内容简介
JesseBrowner'sdazzlingnewnovelrecordsasingledayinthelifeofWes,aseventeen-year-oldwhoattendsManhattan'seliteDaltonSchoolandlivesinGreenwichVillageinadilapidatedtownhousewithhisterminallyillmother,distantfatherandbelovedyoungersister.InthecourseofonedayeverythingwillhappentoWes:hewilllosehisvirginitytothewronggirlandbreakhisownheart,trytomeetaMondaymorningdeadlineforapaperonWarandPeace,andprepareanelaboratesupperhehopeswillreunitehisfamily.Wesstrugglesthroughthedaydeepinthoughtsofsex,love,Beatleslyrics,friendship,GodandFrenchcuisine-atypicalteenagerwithanatypicalmind,amemorableyoungmanwhocomestothepoignantunderstandingofhowfragilebutattainablepersonalhappinesscanbe.EverythingHappensTodayisfunny,moving,generousandexhilarating.Withaclassicstructurethatnods,inevitably,toMrs.DallowayandcharactersworthyofcomparisontothosecreatedbyJ.D.Salinger,EverythingHappensTodaywillenchantyoungadultswhoseethemselvesinthestoryaswellasadultreaderswhowillbecapturedbythedeeplysympatheticcharactersandtheacutefeelforthewaywelivenow.Mostreaderswillwantitnevertobeover.
作者简介
JohnShorsAmbitionisnotuncommonintheworldofyoungwriters,butJohnShorsstillmanagestostandoutasanauthorunlikeanyother.First,hespentfiveyearswritingtheauthentic,romanticBeneathaMarbleSky,anovelnarratedbyJahanara,thedaughterofTajMahalcreatorShahJahan.Nowheistravelingalloverthecountrytopromotehiscriticallyapplaudeddebutbypersonallyvisitinglocalbookclubs.BiographyPublishedin2004,JohnShors'debutnovel,BeneathaMarbleSky,wasamajorhitwithcriticsfromthestart.AnambitiousromancechroniclingthelivesofEmperorShahJahanthecreatoroftheTajMahal,thewifeforwhomhebuiltthelegendarypalace,andtheirdaughterwhofallsinlovewithitsarchitect,BeneathaMarbleSkywashailedasamajordebutbypublicationsrangingfromtheDesMoinesRegistertotheIndiaPost.Still,Shors'laboroflovewasnotexactlysoaringoffofbookstoreshelves.That'swhentheyoungauthordevisedaradical,andradicallypersonal,methodofgeneratingthekindofsalesBeneathaMarbleSkydeserved."Icameupwiththeideaofputtingtheletterinthebackofthepaperback,withmye-mailaddress,andinvitingbookclubstoinvitemetotheirevenings,"ShorstoldCBSNews.Soonenough,Shorswasreceivingscoresofrequeststovisitlocalbookclubsandspeakabouthisnovel.HealsodiscoveredthatsalesofBeneathaMarbleSkywereontherise.ByNovemberof2006,Shorshadvisitedover200clubsandwasbookedformanymorethrough2008.Suchambitionmaybeunusualintheworldofpublishing,butitishardlynewtoShors.PriortopenningBeneathaMarbleSky,hehadtraveledtoAsiaafteryearsofstudyingcreatingwritingandEnglishatColoradoCollege.Forthreeyears,hetaughtEnglishinKyoto,Japan,butneverabletoremainstillforlong,hedecidedtoexithisteachingposttobackpackacrossthecontinent.ShorstrampedthroughtencountriesandscaledthemythicHimalayasinNepal,butitwasa1999sojourninIndiathatreallyalteredthepathofhislife."SeeingthewonderoftheTajMahal,andunderstandingthatamanbuiltitforhiswife--awomanhecherishedaboveallelseinlife--wasuniquelyinspiring,"ShorsconfidedtoWashingtonIndependentWriters.org."Indianpoetshavebeenwritingaboutthislovestoryforcenturies.Andyet,notmanypeopleintheWestknowthetale.IrealizedthatIhadtotellit.Quitehonestly,IwasamazedanddelightedtodiscoveruponmyreturntoAmericathatnooneintheWesthadeverfictionalizedthestory."Wordssuchas"vivid"and"colorful"havebeenusedtodescribetheepicthatShors'visittotheTajMahalinspired.BeneathaMarbleSkyfollowsthelifeofShahJahanashehasthepalacebuiltforMumtazMahalandtheyraiseabrightgirlnamedJahanara,whonotonlylearnstheinsandoutsofpoliticalthoughtfromherfatherbutalsoinheritsissenseofromance.SheultimatelyfallsinlovewithIsathearchitectinchargeofconstructingtheTajMahalandamansheisforbiddentowed.NowthatShorsisontheroadagain(ofcourse,thistimeheistraversingAmericaratherthanexoticAsia),BeneathaMarbleSkyissteadilybecomingasmuchofahitwithreadersasithadbeenwithcriticssinceitspublication.Thenovelwentontoaveragesalesof1,000copiesaweek.Althoughhehasquiteafullplatewithhisnumerousbookclubobligations,heisstillmanagingtofindtimetobeginworkonhissecondnovel.Despitesuchadauntingschedule,theever-energeticShorsismarchingaheadwithtypicalgusto,enthusingtoCBSNews:"I'mexcitedtodoso."GoodToKnowShortlyafteritspublication,BeneathaMarbleSkyfellintothehandsofactorEriqLaSalle,formerstarofTV'sE.R.andcurrentlyheadofaproductioncompanycalledHumbleJourneyFilms.ShorstoldWashingtonIndependentWriters.org.thatLaSalle'scompany"isveryseriousaboutmakingBeneathaMarbleSkyintoamajormovie.TheyaremakinggreatprogressandI'mcautiouslyoptimisticthatthey'llpullitoff."BeneathaMarbleSkyisbothabookaboutworldcultureandabookthatencouragesworldcultureinaverypracticalway.ShorshasarrangedtodonateaportionofthesalesofhisnoveltotheChildren'sInternationalSummerVillages(CISV)anonprofitorganizationpromotingculturalunderstandingamongpeoplearoundtheglobe.SomeinterestingouttakesfromourinterviewwithShors:"I'vebeenluckyenoughtotraveltofivecontinentsandmanycountries.""WhileIamaperfectionistwhenitcomestomywriting(IeditedBeneathaMarbleSky56times),Iamabitofaslobaroundthehouse.""Icannotstandthefeelofcottonballs,andourlittlegirlconstantlytormentsmebyrubbingthemagainstmyskin.""I'dlikemyreaderstoknowthatIsincerelyandprofoundlyappreciatetheirsupport.ThesuccessofBeneathaMarbleSkyhasgivenmeagreatgift,andIhopetorepaythisgiftbycreatingpowerfulnovelsforyearstocome.Additionally,ifanyreaderhasaparticularquestionforme,I'llbedelightedtoanswerherorhisquestion.Icanbereachedatshors@aol.comandI'llhappilywritebacktoanyonewhocontactsme."Hometown:Boulder,ColoradoDateofBirth:三月4,1969PlaceofBirth:DesMoines,IowaEducation:B.A.inEnglish,ColoradoCollege,1991Website:http://www.beneathamarblesky.com
