DAVID SEDARIS IS COMING TO DETROITS FISHER THEATRE

David Sedaris, author of bestseller books Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular National Public Radio contributor will be appearing for one night only at the Fisher Theatre on April 19 at 7:30 p.m., following the release of his newest books Happy-Go-Lucky and A Carnival of Snackery. Tickets will go on sale Friday, December 16, 2022, and can be purchased online at broadwayindetroit.com, ticketmaster.com, davidsedarisontour.com and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. 

This is a unique opportunity to see the best-selling humorist in an intimate setting. As always, Sedaris will be offering a selection of all-new readings and recollections, as well as a Q&A session and book signing. Books will be available for sale at the event, courtesy of the Wayne State Bookstore. 

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Mr. Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. To see him read his own work on stage allows his autobiographical narrative to reveal a uniquely personal narrative that will keep you laughing throughout the evening. Don’t miss this event!

THE WILTED FLOWER DISTRICT Q &A + BOOK GIVEAWAY

Question: Tell us what your new book The Wilted Flower District is all about?

Martin Niewood: The Wilted Flower District is the story of Violet Noone who at sixteen is thrown into a world of deception and betrayal when her sister, Ophelia, missing and presumed dead for the last four years, suddenly reenters her life. The story takes place in a fantastical world of the Domain also known as the afterlife. Ophelia’s reappearance sends Violet down a rabbit hole causing her to question everything in her life. The book is a fun mystery in an unusual setting that will hopefully force readers to question things about their lives and may provide some unexpected answers.

Q: This is the second book in your Forgotten Violets series. How do the books relate and can they be read as stand alones or do you need to go in order?

Niewood: The books are connected through the Noone family with Forgotten Violets being seen through Meadow Noone’s eyes and the sequel, The Wilted Flower District, experienced through the point of view of her daughter, Violet. With that said because of the gap in time between the first and second book it allows the reader to experience each book as a stand alone with a light connection attaching the two books together. There is no need to read the books in order as the reader will completely understand the events of both novels, regardless of the order in which they are read.

Q: Your books provide a “non-traditional view of the afterlife.” What does that mean, and what can readers expect?

Niewood: I think that when people ponder about the universe and the afterlife they have a cemented image of what happens after you die. One of the great things about The Wilted Flower District is that it causes the reader to question those beliefs and gives you a fantastical world where anything is possible. Let’s face it, the only thing that any of us really know about death and an afterlife is that eventually we all have to face it and face it alone.

Of course, not everyone believes in the hereafter but many take comfort in the existence of another dimension, which I call the Domain that allows our spirits to continue to grow after death. In The Wilted Flower District, I tried to create a world in which the protagonist, Violet, is able to face challenges that allow her to confront her shortcomings and develop her strengths.

Q: What relevance does The Wilted Flower District have to teens today?

Niewood: I think that the beauty of The Wilted Flower District is that it allows the reader to focus on the important things in life. The Domain is a world filled with negativity and adversity that mirrors our own while simultaneously offering the hope that regardless of what happens in life, you need to keep moving forward. Many of Violet’s challenges are shared by teens today.

Although most teens don’t encounter siblings that they believed to be dead or be stand accused of horrific murders, all teens do face situations in which their core beliefs are challenged and they feel misjudged by adults. Like Violet, teens are apt to keep secrets from their parents and experience feelings of exclusion when she unravels her brother’s lies. The teen years can be very confusing but somehow like Violet, we survive the angst and insecurities and emerge, hopefully, as better people.

Q: What inspired you to write The Wilted Flower District in first person?

Niewood: I thought the best way to experience the massive and unusual world of the Domain and specifically the city of Fairhaven where the story takes place was through Violet’s eyes. I believed that the audience would develop a deeper connection with Violet if they could experience the crazy and mysterious events through Violet rather than from an omniscient third person point of view. Since this is a mystery, I wanted to limit what the reader knew to what Violet knew or thought that she knew.

Q: Although you stayed in first person, why did you change from Meadow’s to Violet’s point of view?

Niewood: After I had written Forgotten Violets, my initial thought was to continue with Meadow’s journey in the Domain. However, when I sat down and started thinking about it Fairhaven had modernized into a very different world and in order for the story to work in this new city, there had to be a large time gap in my story. By then, Meadow would have been too old to serve as the protagonist in a YA novel, so I decided to tell the story through the eyes of her daughter, Violet. For the Forgotten Violet series, this also allowed me to expand my worldview and for future books to delve into the mystery of Meadow’s disappearance.

Q: What do you want the reader to take away from this story?

Niewood: The thing that I want readers, especially teens, to take away from this story is to believe in yourself because we each shape our own reality and control our own destinies. Today’s world is filled with hate and negativity but I believe that Violet can show people that if you remain positive and believe in yourself you can accomplish whatever you can dream. There is no denying that indifference and greed permeate our world but each of us has the power to transform our environment positively with determination and kindness.

For a chance to win this Young Adult Fantasy novel complete the entries in the form below by 11:59 pm ET on Friday, February 15, 2019. Must be a United State resident over 18 years old to be eligible for this giveaway. One winner will be randomly selected. The author's publicist will be responsible for mailing out the book to the selected winner. Good luck!

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MARTIN NIEWOOD lives just outside of Philadelphia where he is a full-time writer. He attended Johnson & Wales University before moving to Los Angeles to work in the talent industry. An avid sports fan, Niewood loves all Philadelphia teams but especially the Eagles. His writing partner is his dog, Mattie. Connect with Niewood on Twitter and Instagram and at www.martinniewood.com.

The Wilted Flower District is available on Amazon and in select brick-and-mortar retailers.

Happy Birthday to Rudolph - the Red Nosed Reindeer was Born 75 Years Ago

Most people young and old will be familiar with the story of a down on his luck outcast named Rudolph who wasn't allowed to play with the others in the North Pole's reindeer games or join the crew of Santa's sleigh until one foggy night where his shiny nose went from being considered a detriment to an asset that saved Christmas.  The story of this beloved reindeer is mostly associated with the hit song sung by Gene Autry in 1949 or the 1964 stop-motion animation TV special which have both become iconic pop culture staples associated with celebrating Christmas.  Rudolph though has more humble origins as he was born this Christmas season as a coloring book to promote holiday shopping at Montgomery Ward department stores 75 years ago.

For years Montgomery Ward had been giving out free coloring books to entice shoppers into their stores.  The department store decided to create its own coloring book hoping that would be a cheaper alternative to produce and distribute than buying the product from a vendor.  So in 1939, Montgomery Ward hired a copywriter named Robert May to create a Christmas themed coloring book for them.  Inspired by his own lonely awkward childhood, May created the story of Reginald the Reindeer who overcame prejudice and life obstacles to become a hero.  That cord struck with Depression Era audiences and his story was approved for use in Montgomery Ward's coloring book with one change, Reginald became Rudolph.  The department store distributed 2.5 million Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer coloring books and a cultural icon was born.  Today if you asked children what Montgomery Ward's is they probably couldn't tell you (the retailer which in the early to mid-20th Century was one of the most dominant department stores and mail order providers in the United States went out of business in 2001) but you know they will know who Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is.

CLICK HERE to read Robert May's original manuscript for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

On a sad note, May's wife died while he was working on the coloring book project.  He became buried in debt from his wife's medical bills and struggled as a single father.  After World War II, Montgomery Ward's CEO as a charitable gesture provided Robert May with the rights to the Rudolph story.  In 1944, Rudolph also made his first on screen debut with a theatrical cartoon film produced by Max Fleischer that further increased Rudolph's popularity and opened up opportunities with book publishers for May. The Rudolph story was then published as a real book for the first time by Maxton Books and was followed up with a sequel in 1954 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again. In 1958, Golden Books published an illustrated storybook written by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Richard Scarry that was an adaptation of Fleischer's cartoon short.

Rudolph really took off when May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that was sung by Gene Autry and became a huge hit and sold 2 million records the year it was released!  It was the Gene Autry song actually was the inspiration for the 1964 television special that so many people love which takes some liberties with May's original story.  Reportedly the Marks and Mays families became estranged and fought over the rights to the Rudolph brand and its royalties.  After both  Johnny Marks and Robert Mays passed away the families agreed to come together and their heirs have agreed to share equally the ownership of anything related to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer between the families.

Here are a few other Rudolph tidbits that I found interesting:

• DC Comics published a series of annual comics titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1950 to 1962.
• In 1998, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer: The Movie was released as an animated feature film in theaters and later made available for home video featuring the voices of John Goodman, Bob Newhart and Whoopi Goldberg.  A sequel was produced in 2001 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys that includes characters licensed from the 1964 television special and the voices of Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfus and Rick Moranis.
• Robert May wrote a sequel book titled Rudolph's Second Christmas in 1947 that wasn't published until 1991 by Applewood Books.
• The original Rudolph story was written as a poem in the meter of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
• A live action version of Rudolph (yes including a red nose) is reported to be appearing in this year's DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL that BBC is airing on December 25, 2014.

Happy Birthday Rudolph! Wishing you many more!