Where the Line Bleeds

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Where the Line Bleeds
ISBN
9781501164330

Where the Line Bleeds is the debut novel by American writer Jesmyn Ward. It was published in 2008 by Agate Publishing.

Background and publication history

Ward needed help finding a publisher for the novel.[1] Between this and the low pay she received from her job as a composition instructor, Ward considered abandoning writing to pursue a career in nursing.[2][3] Before pursuing a different career, Doug Siebold of Agate Publishing accepted the novel, and the company published it in 2008.[3] Shortly after, Ward was awarded a Stegner Fellowship, allowing her to continue writing.[4] The book was reissued by Scribner in 2018.[5]

Some of the characters from the novel later appeared in other books by Ward.[6]

Plot

The Line Bleeds follows twin brothers Joshua and Christophe, who were raised by their blind grandmother and had just graduated from high school on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Poor and Black, they find few economic opportunities as they struggle to undertake their adult lives.

Reception

Critical reception

The novel received positive reviews. Reviews from

Austin Chronicle, Elizabeth Jackson compared Ward's style to William Faulkner's. She noted the potential in “a female, black author invoking the (white) father of Southern letters to explore the world of a poor, rural, black family”, calling it “an exciting proposition, with original and subversive implications”.[9] However, Jackson expresses some reservation, saying Ward's potential remains just that—potential, with some overwritten scenes that Jackson anticipates will improve in future work—but says “this reviewer would rather read such a distinctive voice portraying an underexplored landscape than another white author talking about ivory-tower malaise, any day.”[9]

Honors

The novel was shortlisted for the

Hurston-Wright Legacy Award.[10]

References

  1. ^ Warner, John (June 16, 2020). "#PublishingPaidMe reveals inequity, raises questions: How many authors are we missing out on reading?". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (April 19, 2012). "An interview with National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Flood, Alison (November 17, 2011). "Hurricane Katrina novel wins National Book Award". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "Former Stegner Fellows | Creative Writing Program". creativewriting.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  5. ^ Enjeti, Anjali (February 16, 2018). "Twin brothers come of age on Gulf coast". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Berry, Nico (September 7, 2017). "Getting the South Right: an Interview with Jesmyn Ward". Fiction Writers Review. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  7. ^ "WHERE THE LINE BLEEDS". Kirkus Reviews. November 20, 2008. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "Where the Line Bleeds". www.publishersweekly.com. No. Publishers Weekly. 2008. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Jackson, Elizabeth (December 19, 2008). "Where the Line Bleeds: A Novel". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  10. ISSN 0007-8549. Archived
    from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
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