Mcneelys powerful and moving comingofage novel ghost horse winner of the gival press novel award. Mcneely s powerful and moving comingofage novel ghost horse winner of the gival press novel. Published this fall by a small, indie publishing house called gival press, ghost horse is a gripping and intense book. Ive read drafts of this book over the last ten years and ive been waiting all that time for the finished product. A former dobie paisano, wallace stegner, and national endowment for the arts fellow, he has taught writing at stanford university, emerson college, and other universities and writing workshops. Mcneely is a writer and a professor and he grew up in houston during this time of turmoil. Mcneely s first book, ghost horse, winner of the gival press novel award, was published in october 2014 to great critical acclaim. Mcneely has captured something harrowing about an era of chaos. Ghost horse is that rare fictional rendering that truly illuminates real life. Buddys mother spends much of her time working in a hospital laboratory while his absentee father comes. Rishi reddi, author of karma and other stories, winner of the l.
Ghost horse, his first book, will be published as the winner of the gival press novel award in october 2014. Ghost horse weaves a singular spell, captivating the reader and never letting go. Although writer thomas mcneely lives in boston, hes actually from houston, the setting for his novel, ghost horse. Alongside doug dorst, these two authors bring us books of friendship, mystery and the connective power of art, be it a library book. Thomas mcneely s new novel, ghost horse 2014, gival press, 246 pages is set in houston in the 1970s. Writing through the eyes of a child lighthouse writers workshop. As his fathers many secrets begin to unravel, buddy discovers the real movie. Elevenyearold buddy lives with his mother in 1970s houston at a time when proper, white middleclass living means that mothers dont work, parents dont divorce, and white children dont befriend the mexican children down the street. Ghost horseconsidering the main character, buddy, is a young man this book. Thomas mcneely former jones lecturer and stegner fellow, stanford. Ghost horse evokes flavor of a childhood in 1970s houston.
Oct 30, 2014 some discussion questions on ghost horse by thomas h. Find details about every creative writing competitionincluding poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and morethat weve published in the grants. In ghost horse, his excellent debut novel, thomas mcneely skillfully offers up the dark mysteries of the adult world through the eyes of a child. The privately held, independent company was founded in 1998 in arlington, virginia. Thomas mcneely was named a dobie paisano fellow in 2000, and has just published ghost horse, the novel he began during that fellowship. Debut novelist and winner of the 20 gival press novel award, thomas mcneely comes to bookpeople. Mcneely s debut novel, ghost horse that would be unfair and unflatteringbut to give a sense of what makes mcneely. Adam johnson, author of the orphan masters son, winner of the pulitzer prize for fiction set amidst the social. Thomas mcneely, author of ghost horse, on tour october 2014. The boys confusion comes right off the page and into the. Nov 19, 2014 thomas mcneely was named a dobie paisano fellow in 2000, and has just published ghost horse, the novel he began during that fellowship. He has received fellowships from the wallace stegner program in creative writing at stanford. Please join lorenz finison author of bostons cycling craze, 18801900, pete kahle author of the specimen, d.
Set amidst the social tensions of 1970s houston, ghost horse tells the story of elevenyearold buddy turners shifting alliances within his fragmented family and with two other boysone white, one. Its largely autobiographical, focusing on an elevenyearold boy growing up, as mcneely did, in mid1970s houston. The ghost horse is a heartwarming tale, artfully told, that has all the ingredients of a racing sagaone that braids together, in a single bittersweet drama, the connecting threads of love and loneliness, grief and goodness, and death and despair, with moments of high triumph woven throughout. The houston native will read from ghost horse, winner of the 20 gival press novel award. In beautiful, nuanced prose, mcneely captures the visceral confusion of a boy on the cusp of puberty, his loyalty tugged between divorcing parents and an overbearing and opinionated grandmother. In fewer than twenty pages, pidgin sketches a world of its narrator of colors postcolonial migration, political activism, and. Mcneely is the author of ghost horse, winner of the gival press novel award. Set amidst the social tensions of 1970s houston, ghost horse tells the story of elevenyearold buddy turners shifting alliances within his fragmented family and with two other boysone white, one latinoin their quest to make a super8 animated movie. Thomas h mcneely set amidst the social tensions of 1970s houston, ghost horse tells the story of elevenyearold buddy turners shifting alliances within his fragmented family and with two other boysone anglo. Ghost horse and body and bread saturday, february 21st 3. In ghost horse, his lucid debut novel, author thomas h. Origin and first appearance of ghost rider carter slade and his horse banshee in the origin of the ghost rider, script by gary friedrich, roy thomas, and dick ayers plot, pencils by dick ayers, inks by. Buddys mother spends much of her time working in a hospital laboratory while his absentee father comes back to town leaving buddy with a fresh set of empty promises and his mother with a request for a divorce.
Ghost horse by thomas mcneely literary fiction chanticleer. Thomas mcneely, author of ghost horse, on tour october. Macquin author of polite conversation about the weather, thomas mcneely. Writing through the eyes of a child lighthouse writers. However, this is buddys reality in thomas mcneelys debut novel, ghost horse.
Secrets, texas, dark, houston, 19751976, catholic upbringing, immigration. Publisher, through tlc book tours ghost horse by thomas mcneely is a powerful debut novel. Laura collinshughes, the boston globe as if cormac mccarthy and denis johnson teamed up to write a 1970s texas ya novel that went off the rails somewhere in a very, very good way. Join us at the twig book shop for an afternoon reading. The ghost horse is a heartwarming tale, artfully told, that has all the ingredients of a racing sagaone that braids together, in a single bittersweet drama, the connecting threads of love and loneliness, grief. The setting is midseventies houston, and the central character is buddy turner, who at the start of the novel is leaving queen of peace, a largely latino school in one part of the city, for an allwhite school. A texas boy grapples with his parents estrangement in mcneely. Local authors roundtable at the sharon public library. Thomas h mcneely set amidst the social tensions of 1970s houston, ghost horse tells the story of elevenyearold buddy turners shifting alliances within his. That was a time of great transition and social tension in houston. I mention these titles not to compare their quality to that of thomas h.
Father, mother, grandmothers on both sidesthese adults. Mcneely adroitly captures the dynamics of a confused and conflicted time, when those individuals who lived through it, as with his novels characters, coped with. Buddy, the protagonist of ghost horse, is also at that haunted stage of life, a transition from childhood to adolescence, and of course by his fathers absencethat haunting and absence is central to ghost horse. Laura collinshughes, the boston globe as if cormac. However, this is buddys reality in thomas mcneely s debut novel, ghost horse. Winner of the 20 gival press novel award ghost horse via amazon awards. Annie and i will read from our debut novels, ghost horse and all we had, discuss how we use visual elements in our writing, and answer questions about our novels and the. Las vegas xcitement, nite life magazine and running his own studio as well as putting together events and marketing for major record labels electra, atlantic, warner, interscope, def american, rhino. Buddys mother spends much of her time working in a hospital. A texas boy grapples with his parents estrangement in mcneelys debut novel. In beautiful, nuanced prose, mcneely captures the visceral confusion of a boy on the cusp of puberty, his loyalty. Mcneely s breathtaking debut novel, ghost horse, buddy turners family has fragmented around issues of betrayal, class, and race. May 03, 2016 thomas mcneely a native of houston, texas, thomas h. One boys comingofage in 1970s texas becomes the deeply compelling story of all who have ever shouldered an unwanted secret.
The privately held, independent company was founded in 1998 in arlington. Gival press is an american literary publishing house specializing in promoting nonfiction, short stories, literary fiction, and poetry. Ghost horse, his first book, is the winner of the gival press novel award. The boys confusion comes right off the page and into the mind with the concise puncture of incredible words and feelings exquisitely placed on the page. Mcneelys moving, darkly beautiful debut novel, ghost horse, turns the emotional messiness of family life into something gripping and mysterious.
Mcneely october 31, 2014 please join me for a reading and discussion of visual narratives with author annie weatherwax at the harvard bookstore, nov. Mcneely i like to make sentences and to spend time with my characters, but the real purpose and satisfaction of writing, i think, is in communicating with othmore i like to make sentences and to spend time with my characters, but the real purpose and satisfaction of writing, i think, is in communicating with others. Guess and check is a gironvaldez series for unique voices. The characters lead difficult lives, some broken by divorce and others shadowed by fear, child abuse, domestic violence. An adventure of feeling and intelligence, frightening in its penetration to the depth of a childs anguish, ghost horse is a masterful novel. Thomas mcneely with nan cuba, ghost horse and body and bread. Now, all these years later, mcneely will return to huntsville, but this time as a debut novelist. Mcneely adroitly captures the dynamics of a confused and conflicted time, when those individuals who lived through it, as with his novels characters, coped with the decades emotional, cultural, and spiritual crackup as best they could. Harvard book store and grubstreet welcome former national endowment for the arts fellow thomas mcneely and robert olen butler prize winner annie weatherwax for a discussion of their respective books ghost horse. As his fathers many secrets begin to unravel, buddy discovers.
Wise, insightful, and exquisitely written, it lays bare the heartbreak of family life and lost friendship against the back drop of class and racial difference. A former stegner fellow and recipient of a fellowship from the national endowment for the arts, thomas h. Tom mcneely, ghost horse, and charles coe, spin cycles. Ghost horse is a stunning debut by thomas mcneely, a former stanford stegner fellow. Mcneely wrote ghost horse, which can be purchased at a lower price at. The readers heart opens to mcneely s characters, and does not ever quite close again. In ghost horse, his lucid debut novel, cambridge author thomas h. Laura collinshughes, boston globe the writing is sensitive, beautiful, and ominous throughout as if cormac mccarthy and denis johnson teamed up to write a 1970s texas ya novel that went off.
Ghost horseconsidering the main character, buddy, is a young man this book seems like it would have a place on the shelves of high school libraries, recommended by the english teachers, and for any. Ghost horse seems to have evoked memories of childhood and. James carroll, author of warburg in rome in ghost horse, his excellent debut novel, thomas mcneely. Drew johnson, o luxury rachel hochhauser, speaking to a quiet room tricia yost, something good jane renaud, housework colleen obrien, all roads caitlin kuehn, the extraterrestrial trauma of. Mcneely has captured something harrowing about an era of chaos and unease. According to one of the judges, thomas mcneely, author of ghost horse. Mcneely s moving, darkly beautiful debut novel, ghost horse, turns the emotional messiness of family life into something gripping and mysterious. Ghost horse and body and bread saturday, february 21 st 3.
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