Having my novel appear in the U.S. was a real thrill for someone brought up on U.S. television, music, and books.
Writing the novel was a quick but intense process. This seemed necessary – not only did the narrative demand a certain amount of speed and reckless energy, but I could also feel myself as a first-time writer outgrowing it and becoming distracted by other newly forming ideas.
“Odd, dark, comical, confusing,” says RIFer Sharon. “It brought to mind Steve Erickson and David Foster Wallace.
The city of San Francisco is a character in the melee, and the most vivid one at that. I need to read it again and make a flow chart!”
Now in paperback wherever books are sold, The Dead Do Not Improve is the anticipated debut from Grantland editor Jay Caspian Kang. Named a #1 Critics Pick by Time Out New York.
“The story was so very well-written that it stayed in my head after I was done,” says RIFer Elizabeth. “I actually went back and read the last chapter again the following day. I look forward to hearing more from Anthony Marra.”
Keep your eyes out for this book. In his brilliant, haunting novel, Stegner Fellow and Whiting Award winner Anthony Marra transports us to a snow-covered village in Chechnya. A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance.
Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya shares recommended reading for fans of his novel The Watch and anyone who wants to learn more about Afghanistan history
From Oxford Press titles like Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89 to beautiful collections like Songs of Love and War: Afghan Women’s Poetry, the books on Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya’s reading list will deepen your understanding not only of his novel but of Afghanistan history, past and present.
“I’m a novelist and I don’t believe in taking sides as I write: that’s the task of the propagandist. My personal beliefs and private opinions do not matter within the covers of the book.”
Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya reveals the intense research that went into his book, his shock at the degradation of women in Pashtun culture, and his deep respect for the members of the U.S. Army who became his friends.
“These were some of the finest individuals I’ve ever met,” he says, “They’re part of my life now. I feel an intense loyalty to them.”
The Watch is a gripping, eye-opening novel of the war against Afghanistan’s Taliban
Just as The Things They Carried transformed our understanding of America’s war in Vietnam, The Watch will change the way you understand the war in Afghanistan. Taking us deep inside the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of the camp, where military personnel struggle with the constant threat of terror and undefined battle lines, The Watch delivers a powerful portrait of modern warfare.
This guide includes provocative questions and details about the Antigone myth – a key element of the novel – and will enrich your reading group’s discussion.
