Bell, Matt

In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods

ISBN: 9781616952532
New York, NY, USA: Soho Press, 2013. First Edition. Hardcover. Inscribed and signed by Matt Bell to Dan Rzicznek. “In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods tells the story of a newly married couple who take up a lonely existence in the title’s mythical location. In this blank and barren plot, far from the world they’ve known, they mean to start a family. But every pregnancy fails, and as their grief swells, the husband—a hot-tempered and impatient fisherman and trapper—attempts to prove his dominion in other ways, emptying both the lake and the woods of their many beasts. As the years pass, the wife changes, too; her powerful voice sings new objects into being, including a threatening moon hung above their house, its doomed weight already slowly falling, bending the now-starless sky.” (from front flap) This epic debut novel from Matt Bell (b. 1980) is a modern example of magical realism, blending the human experiences with a fantastical environment and unexplainable phenomena. Bell is a graduate of Oakland University and Bowling Green State University, and he is now professor at Arizona State University. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines over the years, and he saw success from the publication of the novella Cataclysm Baby (2012) and his collection of short stories How They Were Found (2010, see our item #7623). He has since released two more novels (Scrapper (2015), Appleseed (2021)) as well as a craft book on novel writing and revision, Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts (2022). This copy of In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods is from the collection of Dan Rzicznek (b. 1979), Ohio poet and professor at Bowling Green State University. Rzicznek’s ownership signature is present in top corner of inside front cover, and Bell’s inscription to Rzicznek in thin, black ink is found at illustrated leaf introducing chapter one, “Dan, / Great to see you at / BGSU! I can’t wait to / read more of your excellent / work. / Best, / (signed) Matt Bell”. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket: first edition, first printing as indicated by number sequence on copyright page. Book is in very fine condition with only the slightest discoloration to the top and bottom edges of front, back covers. Dust jacket is in fine condition with minor-to-moderate bumping to the fine edges and corners of front, back covers and spine; slight bubbling to the jacket's lamination along top edge of front cover; minor rubbing, scratching to covers. Very Fine / Fine. [Item #7621]

Price: $60.00