Kristopher Jansma

"A novel about a tight-knit group of twentysomethings in New York whose lives are upended by tragedy"--

Why We Came to the City

Haunted by the successes of a long-time rival and unable to let go of his love for a woman who got away, an aspiring writer, determined to discover and tell the truth about the trio's falling out, struggles to untangle a complicated web of lies.

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards

A Novel

Our Narrow Hiding Places

Een inventief en grappig debuut over de ultieme drang van een jongeman om schrijver te worden en de rampspoed die dat met zich meebrengt in het leven en de liefde. Zo vroeg als hij zich kan herinneren, wil de hopeloos onbetrouwbare maar doodeerlijke verteller in dit uitzonderlijke debuut schrijver worden. Kristopher Jansmas onweerstaanbare verteller zal als schrijver worden geïnspireerd en achtervolgd door het succes van zijn grootste vriend en rivaal, de excentrieke en ongelooflijk getalenteerde Julian McGann, en eeuwig verliefd worden op Julians betoverende vriendin Evelyn, het meisje met de groene ogen dat steeds weet te ontkomen. Zijn dadendrang en leugens laten hem over de wereld dwalen in zijn speurtocht naar excellentie. Nadat het drietal slaande ruzie krijgt ziet Jansmas verteller zich, in een uiterste poging met zijn schrijven de waarheid te vertellen en te achterhalen wie hij werkelijk is, verstrikt raken in een oneindig web van leugens Behalve een verhaal over een jongeman en zijn vrienden die hun weg proberen te vinden in de wereld is het ook een intens aangrijpende verkenning van de kameleontische aard van de waarheid en het vertellen van verhalen. De onuitwisbare vlekken van een luipaard is een warme, geestige en inventieve tour de force waarmee Jansma zichzelf als nieuwe en onverschrokken Amerikaanse auteur op de kaart zet.

De onuitwisbare vlekken van een luipaard

"A sweeping, funny, and poignant novel about a tight-knit group of twentysomethings in New York whose lives are forever altered by an unexpected tragedy from the widely acclaimed author of The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards Five years after their college graduation, the devoted friends once known as "the Murphys" remain as inseparable as ever. There's Sara Sherman, an editor and social butterfly; George Murphy, her caring, if troubled, astronomer boyfriend; Jacob Blaumann, a poet manque and their loudmouth third wheel; William Cho, an awkward but well-meaning investment banker; and Irene Richmond, an enigmatic, immensely talented artist. As this absorbing novel opens in December 2008, they are making their way through heavy snowfall to gather at a lavish art world holiday party. But for all the glitz and glamor, the festivities mark a more momentous evening than any of them realize. Irene will first notice a curious lump under her eye. William will fall desperately in love with her. And George will, at long last, ask Sara to marry him. Over the years that follow, this cast of rich, warmly drawn characters scrape by chasing their dreams in Great Recession New York. They watch acquaintances drop like flies and cling ever tighter to one another. When a devastating blow threatens to tear them irreparably apart, they must struggle to carry on together. A powerful and transfixing follow-up to Kristopher Jansma's celebrated debut, Why We Came to the City paints a portrait of a generation and tells an unforgettable story of hope, love, and friendship"--

Odyseja nowojorska

New York Odyssée

"Joyful and tragic, Jansma’s book will appeal to readers who loved Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life.”—Men’s Journal “Stunning . . . A beautiful, sprawling, and generous book. Jansma is a brilliantly talented writer, but he also has a unique insight into what friends mean to one another, and what it means to be part of a city in which you never quite belong, but can’t quite bring yourself to leave. It’s a heartfelt novel, tender and painful and cathartic all at once, and even if the characters belong to New York, the story belongs to us all.” —NPR December, 2008. A heavy snowstorm is blowing through Manhattan and the economy is on the brink of collapse, but none of that matters to a handful of guests at a posh holiday party. Five years after their college graduation, the fiercely devoted friends at the heart of this richly absorbing novel remain as inseparable as ever: editor and social butterfly Sara Sherman, her troubled astronomer boyfriend George Murphy, loudmouth poet Jacob Blaumann, classics major turned investment banker William Cho, and Irene Richmond, an enchanting artist with an inscrutable past. Amid cheerful revelry and free-flowing champagne, the friends toast themselves and the new year ahead—a year that holds many surprises in store. They must navigate ever-shifting relationships with the city and with one another, determined to push onward in pursuit of their precarious dreams. And when a devastating blow brings their momentum to a halt, the group is forced to reexamine their aspirations and chart new paths through unexpected losses. Kristopher Jansma’s award-winning debut novel, The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards, was praised for its “wry humor” and “charmingly unreliable narrator” in The New Yorker and hailed as “F. Scott Fitzgerald meets Wes Anderson” by The Village Voice. In Why We Came to the City, Jansma offers an unforgettable exploration of friendships forged in the fires of ambition, passion, hope, and love. This glittering story of a generation coming of age is a sweeping, poignant triumph.

Regina Calcaterra

Paula Young Lee

David Whitehouse

Jenny Milchman

Marissa Stapley

Vicki Lesage

Lizzie Harwood

Adria Cimino

Didier Quémener

Maureen Foley

Piper Punches

Stephanie Carroll

J. J. Hensley

A collection of literary fiction short stories on the theme of legacy What will you leave behind? Long after we've left this world, our legacy remains. Or doesn't. Or remains only in the minds of those who knew us, those whose lives we've touched. Those we've written to, or about. If you had a choice, what mark would you leave? How should people remember you? Should they remember you? Fourteen authors sat down during the month of January 2015, shut out distractions of the outside world and wrote about the subject. The resulting fiction and nonfiction stories fill the pages of Legacy: An Anthology. The book includes stories from Kristopher Jansma, winner of the 2014 Sherwood Anderson Award for Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Regina Calcaterra and Canadian best-selling author Marissa Stapley among others. Within these pages, there is laughter, pride and hope. There is romance and rock and roll. Certain messages are eerie, while others bestow a sense of peace. The collection, through the discerning lens of each writer, runs the gamut of the human experience. Author proceeds benefit the charity Paws for Reading, which pairs pets with children to improve reading and communication skills. Thanks for supporting the cause! This collection of literary fiction short stories has something for everyone. Its heavy theme will ultimately leave you feeling hopeful about the future. Interview with the EditorsQ: We see some big names in Legacy: Regina Calcaterra, whose memoir Etched in Sand was a New York Times best seller; Kristopher Jansma (The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards), winner of the 2014 Sherwood Anderson Award for Fiction; Jenny Milchman (Cover of Snow), winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for best suspense novel of 2013-and that's just to name a few! How did you manage to assemble such a list of talented authors? A: We were inspired by the #30Authors blog event hosted by The Book Wheel, where authors reviewed their favorite books of 2014 on participating blogs. So we thought, how about featuring the work of these authors in an anthology? We liked the idea of best-selling authors, award-winning authors and a few talented debut authors collaborating on a project. So we invited them to participate, and to our delight, they were just as excited to contribute to such an anthology as we were to publish it. Q: Why the theme of legacy? A: Words remain. And the writer's art is created through words. So it seemed the perfect subject to explore through fiction and nonfiction stories. Q: What sorts of tales will we find in the book? A: Our writers wrote stories along a common theme, legacy, yet each story is very different. It is interesting to see each author's take on the idea. You'll find the classic love story, stories of family secrets, friendship and life-changing experiences, mother-daughter relationships, father-son relationships, an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, quirky stories, World War II memories, a remembrance of the Holocaust, stories of mean girls, and a tribute to rock and roll. Q: We hear your anthology is for a good cause? A: Yes, a cause we're really excited about! Author proceeds from Legacy go to the "Paws for Reading" program, which allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog (or cat, or bunny!) to improve reading and communication skills. Thanks for supporting the cause! Categories for the Legacy collection- Literary Fiction Short Stories - Literary Fiction Drama - Short Story Mysteries - Short Story Collection The Legacy anthology touches on the following themes: death, hope, human experience, quest, love story, World War II novels, Holocaust stories, rock and roll, star-crossed lovers, foster children, family secrets, friendship, destiny

An Anthology

Legacy

Le narrateur de ce premier roman n'est décidément pas fiable. Il s'appelle tour à tour Walter, Timothy, Outis, mais personne ne connaît son vrai nom. Il se dit écrivain, mais a perdu tous les textes qu'il a écrits. Il enseigne le journalisme, mais n'a jamais mis le pied dans une salle de rédaction. Et pourtant c'est à lui qu'un éditeur commande la biographie d'un grand écrivain qu'il a bien connu quelques années plus tôt. Lui, qui repeint sans cesse la réalité aux couleurs trompeuses de l'imaginaire, lui, le menteur maladif, l'imposteur magnifique, le voilà, pour la première fois, sommé d'écrire la vérité. Pour retrouver celui qui fut son meilleur ami, en même temps que son plus grand rival en littérature, il se lance dans un surprenant tour du monde. Des clubs de jazz de Manhattan aux villages du Sri Lanka, de Dubaï au Luxembourg et du Ghana à l'Islande, il part à la recherche de l'homme qui, depuis plusieurs années, se cache derrière l'auteur culte. Il se met aussi, sans le savoir, en quête de lui-même... Loin du roman initiatique traditionnel, quelque part entre les univers de Francis Scott Fitzgerald et de Wes Anderson, Kristopher Jansma livre dans La Robe des léopards une variation pleine d'invention et d'esprit sur l'art du roman. Au fil des pages, les histoires s'imbriquent, réalité et fiction s'échangent leurs détails, tandis que le narrateur prend un malin plaisir à brouiller sans cesse les règles du jeu. Où est la vérité ? Peu importe. "Toutes les histoires sont vraies, mais ne le sont qu'ailleurs".

Kristopher Jansma

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