UNH Alum Takes Flight with Latest Novella, ‘Fly Like The Seagull’
Manchester-based author Nathan Graziano is set to release his ninth full-length book of prose or poetry on November 17, titled, 'Fly Like The Seagull.'
Taking place in the fictional town of Northboro, Graziano introduces readers to "The Seagull, a polymorph and a modern angel fashioned after the actor Steven Seagal, sent to reaffirm faith in modern times," according to a press release.
'Fly Like The Seagull' represents a contrast from the bulk of Graziano's work in the sense that it is meta-fiction, a genre in which the author may initiate a departure from novelistic conventions and typical narrative paradigms.
"'Fly Like The Seagull' is a real departure from anything I’ve written to date," Graziano said. "It started as a flash fiction piece in my last book 'Almost Christmas.' The piece, titled 'The Seagull,' was based off a story a friend told about a guy he worked with at printing press. This guy was so obsessed with the actor Steven Seagal that he grew his long and tied back in a tight ponytail and struck these elaborate karate poses throughout the warehouse.
"He even ordered a vanity plate that was supposed to read 'Seagal.' Unfortunately, this guy couldn’t spell, so his license plate ended saying 'Seagul.'”
Graziano is a graduate of the MFA program in fiction writing at the University of New Hampshire and a high school English teacher at Pembroke Academy.
"I’m guessing it stems somewhat from my Catholic upbringing, wrestling with my own ideas of faith," Graziano said, "and eventually I injected a narrator named Nate who is writing a book about The Seagull while you’re reading about it. If someone had told me in grad school that I’d write a book of meta-fiction, I would’ve punched them in the nose.
"But now, as our country awakes from the four-year fever-dream of the Trump administration, while staring down the barrel of another wave of this pandemic, The Seagull seems—as The Dude was in 'The Big Lebowski'—the 'man for his place and time.' While collectively suffering from a crisis of faith, we need The Seagull now more than ever."
In a press release, John Dorsey, the award-winning poet and author, described 'Fly Like The Seagull' as “one of the funniest things [he’s] read in years.”
“All at once bizarre, non-judgmental, and strangely tender; whether we want to admit it or not, we’ve all known someone like The Seagull,” Dorsey said. “Maybe we’ve been him, flapping our wings with a few well-placed karate kicks in front of the mirror after a tough day at work. One thing is certain, though, like Steven Seagal himself, this book is an instant American classic.”
The book will be available through most major booksellers, and the author is available for readings, interviews or speaking engagements, according to the press release.
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