Tuesday, October 13, 2009

HUMMINGBIRDS: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
HUMMINGBIRDS:A NOVEL

BY JOSHUA GAYLORD

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A wonderfully compelling debut novel about the intertwining—and darkly surprising—relationships between the teachers and students at an all-girls prep school Spend a year at the Carmine-Casey School for Girls, an elite prep school on Manhattan's Upper East Side: the year when the intimate private school community becomes tempestuous and dangerously incestuous as the rivalries and secrets of teachers and students intersect and eventually collide.

In the world of students, popular and coquettish Dixie Doyle, with her ironic pigtails, battles to wrest attention away from the smart and disdainful Liz Warren, who spends her time writing and directing plays based on the Oresteia. In the world of teachers, the adored Leo Binhammer struggles to share his territory with Ted Hughes, the charming new English teacher who threatens to usurp Binhammer's status as the department's only male teacher and owner of the girls' hearts. When a secret is revealed between them, Binhammer grows increasingly fascinated by the man he has determined is out to get him.

As seasons change and tensions mount, the girls long for entry into the adult world, toying with their premature powers of flirtation. Meanwhile, the deceptive innocence of the adolescent world—complete with plaid skirts and scented highlighters—becomes a trap into which the flailing teachers fall. By the end of the year the line between maturity and youth begins to blur, and the question on the final exam is: Who are the adults and who are the children?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joshua Gaylord lives in New York with his wife, the Edgar-award-winning novelist Megan Abbott (The Song Is You, Queenpin, Bury Me Deep). For the past nine years, he has taught high school English at an Upper East Side prep school (a modern orthodox co-educational Yeshiva). Since 2002, he has also taught literature and cultural studies courses as an adjunct professor at the New School. Prior to coming to New York, he grew up in the heart of Orange County: Anaheim, home of Disneyland. He graduated from Berkeley with a degree in English and a minor in creative writing, where his instructors included Bharati Mukherjee, Leonard Michaels and Maxine Hong Kingston. In 2000, he received his Master’s and Ph.D. in English at New York University, specializing in twentieth-century American and British literature.

1)The fictional character I most admire is...
Yorick, the narrator of Laurence Sterne's Sentimental Journey.

2)My best habit is...
being neurotically on time for everything.

3)My worst habit is...
building up secret and festering animosities for people around me.

4)My favorite pair of shoes is...
a pair of Converse hightops with a Sailor Jerry design on the side.

5)My first crush was...
a girl named Courtney Statan who got a carton of milk dumped on her head by some bully. I ached for her.

6)On My Nightstand...Joshua Gaylord reads...

Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth

People accuse postmodernism and metafiction of being cold—and they frequently cite this book as an example. But I've always found it to contain moments of tremendous passion. It's just that the passion is directed toward something we're not used to being passionate about: text.


GIVEAWAY
WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?
THANKS TO KYLE AND GOOD PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING, I HAVE

3 COPIES OF THIS DEBUT NOVEL
TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!


RULES:
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!



+1- 6 ENTRIES: READ ABOUT THE 6 FACTS THE AUTHOR, JOSHUA GAYLORD, TOLD US ABOUT ABOVE. FOR EACH OF THOSE SIX FACTS THAT YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF, YOU MAY CLAIM ONE MORE ENTRY. THESE MUST BE NUMBERED IN ONE POST OR WILL ONLY COUNT AS ONE!

+1 MORE ENTRY: WATCH FOR MY REVIEW THIS MONTH AND COME BACK AND ANSWER THE QUESTION I WILL ASK THERE, BUT PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, OCTOBER 29

21 comments:

Ashley said...

This sounds great! I'd love to read this
bellasnovella@gmail.com

Ashley said...

1)The fictional character I most admire is...
Jacob from Water for Elephants

2)My best habit is...

organizing


3)My worst habit is...

over organizing


4)My favorite pair of shoes is...

an open toed platform from Guess.


5)My first crush was...

my neighbor next door


6)On My Nightstand...Sookie

Reading said...

Please enter me. Thanks for the chance. I follow.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

Here goes.
1. The fictional character I most admire is: Scarlett O'Hara
2. My best habit is: eating right.
3. My worst habit is: not excercising enough.
4. My fav pair of shoes is: my sketcher sneakers
5. My first crush was: a boy in my kindergarten class names Peter.
6. On my nightstand is: The Hunger Games.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

Great giveaway!

1. The fictional character I most admire is...Matilda from Matila by Roald Dahl.

2. My best habit is...being punctual.

3. My worst habit is...never hanging up my clothes!

4. My favorite pair of shoes is...a pair of Pumas I got about 10 years ago. They're so ratty!

5. My first crush was...kingergarten. Zack.

6. On my nightstand...The Kin by Peter Dickinson.

fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

Shooting Stars Mag said...

oh wow, this does sound great, so please count me in thanks!

I do follow
-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

Shooting Stars Mag said...

1) fictional character I admire most-

Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter for being herself

2) best habit-

Reading a lot...I say it's good!

3) worst habit-

spending too much time on the computer

4) favorite shoes?

-just plain old gym shoes. wear them all the time.

5) first crush

-a boy i met when I was like five or six in floriday

6) on my nightstand?

-the body finder by kimberely derting

Lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

bermudaonion said...

1 - The fictional character I most admire is Scarlett O'Hara.
2 - My best habit is cleaning up after myself.
3 - My worst habit is worrying about things I can't control.
4 - My favorite pair of shoes is flip flops.
5 - My first crush was a boy in junior high.
6 - On my nightstand - books, Kindle, alarm clock & lamp.

milou2ster(at)gmail.com

holdenj said...

1)The fictional character I most admire is...

A woman like Laura McAllen from Mudbound. She had to be pretty tough.

2)My best habit is...

Having a good memory, especially since daily organization is a battle!

3)My worst habit is...

See organization comment above!

4)My favorite pair of shoes is...

My new Nikes-they are great for work.

5)My first crush was...

My next door neighbor's older boy, Chris.

6)On My Nightstand...
Laced with Magic, by Barbara Bretton

Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Linna said...

I'd like to read this interesting book.

linna.hsu at gmail dot com

BevE said...

1) My first crush was Herb Albert from the Tijuania Brass LOL - my second was closer to home - my brother's best friend.

2) My best habit is that I love to organize anything and that I am almost always on time or 10 mins. early.

3) My worst habit is eating too much junk food.

4) My favorite pair of shoes is whichever pair of walking shoes I have at the time (have only one pair at a time.)

BevE
merryweatherbookblog (at) gmail.com

Mary said...

1)The fictional character I most admire is...
Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice, she stands her ground and stays true to who she is.

2)My best habit is...
keeping all my daycare kids under control in an easy manner.

3)My worst habit is...
biting my fingernails.

4)My favorite pair of shoes is...
a pair of flip flops or no shoes at all!

5)My first crush was...
Joey Espinola, he gave me a emerald from Cracker Jacks and I cried when it broke. I was 8.

6)On My Nightstand...is a bottle of water and whatever book I'm reading next.

mamie316(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth

Gaby317 said...

This sounds like a fascinating read. Please count me in.

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

Here are some facts:
1) Joshua Gaylord is married to a writer - who has won the Edgar award.
2) He teaches English in a private high school in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
3) He also teaches cultural studies and literature at the New School.
4) He grew up in Anaheim, CA - in Disneyland's neighborhood.
5) He's neurotically punctual for everything.
6) He secretly allows animosity to build up and fester.

Anonymous said...

1. The fictional character I most admire is Eliza Doolittle.

2. My best habit is being punctual.

3. My worst habit is changing the topic when I don't want to discuss something.

4. My favorite pair of shoes is a suede shootie with a gold buckle-Made in Italy, very soft.

5. My first crush was when I was in 7th grade- a Geekie guy, I don't remember his name.

6. On my nightstand I have a copy of Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind, which I have almost finished reading.

That was fun.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Ellie Wright said...

Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway.
eswright18 at gmail dot com

minishoes1 said...

I would love to read this! Thanks!jacquecurl1@gmail.com

minishoes1 said...

1)fictional character I admire most-Olivia benson from law and order

2)best habit-being too generous
3)worst habit-eating too much junk food
4)fav pair of shoes-My black leather high heel boots.
5)First crush-A boy named Brock in 3rd grade.
6)On my nightstand-Pure Murder
jacquecurl1@gmail.com

Nickolay said...

Sounds like a great Fall read! Thanks for the chance

jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

lag123 said...

1. The fictonal character I most admire is:Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich novels. I wish I could be like her!
2.My best habit is dependability.
3.My worst habit is unorganization.
4.My favorite pair of shoes is Croc sandals.
5.My first crush was Casey Jackson.
6.On my nightstand: Widows Club.

lag110@mchsi.com

rubynreba said...

1. There is something about good old Charlie Brown that I like!
2. My best habit is being prompt.
3. My worst habit is holding a grudge.
4. My favorite shoes are an old pair of sandals that are so comfortable.
5. My first crush was in 2nd grade and all the girls liked Brian!
6. I'm reading The Night Gardener.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Nancye said...

1. Fictional Character- Max from Max and Ruby (Childrens book)
2. My best habit- my faith
3. My worst habit- procrastination
4. Favorite pair of shoes: crocs and flip flops
5. First crush- a boy named James in 2nd grade
6. On my nightstand- stack of magazines and book "In The Middle"

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

CLICK HERE TO
SEE MY POLICY