(NEW YORK)– On Saturday, July 23, noon-2 pm, PEN America Miami/South Florida will celebrate the publication of Andrew Holleran’s latest novel, The Kingdom of Sand, his first novel since 2006’s Grief. PEN Across America Program Director William Johnson will moderate a conversation with Holleran, followed by a Q&A with the author and a book signing. The event is free and open to the public at Barnes & Noble – Fort Lauderdale (2051 N. Federal Highway).

In The Kingdom of Sand, the nameless narrator is a gay man who moves to Florida to look after his aging parents—during the height of the AIDS epidemic—and finds himself unable to leave after their deaths. With gallows humor, Holleran chronicles the indignities of growing old in a small town.

At the heart of the novel is the story of his friendship with Earl, whom he met cruising at the local boat ramp. For the last 20 years, he has been visiting Earl to watch classic films together and critique the neighbors. Earl is the only person in town with whom he can truly be himself. After he discovers Earl’s health is failing, the increasingly misanthropic narrator must contend with the fact that once Earl dies he will be completely alone. He distracts himself with visits to Walgreens and sexual encounters at the video porn store. All the while, he shares reflections on illness and death that are at once funny and heartbreaking.

Holleran’s first novel, Dancer from the Dance, is widely regarded as a classic work of gay literature. Reviewers described his subsequent books as beautiful, exhilarating, seductive, haunting, and bold. The Kingdom of Sand displays all of Holleran’s considerable gifts; it’s an elegy to sex and a stunningly honest exploration of loneliness and the endless need for human connection, especially as we count down our days.

BIOS

Andrew Holleran’s first novel, Dancer from the Dance, was published in 1978. He is also the author of the novels Nights in Aruba and The Beauty of Men; a book of essays, Ground Zero (reissued as Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited); a collection of short stories, In September, the Light Changes; and a novella, Grief.

William Johnson is the PEN Across America program director at PEN America. A longtime steward in the writing community, Johnson was the editor and publisher of Mary Literary, a literary magazine committed to showcasing work of artistic integrity. He also co-produced Nepantla: A Journal Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color, the first major anthology for queer poets of color in the United States. In 2011, Johnson began his tenure at Lambda Literary, an organization dedicated to promoting LGBTQ literature. As the deputy director of Lambda Literary, Johnson oversaw many of the organization’s most dynamic programs and public events, including the Writer’s Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices and Lambda’s web magazine, the Lambda Literary Review.

What: Author Andrew Holleran in Conversation, Presented by PEN America Miami/South Florida

When: Saturday, July 23, 2022, 12-2 pm ET

Where: Barnes & Noble – Fort Lauderdale, 2051 N. Federal Highway (954) 561-3732

https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2047