The second issue of the Fairy Tale Review arrived the other day and I just got a chance to look it over. It contains lots of excellent-looking stuff and THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A NOVEL BY STACEY RICHTER. The novel is apparently called Fairyland and the portion included is so fine it will blow your head off. And, yet, there is no mention of this novel anywhere on the web or reference to if it’s finished, when it might surface, etc.
And now I want to read it very badly. Anyone have any insider scoop on this one?
See also: My review of the first issue of FTR.
Hey BondGirl,
Thanks so much for your enthusiam! I admit I’m surprised that anyone had so quickly read Fairy Tale Review and been curious about the novel excerpt…I expected a soft fade out, which is pretty much how it’s gone with that manuscript. But I’m glad you’re interested, and I’ll tell you the scoop.
I wrote a novel called Fairyland which is about a metalhead groupie in the early nineties and her adventures with her killer doll. While I think we can all agree that this is an intriguing premise for a novel, my agent and the publishers she showed it to were not really intrigued at all. They’d hoped I’d write something with some commercial appeal rather than writing about terrible people taking drugs and then being decapitated.
And, though I really love Fairyland and feel it expresses a dark, feminine rage that has not been written about often enough, I can sort of see their point. It’s very difficult (or so they tell me) to sell a lot of books if you don’t sell a lot of books to begin with, if that makes sense. I’ve seen some truly wonderful books, like Julia Slavin’s brilliant Carnivore Diet, not get nearly the attention they deserved because of unenthused publishers and dark subject matter, and that scared me. Plus, on some level, since it was my first novel, Fairyland had some problems, like mushy chronology and structure and stuff.
So, for now, Fairyland is in the drawer while I see if I can write a novel with a little more structure and light and less blackness and gore. But I still hope to publish it later on. Another chapter will be anthologized in a Tin House book this year–I think the book will be called “Fabulous Women.”
In the meantime, my second book of stories, Twin Study, will be published at the end of March by Counterpoint press.
Thanks so much for stopping by to explain, Stacey. I say phooey on stoopid publishing logic! The first chapter was beautiful and disturbing and all good things. I do hope it’s published some day, so I can read the whole thing. The world needs more novels about girls and their killer dolls. Seriously.
Making note to self to request copy of “Twin Study” from Counterpoint.
Thanks Gwenda. I’ll ask them so send you one
A. Rather late to the party here but A. Gwenda, did you get it? And B. Stacey, can I see it just so’s I have a sense of the lie of the land for you?
Hey Richard — I forwarded your comment on to Stacey.
Okay Richard. I need to make a few edits, then I’ll post it here as a comment.