MacAdam/Cage

A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder
by Karen Spears Zacharias

In the era of Nancy Grace, calling for vengeance for the murder of children has become a kind of pornography. But the literary merits of A Silence of Mockingbirds, a memoir by former crime reporter Karen Spears Zacharias, outweigh any prurient interest, and the art with which she carefully reconstructs events leading up to a senseless, painful tragedy is reminiscent of In Cold Blood in its power.

In 2005, three-year-old Karly Sheehan was beaten to death in Corvallis, Ore., by her mother's boyfriend, who was subsequently jailed after a high-profile trial. Both Karly's father and her daycare provider had noticed suspicious physical signs and behavior leading up to the little girl's death, but a sloppy inquiry by the state left Karly in harm's way. Zacharias, a foster mother of sorts to Karly's mother, is admittedly biased here, but her reaction to the overwhelming atrocity is the awakening of a pure reportorial instinct to ferret out every detail in order to bring out the truth. In doing so, Zacharias employs a sure sense of pace and description that enables this heartbreaking, never-salacious memoir to read like a thriller.

Zacharias intends A Silence of Mockingbirds as a call to action, a "never again" plea. Indeed, Karly's case has inspired legislation designed to strengthen abuse investigations. But Zacharias has, perhaps unwittingly, created something else. For if the point of art is to touch, to affect, to say something profound about the human condition, than A Silence of Mockingbirds is more than a rallying cry; it is a work of art.--Cherie Ann Parker, freelance journalist and book critic

Discover: A reported memoir that reinforces the power of storytelling in the wake of human tragedy.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59692-370-6

Bookseller Kathleen Caldwell, Joe Di Prisco, Dorothy Smith, reporter Bridget Kinsella, David Poindexter, Daniel Neeson

The theme was "Meet me at the Mausoleum" as over 200 well wishers got together at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland to give Joe Di Prisco's new novel All for Now a good send off into the world of great books.

Check out the Shelf Awareness story on the attached link. 

www.shelf-awareness.com

Here's a link for the New York Times obituary for William Gay written by Bruce Weber - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/arts/william-gay-novelist-rooted-in-tennessee-dies-at-70.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries

We are heartbroken to report that our dear friend and author William Gay passed away Thursday night of an apparent heart attack.  He was the author of three novels - The Long Home, Provinces of Night, and Twilight which was acclaimed by Entertainment Weekly as the best novel of 2007. 

He also published numerous short stories, critical articles, and essays. William was working on his latest novel Lost Country and was due to deliver the final manuscript next month. We will post more information about this remarkable person and his stellar career when the shock has eased a bit. On a personal note, I was honored to visit William on occasion at his cabin in Tennessee and these meetings were like going to church for me as we sat for hours talking books and baseball under a pall of tobacco smoke and that unique sweet smell of a house full of books. He was a genius of a man and a writer, but more so a wonderful friend. – D. Poindexter

Related author: Joseph Di Prisco

Looks like Joe Di Prisco's ALL FOR NOW is going to be a favorite with booksellers:

"Joseph Di Prisco has crafted a completely original thriller. What happens
AFTER we die? It's the question Brother Stephen asks in Di Prisco's All for
Now. Can Brother Stephen solve the case he was working on when he died or can he discover how he got where he is and why he's still here? The quick pace and sharp writing make All for Now a book you can't bear to put down." – Kathleen Caldwell, A Great Good Place for Books

“It is especially moving to read a book that looks so broadly at the ubiquitous issue of Roman Catholicism and pedophilia. Brother Stephen, the novel's narrator and protagonist, dies suddenly in the midst of managing a lawsuit dealing with the alleged abuse of a former student by his former mentor - Brother Charlie. Shannon, the plaintiff, is also a former "friend" of Stephen's. The distance that the afterlife affords Stephen gives the book its psychological charge. Suddenly, it is simultaneously the late 1960's and the present moment, and our culturally shifting views of this ever-existing problem collide. Joseph Di Prisco has given us a brave, bumbling, soul-searching hero whose wry humor only enhances his honesty.”
- Jan Weissmiller, Prairie Lights Books

We have a few hardcover first editions in our warehouse of Under the Harrow by Mark Dunn and a marketing "genius" here thought it would be a good idea to give these away since we're coming out with paperback version next month. Okay, so the only catch is that you read the book and if you like it (which of course you will), tell people about it so we can sell a bunch of paperbacks. Shoot us your address and we'll ship you a free book - orders@macadamcage.com.

Related author: Karen Spears Zacharias

“A Silence of Mockingbirds is beautifully written by a very talented investigative journalist. But, even more, this is Karen Zacharias's  own story too, one of trust betrayed. A tragic book that we should all take to heart. We cannot change the past but we can save children who are in peril now. Karen has given us Karly's legacy, that of a small, bright spirit who loved and was loved. And yet destroyed by heedless caretakers. A must read. Compelling and heartbreaking.” - Ann Rule, author of Don’t Look Behind You and In the Still of the Night

Great early PW review for Joe Di Prisco's All for Now!

Di Prisco (Sun City) takes a bold and unexpectedly amusing look at the unfortunately joined subjects of religion and pedophilia. When Brother Stephen, an administrator of a Roman Catholic religious teaching order dealing with lawsuits from former students who claimed to have been molested by his brothers, suddenly dies, he finds himself in the afterlife—driving a Prius in Northern California as an NPR interview of himself plays on the radio. Needless to say, he’s shocked and confused, but he discovers that this is only the beginning of the oddities he will soon encounter. He returns to an amorphous afterlife version of his former high school, where, in a nod to Orwell, all doors lead to “Room 101,” and one of them holds his old girlfriend Shannon, now a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits. The dreamlike events that ensue with not only Shannon but also former mentor Brother Charlie and a student Brother Stephen taught 30 years ago forces Stephen to confront truths that he would rather have left unexamined. Though Di Prisco takes a heartbreaking look at the scars left by pedophilia, and some readers will surely feel anger at the sins, the tale unfolds, bravely, with much humor thanks to Brother Stephen’s bemused narration. Agent: Elisabeth Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Associates. (Mar)

MacAdam/Cage has a new website!

After our old site was infected with an sql virus transmitted by an internet bot (whatever all that means), our good friends at Sonnet Media (thanks Sean and Jim) have gotten us back up and running again. It will take a little more time to slowly get all of our information loaded up and your patience is much appreciated. Now we can focus on trying to figure out what this Facebook and Twitter stuff is all about.

Author Howard Bahr has been awarded the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in Literature. Mr. Bahr is the author of The Black Flower (Nautical & Aviation Press, 1997), The Year of Jubilo (Henry Holt, 2000), The Judas Field (Henry Holt, 2006), and Pelican Road (MacAdam/Cage, 2008).

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts are presented annually to outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work.

A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias will be published April 1, 2012 as a tie-in to Child Abuse Prevention Month. This new MacAdam/Cage title has recently received the support and endorsement from the national organization CHILDHELP.  “Karen Spears Zacharias has written a compassionate and comprehensive story of how abuse affects us all,” according to Sara O’Meara, Chairman & CEO and Yvonne Gedderson, President of CHILDHELP.

A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias will be published April 1, 2012 as a tie-in to Child Abuse Prevention Month. This new MacAdam/Cage title has recently received the support and endorsement from the national organization CHILDHELP.  “Karen Spears Zacharias has written a compassionate and comprehensive story of how abuse affects us all,” according to Sara O’Meara, Chairman & CEO and Yvonne Gedderson, President of CHILDHELP.

MacAdam/Cage has announced that their lead title for Spring 2012 will be Joseph Di Prisco’s brilliant and engaging new novel All for Now. 

MacAdam/Cage has announced that their lead title for Spring 2012 will be Joseph Di Prisco’s brilliant and engaging new novel All for Now.  When Brother Stephen, a member of a Catholic religious order dies, we follow him into the afterlife where the problems of living take on new drama and intensity. On sale March 2, 2012.