"Clown Girl" by Monica Drake / Intro. by Chuck Palahniuk

Hello and congrats! Someone beat you to it...
[url]http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=26462[/url]

At some point I'll merge the two. Welcome by the way:)

Hi Monica, nice to see you on the boards. Good talking with you some behind the scenes, too. Looking forward to your book.

Thanks for coming across my soon-to-be-released novel, Clown Girl. I really appreciate that you've tracked it down. I'm eager to see the book out in the world...If you order through the publishers, at
[url]http://www.hawthornebooks.com/catalogue[/url]
They'll send you one right away, without waiting for the official release date, which is in a few months.
-Monica

to see that you'd already come across it...Thank you again. I may have just repeated myself by posting on two threads, but I'm new to this labyrinth.

There's an excerpt here: [URL=http://www.hawthornebooks.com/catalogue/excerpt/22/]http://www.hawthornebooks.com/catalogue/excerpt/22/[/URL]

Welcome to the Cult.

and you order it through Hawthorne, the publishing house, make sure to specify that you want it signed. Also, let me know if you want a signature (signed) or personalized. Thanks to those of you who have taken an interest! I appreciate the support.

This one is just in--didn't make it in time for the book jacket, but I'll post it here, Katherine Dunn's blurb:

Regarding “Clown Girl”
By Monica Drake

Drake’s “Clown Girl” is a high-voltage creation. She’s
a passionate martyr to the art of clowning in a
slapstick world that despises and exploits clowns.
She’s hit a rough patch where the pratfalls hurt and
the locals don’t get her jokes. She’s Groucho one
hour, Chaplin the next, and a hospitalized Stooge or
three by sunrise. She’s sad as Emmett Kelly, indignant
as Holden Caulfield. Maybe she’s wrong. She’s
certainly cranky. But “Clown Girl” is mesmerizing,
drunk on the high wire, gorgeous and dangerous fun.

---Katherine Dunn

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]"Thank you for your order. Your transaction has been approved and a receipt has been sent via email to the email account you specified. You should receive your books in 2-8 days. We do hope you enjoy them; drop us a line and let us know what you think. Thanks again.
Kind regards,
Rhonda Hughes & Kate Sage
Hawthorne Books"[/COLOR]

Sweet. Thanks for the tip....and Welcome. I put in the request to have both copies signed.

Thanks for the order! I'll sign books to you today. But just so you end up w/what you want, let me know--signed, (as book dealers prefer) or personalized for your own collection?

[QUOTE=Monica;897155]Thanks for the order! I'll sign books to you today. But just so you end up w/what you want, let me know--signed, (as book dealers prefer) or personalized for your own collection?[/QUOTE]

I emailed Rhonda with the details before you posted. She has already confirmed. Thank you!

just finished the book it was great, go get it, funny-dark-sexy really enjoyed it

[url]www.monicadrake.com[/url] if you like

Thanks for the tips, I'm ordering one tonight, once my parents get home.

Monica, great to see you on the boards. Congrats with the new book. I am definitely going to order a *personalized* copy (I don't sell books, I love them too much).

Hope to see you more around the boards.

-oni

wow, i can't believe i missed this thread!! i've been looking forward to this book for weeks (i placed my amazon order immediately after hearing chuck's mention)... definitely would have ordered here if i had been paying attention.. very cool to see you here, monica, thanks for stopping by -- i can't wait to read your book!!

[QUOTE=wickerkat;909469][url]www.monicadrake.com[/url] if you like[/QUOTE]

I would.

got an A- in EW, nice job MD

Oh I've been thinking about reading this for a few weeks now since I read about it on Amazon! I'll be sure to pick it up now, it sounds like it's right in the vein of what I fancy reading right now certainly.

It just arrived. I'l off to the pub in a bit, but once I return I shall dig into it with some black coffee and chicken noodles.

Hey Monica I got special agents looking for your book in order to bring one copy here to argentina and be able to enjoy it.

Oh! by "special agents" I mean the guy of the bookstore that I drive crazy asking for strange US books. He is a cool guy anyways.

Can I ask you a question? (maybe it´s stupid and has been aswered but...) In Stranger than fiction Chuck names a girls wich used to work as a clown and old folks kept offering her money to sleep with them... and her name was Monica... (kinda obvious answer I think but...) were you that girl? when I read that line your book came to my mind. If you are.. can you tell us that story please? (except that this "Clowngirl" book tells us that story ..in that case as I said before. I am really looking foward to read it)

[QUOTE=kakunn;982817]Can I ask you a question? (maybe it´s stupid and has been aswered but...) In Stranger than fiction Chuck names a girls wich used to work as a clown and old folks kept offering her money to sleep with them... and her name was Monica... (kinda obvious answer I think but...) were you that girl? when I read that line your book came to my mind. If you are.. can you tell us that story please? (except that this "Clowngirl" book tells us that story ..in that case as I said before. I am really looking foward to read it)[/QUOTE]

which chapter is this kakunn?

[QUOTE=corellion;982938]which chapter is this kakunn?[/QUOTE]

"My life as a dog"

I have the US trade paperback (the one with the foot on the cover) and is on page 59.

Hey, yes! That is a reference to me. Nice of you to notice!
Between Chuck and Clown Girl, the story is more or less told, though don't take Clown Girl too literally--it's fiction.
But, yes, I worked as a clown, and yes, thos men...some people really, really like clowns.

[QUOTE=Monica;985262]Hey, yes! That is a reference to me. Nice of you to notice!
Between Chuck and Clown Girl, the story is more or less told, though don't take Clown Girl too literally--it's fiction.
But, yes, I worked as a clown, and yes, thos men...some people really, really like clowns.[/QUOTE]

i took circus arts in college.......can you juggle?

[QUOTE=Monica;985262]Hey, yes! That is a reference to me. Nice of you to notice!
Between Chuck and Clown Girl, the story is more or less told, though don't take Clown Girl too literally--it's fiction.
But, yes, I worked as a clown, and yes, thos men...some people really, really like clowns.[/QUOTE]

nice..I am looking foward to read your book. And intriged by the cover as well.

I'm enjoying this at the moment, not very far into it, page 57, Nita is telling us about her meeting with Rex. I like Monica's writing. You can tell she's studied in the same school as Chuck, but I'm getting used to Nita's voice now, as I'm reading, and Monica's voice too. It's some good stuff. I might start again from the beginning when I'm really comfortable with it, the first chapter didn't like me. I got dizzy thinking about sticky-fingered children and summer. These are a few of my least favourite things.

I finished reading the book a little while ago. I thought it was good. There were some parts in which the description was amazingly written. I'm trying to remember which sections, but I can't seem to recall right this moment.

But I agree, Nita's voice did take a bit of getting used to. At first, I just wanted to strangle the main character (though I'm fairly certain that was the intent, but I could be wrong), but I slowly grew accustomed to it. I liked all the inner conflict and naivety that evolved into maturity toward the end. It made me smile and want to scream "FINALLY!" at the top of my lungs.

All in all, I think Ms. Drake did a wonderful job with this novel.

I just saw this, didn't see it earlier.
Circus arts in college--how cool.
Yes, I can juggle. I learned years ago, when I was doing clown work, but I haven't practiced much since. I can still do the basics. I used to like group juggling.
There's a picture of me juggling on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer site, or maybe it's the other Seattle paper. I can't remember.
Thanks for asking.

That reply I just posted--it was meant to go with an earlier post. It's in the wrong place. I guess I should've done some kind of cut & paste? Still learning my way around this site.
Thank you all for the comments on Clown Girl. It means the world to me to have readers take an interest.
With a huge thanks,
-Monica

When's the movie coming out?

Nevermind the movie, any words on novel number two?

[QUOTE=kakunn;982817]Hey Monica I got special agents looking for your book in order to bring one copy here to argentina and be able to enjoy it.

Oh! by "special agents" I mean the guy of the bookstore that I drive crazy asking for strange US books. He is a cool guy anyways.

Can I ask you a question? (maybe it´s stupid and has been aswered but...) In Stranger than fiction Chuck names a girls wich used to work as a clown and old folks kept offering her money to sleep with them... and her name was Monica... (kinda obvious answer I think but...) were you that girl? when I read that line your book came to my mind. If you are.. can you tell us that story please? (except that this "Clowngirl" book tells us that story ..in that case as I said before. I am really looking foward to read it)[/QUOTE] man, i cant believe i just now caught onto this post. i barely remember that. i have the uk edition with a dalmatian on the cover (i love softcovers and bought it and gave my hard cover first edition to a friend), but it wont be difficult to isolate the segment.. im going to read it again tonight before bed. if i can find the book among my shelves. i remember it has an off-white spine..
-kabol

..

A movie--I'd love it! And thanks for asking about book # 2. I'm working on things, but I'm not a fast writer like our friend Chuck. I'm working on short stories and odds & ends, & then I'll see how they start to come together. That's the plan.
Thanks again for taking an interest!

Just finished it last night and i have to say it was one of the funniest books I've read since Choke.

***Spoilers***
I enjoyed being welcomed into the sexy-perverted world of the clown. Even the one-liners had me hackling. I like that element of the costume of a cop and the costume of the clown and the existential question: if thats me in the mirror, than who am i?

I had lots o' fun reading it and I'm waiting on pins and needles for your next one.

.... :fest30:

Oh, and that neighborhood, Baloneyville, reminded me sooo much of my 'hood. You hit it right on the nose with that one

hey, monica, so you are like famous or somethin'... that's really great, having such a big name as a member. I'll start telling people I know you...

OOH OOH! Monica Drake is here???

The Chuck quote on the back of Clown Girl that says something like "Clown Girl is more than just a great book. It is its own reality" -- I thought it was just Chuck saying something nice about a friend's writing before I read Clown Girl. After reading it, though - I totally agree.

Clown Girl is an outstanding book that left me wanting more. Glad to hear you're working on another, Monica. I look forward to reading it. And a movie? That would be amazing.

Also, this is by far the greatest forum on the web. Steven Hall AND Monica Drake both posting here...how insanely cool.

I went to my local library to check on Clown Girl and Monica was nowhere in the system. It's on to B&N tonight.

So there is a thread for this book thats cool. I pre-ordered the book and read it in like two sittings, hard to put down... Almost lost my job due to that very fact.

[QUOTE=bigshrimpn;1002064]I went to my local library to check on Clown Girl and Monica was nowhere in the system. It's on to B&N tonight.[/QUOTE]

Shrimpin, you better check it out, its certainly worth it. I would give you my copy but I want to reread it sometime.

there is this wonderful online source...let me think...where did i see that, oh here:

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Clown-Girl-Novel-Monica-Drake/dp/0976631156[/url]

oh, and be sure to check out that first REVIEW

Thank you all for posting these great comments! It's so, so nice, after working on that book and all it takes to pull a novel together, to hear you discuss it.
If it's not in your library, you can always fill out a library request form and they'll order it for you. I think all of them do that.
Thanks again!
-Monica

I filled out a request card for my library a couple weeks ago. Hopefully they get it. *crosses fingers*

EDIT: It looks like they have ordered it and it is on it's way!

Just got the book yesterday and looking forward to reading it - I have a feeling I'll be done real fast.

Anywhere I can find an interesting list of questions for my book club? This will be my suggestion to the group - I checked your site but couldn't find any..

Thanks & all the best,
Tatiana

Just wanted to say congratulations to Miss (Ms.? Mrs?) Monica Drake. I've read a passage at your site and will hopefully be able to pick up the book soon. If everyone here loves it then I'm sure it's a great read. Good luck and happy writing. Also, thanks for writing! (I almost forgot to mention that part.)

It's been ages since this was posted--I didn't know the question was here! Yes, I can juggle, though no longer in a way that would be terribly impressive. Years ago I practiced, and I particularly enjoyed team or group juggling. Now, three oranges in the kitchen is my big show!
-M

Hi Monica,
I like the Clown Girl. But can you answer me a question: in the beginning, there are two quotes, one of them is from a philosopher, it went like, a clown went up to stage to tell people the theater was on fire, but people thought it was a joke, and this is probably how the world would end... Can you please tell me where does that come from? Thank you.

Dude. You bumped a two year old thread to ask a question that could have been answered by Google.

Please shut up you two-year old dude. I tried google, and I tried Amazon preview too but it isn't in the preview.

That's pretty funny, because I found it within a minute and a half of looking for it on Google. But, no, seriously, I'm sure Ms. Drake will be here any second to answer your brilliant question.

Oh, and sick burn, yo.

When you'll make book #2 ask for some tour in Italy, I want signed the #1!!!