Description
“The Stark Beauty of Last Things” Virtual Book Launch
A Reading and Q&A with Author Céline Keating
Join the book inc writing community as we celebrate the release of The Stark Beauty of Last Things, the latest novel by book inc Peer Artist Leader Céline Keating.
Our festivities will begin with a reading by Céline from her novel. Then fellow book inc writer Kathleen Gibbons will lead a discussion so we can learn more about Céline’s writing journey and publishing experiences. All are welcome to join the conversation!
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of our writing community and support our fellow writer! And don’t forget to pre-order your copy of The Stark Beauty of Last Things.
About The Stark Beauty of Last Things
The Stark Beauty of Last Things is set in Montauk, the far reaches of the famed Hamptons, an area under looming threat from a warming climate and overdevelopment. Now outsider Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster scarred by his orphan childhood, has inherited an unexpected legacy: the power to decide the fate of Montauk’s last parcel of undeveloped land.
Everyone in town has a stake in the outcome, among them Julienne, an environmentalist and painter fighting to save the landscape that inspires her art; Theresa, a bartender whose trailer park home is jeopardized by coastal erosion; and Molly and Billy, who are struggling to hold onto their property against pressure to sell. When a forest fire breaks out, Clancy comes under suspicion for arson, complicating his efforts to navigate competing agendas for the best uses of the land and to find the healing and home he has always longed for.
Told from multiple points of view, The Stark Beauty of Last Things explores our connection to nature—and what we stand to lose when that connection is severed. Learn more here.
About Céline Keating
Céline Keating is the author of two novels, Layla (2011) and Play for Me (2015) and co-editor of On Montauk, A Literary Celebration. Her novel The Stark Beauty of Last Things will be released in October 2023. Her fiction has received two first-place fiction awards, the Tucson Festival of Books and the Hackney Award for Short Fiction, and has been published in many literary magazines. Céline’s latest novel was inspired by living part-time in Montauk, Long Island, and she serves on the board of environmental organization Concerned Citizens of Montauk. She and her husband recently moved to Bristol, Rhode Island, where she will explore a different coastal environment.
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