Slow Reveal

By (author): Melanie Mitzner

“A poem is never finished, only abandoned,” wrote French poet Paul Valéry, an outcome echoed in the ten year on/off extramarital affair between Katharine, a film editor and Naomi, a lesbian poet. Set in New York in the 90s, art, addiction and family dysfunction culminate in Katharine’s attempt to reconcile her marriage. When her love for the poet prevails, she must face the confrontations with her two grown daughters, a visual artist and an aspiring writer, mired in addiction.

Art is front and centre in the novel. The forces that work against us, as we long to love and be loved, are the forces that work against us as we confront the artistic process. The artist’s struggle to reach the potential in her work parallels the struggle for intimacy to reach the potential in her relationships. In the final analysis, the artistic process is as risky, messy and unpredictable as building intimacy and trust in love.

AUTHOR

Melanie Mitzner

Melanie Mitzner is a Montreal/New York writer. She is an Edward Albee Fellow and a finalist in four fiction and screenwriting competitions. Former journalist and publicist in tech/broadcasting and co-founder of The Groovy Mind, Melanie’s work focuses on political, social and environmental justice. Slow Reveal is her debut novel. She is also toiling away on a controversial new book, The Expat  www.melaniemitzner.com.


Reviews

“Loving is an art in Melanie Mitzner’s ambitious debut about a discordant family of eclectic artists whose lives are thrown into question with an unexpected death. Told with compassion and intelligence, this poignant tale of love, longing and addiction provides a vivid look into the lives of talented and troubled creators, each yearning for relevance and lasting connection.”
?Christopher DiRaddo, author of The Family Way and The Geography of Pluto

“A joy to read and so hard to say “goodbye” to this cast of characters as I came to the end of Slow Reveal. Mitzner utterly succeeds in telling this intricate story of two women, a poet and a film editor, in which the literary and filmic slow reveal of the title sustains the reader’s interest from start to finish. Deeply philosophical and profoundly human, one is drawn into the lives of a multi-generational New York family in which making art, and living a life well-lived, are investigated with heart, intelligence and passion. Slow Reveal is a quiet and urgent page-turner about devotion and intimacy, and what it means to find love and meaning in the process of becoming increasingly true to oneself through the years.”
?Carolyn Boll, poet, curator, author of Social Dance, a Book of Ballroom Poetry

“As the former Canadian director of French publisher Albin-Michel, I worked on French translations of some very talented authors, including Guy Vanderhaghe, Dan Chaon and David Treuer. When Melanie Mitzner’s Slow Reveal was presented to me, I read with great pleasure the literary work. There was much to admire in her narrative skills and the emotional integrity of her characters. Her novel was so captivating I could not put it down.”
?France Desroches, Former Canadian Director, Albin-Michel

Slow Reveal lovingly combines the powers of the creative drive and bonds of family, original and chosen. I read this in one sitting, way beyond my bedtime. Brava, Melanie Mitzner.”
?Floyd Memorial Library Director Lisa Richland (retired)


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“A poem is never finished, only abandoned,” wrote French poet Paul Valéry, an outcome echoed in the ten year on/off extramarital affair between Katharine, a film editor and Naomi, a lesbian poet. Set in New York in the 90s, art, addiction and family dysfunction culminate in Katharine’s attempt to reconcile her marriage. When her love for the poet prevails, she must face the confrontations with her two grown daughters, a visual artist and an aspiring writer, mired in addiction.

Art is front and centre in the novel. The forces that work against us, as we long to love and be loved, are the forces that work against us as we confront the artistic process. The artist’s struggle to reach the potential in her work parallels the struggle for intimacy to reach the potential in her relationships. In the final analysis, the artistic process is as risky, messy and unpredictable as building intimacy and trust in love.

Reader Reviews

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Details

Dimensions:

350 Pages
8.25in * 5.5in * 0.925in
1lb

Published:

May 03, 2022

Country of Publication:

CA

ISBN:

9781771338981

Book Subjects:

FICTION / LGBTQ+ / Lesbian

Language:

eng

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