Alan Cheuse

Alan Cheuse is an all around literary aficionado. Whether commentating on NPR, editing anthologies, writing reviews or charting the “searing, tragic, heart-breaking and hilarious business of being alive” in his own widely acclaimed novels, Alan operates at the center of 21st Century literati. This year Alan was also selected, along with Pulitzer Winner Junot Diaz and (One of my Favorites) Jennifer Egan, to judge the 2009 National Book Award in Fiction. (2009 Winner: Colum McCann)

To Catch the Lightening, winner of the 2009 Grub Street National Book Prize in Fiction, is Alan's latest work of fiction. The book imagines the life of Edward Curtis, early American photographer, and his experiences capturing Native America tribes on film. “Bankrolled by J.P. Morgan, befriended by Teddy Roosevelt, and a towering figure in his own right, Curtis's epic work consumes his life.”
—From http://www.alancheuse.com/


“Four pages into the new Alan Cheuse novel and you'll know you're reading a Great American Novel. The Real Deal, not some publisher's-hyped product of the season. To Catch the Lightning is where you should plan on spending your lingering fall afternoons, watching the leaves turn.”
—Rick Kleffel, book reviewer and radio host on KUSP-FM Santa Cruz

Budget to tight for traveling this winter? Vicarious travel has been my latest favorite past time. Alan takes us on a journey where exotic terrain makes for a lovely backdrop for musings over culture, history and the human spirit. This personal exploration pushes the limits of "travel" writing and teaches us just how far we can go when we take the time to absorb more than scenery as we travel.

A Trance After Breakfast