内容简介
Idlehandsarethedevil'sworkshopTemptationandseductionarethetricksoftheDevil'strade,andwhenofferedthechancetoregainhiswingsbyplayingguardianangel,he'shell-bentondoingthingshisway...FaithMcFarlandisinneedofamiracle.Sodesperatetosavehersickchild,she'swillingtomakeadealwiththeDevil:stealaringwornbyFinnPayne,thebad-boyrockstarwholongagosoldhissoulforrock'nroll.Temptationandseductionbecomenecessaryevils,yetFaith'ssalvationmeansFinn'sdamnation...becausetheringisallthatstandsbetweenhimandHell.Fallinginlovewasneverpartofthebargain,butnowthatthey'vetastedheavenineachother'sarms,cantheyconvincetheDeviltogiveuphisdue?
作者简介
EdwardP.JonesMorethantenyearsafterhisfirstcollectionofshortstorieswasnominatedforaNationalBookAward,EdwardP.Jones'ssecondbook(andfirstnovel)createdanevenbiggercriticalstir.JonathanYardleycalledTheKnownWorld,aboutablackslaveholderintheantebellumSouth,"thebestnewworkofAmericanfictiontocrossmydeskinyears."BiographyEdwardP.JonesgrewupinWashington,D.C.,wherehismotherworkedasadishwasherandhotelmaidtosupportJonesandhisbrotherandsister.Thoughshecouldn'treadorwriteherself,Jones'smotherencouragedhersontostudy,andeventuallyaJesuitpriestwhoknewJonessuggestedheapplyforascholarshipattheCollegeoftheHolyCrossinMassachusetts.There,JonesdiscoveredtheoddfactthatintheantebellumSouth,therehadbeenfreeblackpeoplewhoownedblackslaves."Itwasashockthattherewereblackpeoplewhowouldtakepartinasystemlikethat,"helatertoldaBostonGlobeinterviewer."Whydidn'ttheyknowbetter?"ThatquestionstayedwithJonesformorethan20yearsandwouldeventuallyinspirehisfirstnovel,TheKnownWorld.AftergraduatingfromHolyCrosswithadegreeinEnglish,JonesmovedbacktoWashington,D.C.,andbeganwritingshortstories,aimingtocreateaportraitofhiscityinthemodeofJamesJoyce'sDubliners.Heattendedwritingseminars,thenearnedanM.F.A.increativewritingfromtheUniversityofVirginia,buthefeltthatneitherwritingnorteachingwasareliableenoughsourceofincome.HetookadayjobasabusinesswriterforanArlington,Virgina,nonprofit,andhelditforalmost19years--duringwhichhepublishedhisfirstshort-storycollection,LostintheCity,whichwasnominatedforaNationalBookAward.Healsobeganplanninghisfirstnovel,composingandrevisingchaptersentirelyinhishead.Joneshadjusttakenafive-weekvacationtostartwritingthebookwhenhefoundouthewasbeinglaidoff,sohelivedonseverancepayandunemploymentduringthefewmonthsittookhimtofinishhisfirstdraft.TheKnownWorldwaspublishedin2003,11yearsafterLostintheCity."Withhard-wonwisdomandhugelyeffectiveunderstatement,Mr.Jonesexplorestheunsettling,contradiction-proneworldofaVirginiaslaveholderwhohappenstobeblack,"wroteJanetMaslininTheNewYorkTimesBookReview.JonathanYardleyoftheWashingtonPostBookWorldcalledthebook"thebestnewworkofAmericanfictiontocrossmydeskinyears."Thoughsomereviewershavepraisedtheauthor'simpressiveresearch,Jonesinsistshemadealmosteverythingup.Duringthe10yearshespentthinkingabouthisnovel,heaccumulatedshelvesfullofbooksaboutslavery,butultimatelyhereadnoneofthem,choosinginsteadtowritethebookthathadalreadytakenshapeinhismind.ThedepthanddetailofJones'sfictionalManchesterCountyhasbeencomparedwithWilliamFaulkner'sYoknapatawphaCounty;MarthaWoodroofofNationalPublicRadioalsonotedsimilaritiestoDickens,inthatJonesspins"adenselypopulated,sprawlingstorybuiltaroundamorallybankruptinstitution."Despitealltheattentionhe'searned,Jonesseemsunwillingtoassumetheroleofcelebritywriter."Ifyouwriteastorytoday,andyougetuptomorrowandstartanotherstory,alltheexpertisethatyouputintothefirststorydoesn'ttransferoverautomaticallytothesecondstory,"heexplainedinanonlinechatonWashingtonpost.com."You'realwaysstartingatthebottomofthemountain.Soyou'realwaysbecomingawriter.You'reneverreallyarriving."GoodToKnowUnabletofindafull-timejobaftercollege,Joneswasonthevergeofborrowing$15fromhissisterforabustickettoBrooklyn,whereshelived,whenhegotwordthatEssencemagazinewaspublishinghisfirststoryfor$400.AjobattheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScienceenabledhimtostayinWashington,D.C.,wherehecontinuedwritingthestoriesforhiscollectionLostintheCity.Joneshasneverownedacar,commutinginsteadbypublictransportation."Idon'twanttoownsomethingthatyoucan'ttakeintoyourapartmentatnight,"heexplainedinaninterviewwithTheWashingtonPost.Hometown:Washington,D.C.DateofBirth:十月5,1950PlaceofBirth:Washington,D.C.Education:B.A.,CollegeoftheHolyCross,1972;M.F.A.,UniversityofVirginia,1981
