ROOM 220 Presents: A Happy Hour Salon with Eli Horowitz and Adrian Van Young
Room 220 is pleased to present a Happy Hour Salon featuring Eli Horowitz to celebrate the release of the new novel, The Silent History, from 6 – 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Press Street HQ (3718 St. Claude Ave.). He will be joined by local author Adrian Van Young.
The Silent History—co-created by Horowitz, Matthew Derby, and Kevin Moffett—was first released as a novel-as-app in 2013. Its downloadable, interactive story immerses readers (users?) in a world in which a generation of children has been born without the ability to speak or any appreciation of language whatsoever. The app received intense acclaim—it won a Webby award and an Apple Best App award, and it was a finalist for the SXSW Interactive Award and an Official Selection of the Sundance New Frontiers Story Lab. Wired magazine called it “entirely revolutionary.”
Now, FSG has released The Silent History as an old-fashioned novel. In a glowing review, the London Independent writes:
Stripped of its videos, interactive gee-gaws and bonus material, the plot more than stands on its own, driven by classic narrative virtues: chases, hints of the supernatural, and bits of the dystopian thriller, intellect mystery and cosmic jigsaw puzzle. The finale asks the biggest questions of all, suggesting that here is a novel at once fun, clever and humane with the scope to outlast its hipper-than-thou origins.
Also reading will be New Orleans-based author Adrian Van Young, whose debut book of fiction, The Man Who Noticed Everything, won Black Lawrence Press’ 2011 St. Lawrence Book Award. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Gigantic, Slate, The Believer, The American Reader, The Collagist, and elsewhere.
As always, this event is free and open to the public. Complimentary libations will be on hand, though we strongly encourage you to tip your bartender.
