Sunday, March 26, 2006

Department of Cartwheels In the Clouds: my novel is getting published!

Yes, 'tis true: the novel found a home this week at Other Press. It'll be on shelves flaunting its sassy, original paperback self sometime in 2007/2008, insha allah. I'll divulge more once I have the details.

The novel, a profane and humorous bildungsroman, begins with the narrator's birth to failed artists and ends about 18 years later, but it also jumps back into the '60s and '70s. It's set in Kuwait, Boston, Egypt, the West Bank, and Central Texas, and explores and questions ideas of home, war, identity, family, belonging, marriage, education, and how they all tie in with art and freedom.

I began the novel in San Marcos, TX, in 2000, and after a couple of false starts, moved to a trailer in Kyle and started over. Very soon after, the voice of the narrator, Nidali, became stronger and more present, and she'd visit more regularly. Then, 9/11 happened, and for a week I felt despondent about the work and the world, but I escaped the news and sadness around me by going back into the novel. Many of the novel's chapters -- which include "You Are a 14-Year-Old Arab Chick..."--were written in the ten months that followed. I moved back to Austin and finished the first draft a year later. That was 2003. Over the last 2 and a half years, I've revised more and learned more about the novel and its characters.

It's been an arduous process, and over the years, many of you gave me priceless advice, listened to me ramble, were sweet enough to write and tell me you liked my work, helped pay my rent, watched my kid, read early drafts, bought me dinner/lunch/breakfast, wrote me kind letters, told me about your early publishing experiences, made me potfuls of coffee, stayed on the phone with my good-writing-day giddy self, stayed on the phone with my bad-day melt-down self: were good, good friends.

Your encouragement has meant the world to me.

A thousand thank yous.

xo,
Randa

23 Comments:

Blogger Forsoothsayer said...

mabrouk awi! i took hope to write a book one day...i'm really looking forward to reading your - i don't think anyone else who grew up in kuwait has written a book (that i know of) and i'd love to see how that place is portrayed. you'd want to see how many freaking huge malls there are there now.

3:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Alf, alf mabrouk, Randa!! You deserve it.

4:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congrats!!! I very much look forward to reading it!

6:42 PM  
Blogger kitabet said...

mabrouk! I've enjoyed your stories and blog a great deal, and look forward to reading the book.

9:10 PM  
Blogger md said...

You are most awesome!!!!

12:23 AM  
Blogger Gayyash said...

mabrouk wa 3o2bal meet novel.

6:42 AM  
Blogger Tomas Morin said...

Randa,

You have my warmest congratulations. That is really freakin' awesome.

I think it's only the beginning of your success.

8:16 AM  
Blogger rockslinga said...

Thank you guys! You all rock the hardest...

8:49 AM  
Blogger Richard said...

Congratulations, Randa! I am really excited.

And as my writing teacher said to me after my first book was taken back a zillion years ago, "The best part is that now you have the right to complain constantly like every other author does."

9:02 AM  
Blogger porkmuffin said...

yay! YAY! YAYAYAYAY!

10:19 AM  
Blogger confused arab chick said...

Congratulations-

I look forward to reading it.

3:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you are a super rock star!

yes!

5:57 PM  
Blogger Baraka said...

Congratulations!

I loved your "You Are a 14-Year-Old Arab Chick..." & look forward to more!

Warmly,
Baraka

6:30 PM  
Blogger Bill Day said...

Congratulations, Randa! I can't wait to order it!

8:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've always wanted to comment on your blog and tell you what a wonderful writer you are. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. Congratulations!

11:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A Million Congratulations! I am sure it's well deserved.

9:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want to add my congrats. I slightly know some of the folks at Other Press (through my day job) and they seem to be decent, progressive people, so I think your book is in good hands. I'll look forward to reading it.
Shelley Ettinger

10:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congrats habibti!! Narvoush

5:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This is fantastic news. I'm happy the post-Gulf War experience will finally be properly recorded.

Saeed.

5:11 PM  
Blogger Reformed Cynic said...

Wow that's incredible news! I don't really know you but I'm so happy for you. Alf mabrooook ya Randa.

8:56 AM  
Blogger Leila Abu-Saba said...

Alf mabrouk ya Randa - I am so happy for you. And I look forward to reading the book! Much deserved. Let me know if you ever want to set up a reading in the Bay Area - we have a guest bedroom with an actual bed in it, close to MIlls College and express buses to SF.

12:16 PM  
Blogger Anne Elliott said...

Hooray, can't wait to read it.

12:59 PM  
Blogger Muhammad Aladdin said...

Congrats Randa..am really really happy for ya :)

4:18 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home