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New Book Celebrates the Literary Legacy of William Kennedy

September 13, 2018 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

bootlegger of the soulUntil now, Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy’s literary legacy has never been celebrated in one book. From novels such as Ironweed, Legs, and Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game (the Albany Cycle) to Bootlegger of the Soul screenplays like The Cotton Club, as well as his many years of investigative journalistic work, Suzanne Lance and Paul Grondahl, have compiled reviews, essays, and interviews about Kennedy’s contributions to the literary landscape in the new book from SUNY Press, Bootlegger of the Soul. Also included is original writing by the author himself – a play and a short story.

This collection, published in the author’s ninetieth year, is a portrait of the award-winning writer whose work has put Albany, NY on the world’s literary map.

“Editing this book was a labor of love,” said Grondahl, Director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany. “My colleague Suzanne Lance, Associate Director of the New York State Writers Institute, and I work closely at the Writers Institute with Bill Kennedy, the founder of our literary organization, and we have both called Bill a colleague and friend for more than thirty years. The selection process was a challenge, because Bill’s own writing is voluminous and others have written extensively about his books. Having worked with Bill’s writing line by line, intensely and at close range during the editing process, Suzanne and I concur with Saul Bellow’s assessment: ‘There are no dead sentences in Bill’s work.'”

“We are proud of our collaboration with SUNY Press and the publication of this book represents a new initiative as we endeavor to make the Writers Institute at the University at Albany, recognized as one of the country’s premier literary organizations, a world-class organization that takes our University to a new level of excellence. In the same way that Bill’s Albany Cycle of novels put Albany on the world’s literary map, we hope this book takes the Writers Institute and SUNY Press to new heights.”

SUNY Press Co-Directors, James Peltz and Donna Dixon, both stated, “Through his books, Bill Kennedy has brought the city of Albany and its rich history to readers across the country and around the world. It’s a special honor for SUNY Press to be publishing this book, located as we are at the corner of State and Pearl, where the shades of Legs Diamond and Francis Phelan and so many other of Kennedy’s colorful characters still pass by on a daily basis. We’re also proud to be partnering with the New York State Writers Institute, one of the crown jewels in the SUNY system. This book would not have been possible without their wholehearted support and dedication.”

SCHEDULED BOOK EVENTS
 
Booksigning with William Kennedy
 
Albany Book Festival
Saturday, September 29, 2018, 2-2:45
 
Book signings with both Editors and William Kennedy
The Book House, Albany, NY
October 7, 2018, 1 pm
 
Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, NY
October 11, 2018, 6 pm
 
The Open Door, Schenectady, NY
October 13, 2018, 1 pm
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Filed Under: Books, History Tagged With: Albany, Book Notices, Books, William Kennedy

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Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to New York Almanack here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John Dippo says

    October 27, 2019 at 10:25 AM

    I have not yet read Mr Kennedy’s newest book, but is on my list in the very near future. Does Mr Kennedy have anything else ready to be published soon.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. History Authors at Albany Book Festival Sept 28-29 | The New York History Blog says:
    September 14, 2018 at 11:22 AM

    […] Writers Institute founder William Kennedy will sign a new collection of his writing published by SUNY Press, titled Bootlegger of the Soul: The Literary Legacy of William Kennedy. […]

    Reply

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