With sly self-deprecation and mordant wit, Sally recounts their misadventures, up to the tragedy that tore them apart. Through the perceptive Sally, a fish out of water among a cadre of eccentric, privileged young people, we meet Sam, an unwashed collector of other people’s stories Carlotta, a free spirit who nevertheless fails to escape the deception of marriage and Rennel, a shallow, self-obsessed philosophy student.

From her comfortable perch, she broods over her deepest regrets: her wayward, weed-hazy college days her blighted romance with a scornful poet a tragically comic accident involving a paper cutter a suicide attempt and her decision to ultimately relinquish a conventional life.Ĭolorful, crass, and profound, Toad is Katherine Dunn’s ode to her time as a student at Reed College, filled with the same keen observations, taboo-shirking verve, and singular characters that made Geek Love a cult classic.

She lives in isolation in her small house, where her only companions are a vase of goldfish, a garden toad, and the door-to-door salesman who sells her cleaning supplies once a month.

Sally Gunnar has been in love, has been mad, has been an agent of destruction, has been spurned and now she has retreated from the world. Don’t miss this unforgettable discussion!Ī previously unpublished novel of the reflections of a deeply scarred and reclusive woman, from the cult icon Katherine Dunn, the author of Geek Love. Panelists include author Halle Butler ( The New Me) artist and writer Molly Crabapple ( Brothers of the Gun), writer of the foreword for Toad and Naomi Huffman, editor of Toad. A brilliant precursor to the book that would make Dunn a misfit hero and a refreshing take even fifty-some years after it was written, Toad demonstrates Dunn’s genius for black humor and irony, her ecstatic celebration of the grotesque. In one of the most exciting publications of the fall, MCDxFSG is releasing Toad, Dunn’s previously unpublished novel of the reflections of a deeply scarred and reclusive woman. It is widely considered a cult classic, one of the weirdest, most beloved novels of recent history. Upon its release in 1989, Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love captivated readers, earned a spot on the New York Times bestseller list, and was nominated for the National Book Award. Join The Center for Fiction for a thrilling conversation about fearless literary legend Katherine Dunn’s newly revealed novel, Toad!

Attendees will also receive a complimentary specialty cocktail (‘The Fishbowl’), courtesy of FSG! All registrants will receive a link to livestream the event. The Ticket/Voucher option includes a $10 Bookstore voucher, redeemable toward the featured event book on the night of the event.

Katherine dunn new book