Herbach’s favorite review ever…

He’s not even sure if it is positive! That’s not really the point. Thanks to Shelly Walston (who murdered a horse for the good of the community) and Rebekah Rine (who attended De Paul without having to murder anything for the community, although the situation might arise at any moment) of Watermark Books (Herbach’s favorite store he’s never actually entered) in Wichita, KS (a magical place filled with smart people… at least the book store and Caffe Moderne and the Anchor… all Herbach knows of Wichita).

The Review.

Sammy, Brady and Herbach all reading in Kansas. Wait until you see the pictures of Sam’s Mom’s backyard. It was heaven.

One not to miss!

That’s what this notification said.  From Wichita and Watermark Books!

Watermark is sponsoring a new event at a new venue, and we thought you’d like to know about it.

On Wednesday, July 16. at 7:00 p.m. join Geoff Herbach, author of The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg, and his Lit 6 Project cohort Sam Osterhout for an evening of “Performance Literature” at Old Town’s Caffe Moderne, 300 N. Mead St., #108. A pdf postcard for the event is attached to this e-mail, and posters are also available.

For more information on the Lit 6 Project, check out http://www.lit6project.com/.

And read about Herbach’s novel at http://themiracleletters.com/.

And to order the book or for more information about all things cool, go to http://www.watermarkbooks.com/.

Check back for more about Wichita, KS and Las Vegas!

In the meantime, Sam and Herbach are on break. Herbach has decided to focus on issues of healthy living. His important work can be found at Herbach is a mess! After watching this video he made four years ago, Herbach realized he is in terrible shape in almost every way. Smoking and Running used to make sense.

WHAT A MESS!

Sam and Herbach will be in Wichita, Kansas on July 16th and Herbach will be in Las Vegas, Nevada on and around August 11th.  Good times a-comin’!  Check back!

Midwest Booksellers Association highlights T. on Kare 11

This morning, Susan from the Midwest Booksellers Association was on the Saturday show on Kare 11. She was nice enough to highlight The Miracle Letters as one of the association’s Midwest Connections Picks.  The Midwest Booksellers Association is a group of Independent bookstores all across the Midwest that choose books they like by Midwestern authors — not only do they do an excellent job supporting Midwestern authors, they really give the independents a larger voice — excellent organization!  Check them out.

If you caught the story and want to bring Herbach out to your book club, you can get him at geoff (at) themiracleletters (dot) com. He would be delighted to talk to you.

Red Stag Block Party an excellent disaster

Saturday was a brilliantly fun day.  The bands were really good and Sam and Herbach ate free food and also imbibed pina coladas.  That is delicious work.  At the end, right as E.L.nO took the stage, the skies erupted in giant form, blowing down and sending enormous sun umbrellas sailing into the streets of Minneapolis.  The rains came.  People screamed and cried and ran.  Light fired across the sky.  In this photo, taken only moments before the end of the night came in wind, Danny Sigelman dances in the rain.

We believe Flak Radio Live at the Ritz this evening (free, 6:30, right by the 331 and the Modern) will be far less dangerous.

Red Stag Block Party is today!

Will the weather hold? Will Sam and Herbach hold it together? It’s going to be great out there today!

BEGINS AT 5:00 GOES UNTIL 10:30!  SEE YOU THERE.

Common Good Books is tomorrow!

Very exciting! The whole of Lit 6 (Steph, Brady, Sam and Herbach) will read from their favorite Lit 6 Project stories of yore. The affair will take place at 7:30pm on June the 12th at…

Common Good Books, 165 Western Ave N, Suite 14, St. Paul, MN 55102. This is Garrison Keillor’s store and it is excellent and worth seeing without us there. With us there? Come on!

Here, Oscar Bergeson, Brady’s genius son, reads in the sun light (his third read of the book).

Having watched Desperately Seeking Susan…

On the day before Hillary Clinton suspends her campaign… Having read so much about the angst and anger of 70s era feminists regarding Hillary’s loss (understandable, but also, it would seem, more a product of a poor campaign strategy than institutional discrimination — she was running against an African American, after all)… Actually loving 80s film and also having watched the Democratic Primary more closely than any other political drama in my lifetime, I believe it is time to turn to the wisdom of a powerful gen-x female, Dana of NY, NY.  She is extremely funny in person and also in blog form.  In her blog, Party in the Back, Dana frames current events with the plots, characters, tones of 80s film.  She recently used the characters in Breakfast Club to document Hillary Clinton’s journey through the primary season.  Extremely good stuff!

Don’t forget: SUNDAY, JUNE 8, RIOT ACT at the TURF, 7PM!

Try to Spike it! The Book Market! — Sort of works??!

Just a quick update on that… jeez, thanks.  Seriously thank you.  Yes, Herbach really will write you and those you gift gifts to loving notes of thanks.  All through this week, please let us know!

Here, young Stephen McClurg of Alabama enjoys The Miracle Letters with his monkey.

Heather McElhatton thought it up. Sam thought it was a great idea. It seems right. What if everyone who wants a copy of the book did it in the next couple of days… you know, bought it?

Here’s the message we’re putting out:

Time Out Chicago called it “Letter Perfect” Help it spread!

In a cynical attempt to place a “spike” in the book market, we are asking that all of you buy a copy of Herbach’s Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg today or tomorrow! If you already have it, buy it as a wonderful gift (send us a message, and Herbach will provide you a personal letter to the loved one you are gifting to).

Support Indies? Go to the book sense site below to find your local retailer. Amazon or BN? Direct links to the book are below! Send us a message proving purchase and poor Herbach, a lowly fellow, will write you a personal message of thanks! He also believes the book will do it to you for real.

Let us bring home the bacon. Please spread the word, loved ones.

Buy Miracle Letters at Amazon for as low as four and change plus shipping!

Buy Miracle Letters at Barnes & Noble, online or locate a store

Find your Indie through Book Sense

More about the book? Here!

“The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg is a darkly comic, extraordinary peek into the delicate mind of a suicidal no-hoper. T. Rimberg is a superbly crafted character: death obsessed and soulful, resentful and ashamed, chivalrous and scruffy. In his brilliant debut novel, Geoff Herbach parks good and evil side-by-side in the sandbox and, with masterful confidence, allows them to figure things out for themselves.
–Tish Cohen, author of Town House

“I read The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg and I was gob-smacked. It’s a tasty dark treat, inspiring the reader to suck on every last hilarious morsel.
–Heather McElhatton, author of Pretty Little Mistakes

“The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg is a wonderful trifecta–funny, mysterious, and full-hearted. From a farewell letter written to Aunt Jemima to a quiet moment in a Polish cemetery, I laughed and ached alongside T. Rimberg all the way through his fantastic journey.
–Brian Leung, author of Lost Men

Herbach gets question straight up… “Why would you write a ‘funny’ book about suicide?”

That was a blunt question that showed up in my email this morning.  Thanks for thinking the book is funny.  I think it’s funny.  I intended it to be funny (T., the protagonist is sort of a jerk, but he’s very funny).

The book isn’t about suicide, though.  It’s really about lots of stuff, but to a very large extent it is about the power of reflection.  These letters T. writes, which are intended to punish some and to apologize to other people in his life have this insidious effect.  In the act of writing, he begins to make sense of his past.  Making sense of his past causes him to question, to become curious, to pursue answers.  T. may be suicidal at the start, but as the book goes on, he becomes totally engaged in making his life.  My favorite marketing tag line for the book is: “Sometimes life gets in the way of a well-planned death.”  The Miracle Letters is about the opposite of suicide, you know?

I’m a big fan of dark humor, too.  Writing through a character in this state of mind gave me all kinds of opportunity to be explosive and funny.  Use what you got!  I mean… I was able to write to the manager of White Castle, pay all kinds of compliments to him for having a nice staff and excellent food, then request coupons be sent to the character’s ex-wife because, “I’ve killed myself since writing this…” That is fun for me.

Thank you for asking!