Tammy Greenwood is the author of Breathing Water, Nearer Than the Sky, Undressing the Moon, Two Rivers, The Hungry Season and This Glittering World (coming out in 1/2011). She teaches creative writing at The University of California San Diego Extension Program and Ink Spot. She is also an aspiring fine arts photographer. She says about her dual creative outlets:" As a novelist, I am driven by a need to both capture and preserve the small moments of life with language. And even when my medium shifts from writing to photography, my artistic goals remain the same. I am fascinated by the fleeting moment, by the ability a camera gives me to seize (and preserve) the ephemeral. As a mother of two young daughters, I am particularly enthralled by the transitory nature of childhood. And while fiction necessitates a certain artifice, I strive for truth in my images. None of my photos are staged. They are all candid shots taken during typical days in our typical lives, and my hope is that they reflect not only my reverence for the transience of childhood but also the extraordinary beauty of the ordinary moment." (See her photo blog.)
Here are the books I read and loved this year:
I have loved Scott Spencer’s work ever since I read Endless Love years ago. His characters are vivid and authentic, terrifically and beautifully flawed. And the ending is a knockout.
Room
One of the few very hyped books of this year that actually lived up to its accolades. Donaghue takes on the voice of an extraordinary five year old child living in an extraordinary situation, and it is utterly convincing and heart-breaking.
Anthropology of an American Girl
It is rare today that an author is bold enough to write a novel in which so little happens -- to trust that the main character alone will be compelling enough to keep the reader reading. Some may grow frustrated with the leisurely pace of this very long novel, but I was happy to go along for the ride with this fascinating and precocious narrator.
This book is also a book in which nothing much happens…until half-way through. I won’t spoil anything, but this book knocked the wind out of me. Quindlen painstakingly paints this family portrait, making you fall in love with each character and then breaking your heart.
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
This is a graceful little book is an impressive debut, reminiscent even of early Toni Morrison. A little clunky in some spots (with regards to shifting points of view and plot), but overall pretty charming and intelligent.
This debut collection of linked short stories is masterful. Andrea Barrett compares his work to Raymond Carver, and I must concur. Stark yet complex. Stunning ruminations on small town, mid-western life.
One of the best books this year!
Jackie's review of Tammy's latest, This Glittering World, coming out in January 2011:
When Ben Bailey went outside to enjoy the first snowfall and fetch the paper, he found a dying young man. He had no idea that this would be the catalyst for him to look into himself to find out who he was and what he really wanted to do with his life. His planned future becomes uncertain as he finds himself more and more enmeshed in helping the beautiful sister of the man prove that this was a homicide and a hate crime. As he gets closer to the answers, he moves further and further away from the man he was, but circumstances make it difficult to be the man he wants to be. This is an aching tale of what we owe to the people in our lives, what we owe to ourselves, and the cost of the compromises we make.
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