About the Author

STACEY D'ERASMO is a recipient of Guggenheim and Stegner Fellowships, the author of three previous novels and a book of nonfiction, The Art of Intimacy. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times (Magazine and Book Review), Bookforum, and Ploughshares, among others. She teaches in Columbia University's MFA program.

Reviews

"Beautifully plotted, cunningly structured, and richly textured, this gorgeous novel offers rare pleasures of both character and language." --Andrea Barrett Her prose pulses with just how it feels to live now; she has an astonishing feel for the texture of contemporary life. . .superb." --Mark Doty "D'Erasmo's quiet, penetrating second novel. . .follows a San Francisco family coping with a. . .son's mental illness. . .with beauty and insight." Publishers Weekly "Abundantly clear throughout is D'Erasmo's talent and intelligence. A Seahorse Year succeeds in being both deeply satisfying and quietly subversive." --Margot Livesey The New York Times Book Review "Fluent in the subtlest of psychological states and gloriously visual in her resonant descriptions." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "A quietly effective novel about family strife....This book demands commitment and ends up compelling commitment because of Stacey D'Erasmo's intense insights into her characters and their deep affection for each other and for life." --Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio "[D'Erasmo] writes with a graceful, sometimes devastating directness, in clear, crisp phrases lined with subtle lyricism." --Karen Campbell Boston Globe "Each character, and each voice, seems perfectly necessary. [D'Erasmo] makes you feel that this is the most economic way to tell this sad, gorgeous story." --Claire Dederer Newsday "...psychologically complex and lyrical..." --Irina Reyn The San Francisco Chronicle "Alternating perspectives and controlled, nuanced writing bring depth and compassion to each character . . . D'Erasmo [is] an author to watch." Library Journal "You could read Stacey D'Erasmo for the subtlety of her insights or the beauty of her language or for her tumbling, shifting arrangements of plot and characters....Or you could just open A Seahorse Year and be mesmerized." --Regina Marler The Advocate "Unflinching prose that's both descriptive and soulful." --Beth Greenfield TimeOut New York "A Seahorse Year is a stunning achievement." --Suzan Sherman "D'Erasmo deftly filters this increasingly suspenseful story. . .offering an unflinching view into the. . .lives of this unconventional clan." --Jenny Feldman Elle "After turning a page or two of A Seahorse Year, you'll know you're into something special." --Kevin Allison Out Magazine --

D'Erasmo's quiet, penetrating second novel (after Tea) follows a San Francisco family coping with a 16-year-old son's mental illness. Christopher's mom, Nan, is in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Marina, who's like another mom; his sperm donor dad, Hal, is gay, a dancer-turned-CPA. But despite the unconventional setup, his parents sometimes act with the confused stiffness of the most traditional of families. When Christopher runs away the first time, Nan is distraught; she explains that her son had "a freak-out, we think. He wouldn't wash, he was angry all the time, he was saying all sorts of strange stuff, and he just, he just wasn't Christopher." After Christopher is fetched home, he's diagnosed with schizophrenia; Nan, meanwhile, is grasping at connection, and Marina's sleeping with someone else. D'Erasmo portrays Christopher's strange thoughts with beauty and insight; his misguided girlfriend, Tamara, is also tenderly, convincingly rendered. The family's unsettled state adds to the complications, as Christopher nearly kills himself and then escapes, with Tamara's help, from a mental health facility. As D'Erasmo shifts between different points of view-distinct, but united by her lush prose-she paints a portrait of illness, but also of growth and change. 5-city author tour. Agent, Jennifer Carlson. (July 7) Forecast: The book's non-traditional family set-up and effortless prose will remind readers of Michael Cunningham's early novels, and should help build D'Erasmo's readership. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.