled into the station on West 254th Street.” The Guardians: An Elegy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, March 2012) by Sarah Manguso. Fifth book, second memoir. Agent: PJ Mark. Editor: Mitzi Angel. Publicist: Kathy Daneman.
“Opaque the lake woke emerald” The Auroras (Harper, March 2012) by David St. John. Eleventh book, tenth poetry collection. Agent: None. Editor: Terry Karten. Publicist: Martin Wilson.
“So Carmen was married, just.” Carry the One (Simon & Schuster, March 2012) by Carol Anshaw. Fourth book, novel. Agent: Joy Harris. Editor: Trish Todd. Publicist: Kate Gales.
“Bonnie: The Beautiful Body-Action Doll for the Self-Body Image-Enhancement of Toddling and Preadolescent Girls at Risk.™” Hot Pink (McSweeney’s Books, March 2012) by Adam Levin. Second book, first story collection. Agent: Andrew Wylie. Editor: Eli Horowitz. Publicist: Alyson Sinclair.
“They’re in our house maybe ten minutes and already Mark’s lecturing us on the Israeli occupation.” What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Knopf, February 2012) by Nathan Englander. Third book, second story collection. Agent: Nicole Aragi. Editor: Jordan Pavlin. Publicist: Sara Eagle.
“Chip told us not to go out.” Half-Blood Blues (Picador, March 2012) by Esi Edugyan. Second book, novel. Agent: Anne McDermid. Editor: Frances Coady. Publicist: James Meader.
“Because my father said Yes / but not in our lifetimes” White Papers (University of Pittsburgh Press, February 2012) by Martha Collins. Sixth book, poetry collection. Agent: None. Editor: Ed Ochester. Publicist: Maria Sticco.
“I would say: At dusk, the crops’ silhouettes held to the sky like herons cemented into the earth, leaves flapping feebly in the Northern California wind, unable to lift themselves from the forthcoming hands of the Morning Pickers, and the watchful green eyes of Lady Wanda—I would say that, but I was likely stoned.” Pot Farm (University of Nebraska Press, March 2012) by Matthew Gavin Frank. Fifth book, second memoir. Agent: None. Editor: Bridget Barry. Publicist: Cara Pesek.
“I am Money.” Gathering of Waters (Akashic Books, February 2012) by Bernice L. McFadden. Eighth book, novel. Agent: None. Editor: Johnny Temple. Publicist: Ibrahim Ahmad.
