As it moves from Chicago in the late 80's to Los Angeles on the cusp of a new millennium, Patchwork encompasses a mercurial decade in the lives of its characters. This debut novel - told with candor, insight, and a humor both gentle and scathing - sets the story of lovers in transition, and a family in the midst of personal upheaval, as they struggle to redefine themselves in the shadow of tragedy. "A deeply moving story of human relationships, yours and mine, in elegant prose that tackles tragedy and hope, loss and grief, with refreshing honestly and humor. Loughry's brilliant voice and haunting story will follow you long after you've turned the last page." - Dora Levy Mossanen, author of HAREM and COURTESAN "Dan Loughry is a maestro of memory and observation. In Patchwork, he achieves the impressive feat of telling a story that feels archetypal in its outlines - as it follows its protagonist through three eventful decades, from the beginning of the age of AIDS to the era of bemused long-term survivors - but ultimately wins us over through its masterful recording and layering of the specific human details and discoveries that make up a particular journey, and a particular life."
- Dave Awl, author of WHAT THE SEA MEANS and FACEBOOK ME!, and editor of 200 NEO-FUTURIST PLAYS
About the Author :
Dan Loughry is a Los Angeles-based writer who has contributed film and music reviews, along with the occasional feature, to Frontiers-IN Los Angeles for the past six years. He's been an active contributing writer to the pop-culture website Modern Tonic (www.moderntonic.com) and has reviewed for the West Virginia monthly Graffiti. He was an English major at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois; worked in the entertainment industry in both New York and L.A.; and work-shopped a one-act play in the Playwrights Horizons' writer's program that became the inspiration for Patchwork, his debut novel. It will be available from Harvard Square Editions, Ltd. on July 31, 2011. He is also featured in the anthology Voice from the Planet.
Review :
"Patchwork is an emotionally riveting, powerful and true-to-heart novel of two men whoserelationship unravels in the initial AIDS crisis. It's also a telling tale offamily dynamics, picking up the pieces of shattered dreams and finding thestrength and courage to move forward. ...a novel that brilliantly captures a truly devastating time period by tellingthe story of just one couple."
- Edge Magazine
"With the 30th anniversary of AIDS on many people's minds, the arrival of Dan Loughry's debut novel Patchwork (Harvard Square Editions) couldn't come at a more crucial time."
- Bay Area Reporter
"Congratulations to Charles, Dan, and Susan for collaborating on such a wonderful project!"
-UCLA News
"By turns funny, harrowing, deeply moving, and frankly sexy, Loughry's novel has an epic sweep and an intimate heart. As a meditation on grief, family, and learning to live again in that unique moment when the course of H.I.V. history changed, Patchwork is hands-down the best AIDS-era saga since Angels in America."
- Mary Elizabeth Williams, author of Gimme Shelter"A deeply moving story of human relationships, yours and mine, in elegant prose that tackles tragedy and hope, loss and grief, with refreshing honestly and humor. Loughry's brilliant voice and haunting story will follow you long after you've turned the last page."
- Dora Levy Mossanen, author of HAREM and COURTESAN
"Dan Loughry is a maestro of memory and observation. In Patchwork, he achieves the impressive feat of telling a story that feels archetypal in its outlines - as it follows its protagonist through three eventful decades, from the beginning of the age of AIDS to the era of bemused long-term survivors - but ultimately wins us over through its masterful recording and layering of the specific human details and discoveries that make up a particular journey, and a particular life."
- Dave Awl, editor of 200 NEO-FUTURIST PLAYS
