Get-well wishes go out to author Donald Harington, who is currently recuperating from a broken ankle sustained in an auto accident. He's been working on a new novel (to be titled Enduring), and although this setback will undoubtedly delay it somewhat, we all eagerly await its completion.

In the meantime, I've just run across this piece at Shelf Awareness; it's an insightful and very witty address Mr. Harington gave at Toby Press's 5th Anniversary Banquet last December: "Are Sales Reps Human? Donald Harington Seeks an Answer."

For readers who may not be familiar with Mr. Harington's work, most of his books chronicle the history of the somewhat-fictitious Stay More, Arkansas, and its eccentric residents (affectionately called "Stay Morons"). If you're intrigued by the idea of hypnotically-regressed boy scouts, canine narrators, and alcoholic literature professors with a passion for tomatoes (and that's just scratching the surface), do yourself a favor: make yourself a pitcher of sweet tea, find a shady spot under a tree someplace, and spend the rest of your summer in the pages of Stay More.

Best wishes to Mr. Harington for a speedy recovery!

Labels: Literary Arts

29 July, 2006