I’ve been a fan of Andrew Kaufman’s since I first read his first book All My Friends Are Superheros. I discovered the title on my friend’s shelf, borrowed it and went down to the Beaches in Toronto. This was a 1-sitting kind of book.
Coach House Books has a 10th anniversary edition out, which is lovely, but come on … look at that original cover!
My other favourite Andrew Kaufman book was The Tiny Wife. I have the little purple edition below. Again there’s newer editions with different covers but hey, you show up early and get the early edition right!
In The Tiny Wife, a bank robber demands everyone give up the object of greatest significance to them. One survivor’s tattoo jumps off her ankle and chases her around. That’s nothing. Poor Stacey Hinterland soon discovers that she’s shrinking and nothing can keep her from losing herself.
The Waterproof Bible was hilarious. But now I’m gushing and I wasn’t intending to talk about every book — there’s more! Anyway, Andrew Kaufman’s writing is quirky and funny. It’s is right up my alley. There’s always some twist of magic realism and wild imagination. And it’s the same with his newest book The Ticking Heart.
Two hours and seventeen minutes into his forty-third year, Charlie Waterfield realized he was lost. He was standing at the corner of Euclid and Barton in downtown Toronto. He could have walked home if he’d wanted to. He probably should have. What prevented him from doing so was the painful realization that he was lost inside the one thing it is impossible to escape: his own life.
opening paragraph, The Ticking Heart by Andrew Kaufman
Intrigued? If you’re in Vancouver there is still time to check out some of Andrew Kaufman’s events at the Vancouver Writers Festival this weekend.
? Love & Obsession is Sat, Oct 26, 5-6:30 pm
? The Sunday Brunch is Sun, Oct 27, 11-12:30 pm
