"The Book of Ash"-- New Novel by John McCaffrey-- who Explains How He Came to Write it and some Future Plans

The Book of Ash, --and Writer John McCaffrey

I am a big fan of George Orwell, and so I was curious what a book the author told me was sort of "humorous Orwell" would be like...
 From what I have read so far, it is funny, but offbeat of course, as any "Dystopian" vision might be

First, a trailer for the book, which is fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbkdVTArgjM

It sounds interesting, and it IS interesting....


Here, let John tell you in his own words: 

Thanks so much for sharing information on my novel, The Book of Ash, on your wonderful 
blog and with your readers.  In many ways, although set in an unnamed future, and in a 
locale that bears little resemblance to modern environs, I think it is a true New York 
City story, in that I was influenced in the writing by events that happened here after 
9/11, and also the culture and pace and (for lack of a better description) crazy 
inspiration that permeates the area.  Here's a bit more on this, and some other tidbits 
about the book.  

The Idea for the Novel 

 
The idea to write The Book of Ash came after the 9/11 attacks in New York City.  At the 
time I lived (and still do) in Hoboken, New Jersey, directly across the Hudson River from 
the former World Trade Center, and worked in downtown Manhattan, blocks from the tragedy. 
 Like many, I was deeply saddened by the event, and given my proximity, reminded daily of 
the tragedy unfolding at Ground Zero. It empowered me to question why our world is 
besieged by violence, and drawing from my work as a director of a nonprofit mental health 
organization, I began to imagine (and write about) a solution to this issue, creating a 
fictional society predicated on forming "emotionally healthy " citizens.  However, the 
more I wrote, the more I began to doubt this could be attained.  Instead, I latched onto 
the notion that forcing someone to behave in a certain way is the surest way for them to 
do the opposite. And so the novel took a dystopic direction, describing a suppressed 
people primed for rebellion.

From Short Stories to a Novel

 The Book of Ash is my first novel.  After receiving my M.A. in Creative Writing in 2003 
from the City College of New York, I concentrated on writing short stories, placing (to 
date) 30 pieces in print and online literary journals. The most successful of these 
stories was the first I ever published,Words, which appeared originally in Fiction 
Magazine, and then was selected by the editors of Flash Fiction Forward to appear in this 
acclaimed anthology put together by Norton & Co. Here is an excerpt from Amazon's 
description of the anthology: 

Determined to find the best flashes from America in the 
twenty-first century, the editors searched everywhere for stories that were not merely 
good but memorable. Moving, and certainly unforgettable, this collection includes stories 
from the best and most popular fiction writers of our time, including Steve Almond, Grace 
Paley, and Paul Theroux

The writing style and themes explored in many of my stories share a core similarity with 
The Book of Ash, including surreal plot lines, absurdist humor, and an emphasis on the 
natural world.  Like The Book of Ash's main character, Baldwin Wallace, many of the men 
in my stories are in trouble, marginalized individuals struggling with difficult 
relationships and loss.  But in most cases the stories are hopeful, that these men will 
find comfort, in even happiness, either through a renewed love or a new one, even by 
accepting their pain as a redeeming aspect of life.

Whats Next

 
I am looking forward to continuing doing readings for The Book of Ash, including one 
coming up on January 12th at KGB Bar in New York City.  If people want to find 
information on these and other events, they can follow me at http://johnamccaffrey.wordpre
ss.com/

On the writing front, my primary focus is completing my second novel, Killing Orwell, 
which imagines a plot in the mid-1930's to murder the writer before he gains further 
influence.  Much of the book is set on the Eastern End of Long Island, just after 
prohibition, a place and a period I am very interested.