when it came out in hardcover last year and made it a point to search out some of his short form work. (I hated myself for laughing at Volleyball is an Awesome Sport and Your Mother and I Are Getting a Divorce, but I read it again anyway.) The House of Tomorrow is one of the books that turned me on to one of my current favorite imprints, Putnam's Amy Einhorn Books.From the starred review in PW:
"Sebastian Prendergast, the teenage narrator of Bognanni's funny and unique debut, lives in Iowa's first geodesic dome with his grandmother, a devout follower of futurist philosopher Buckminster R. Fuller. But when Nana has a stroke, Sebastian is thrown together with Janice and teenage Jared Whitcomb, who were touring the home when Nana was stricken. Soon, Sebastian and Jared form an unlikely bond via the great teenage tradition of punk rock, starting their own band despite the objections of everyone around them and Sebastian's lack of musical ability. ...an honest, noisy, and raucous look at friendship and how loud music can make almost everything better.According to the Boston Globe:
"A good punk song is one that entangles itself with your pulse, mirrors the syntax of your body, and leaves your bones humming like train tracks when it passes. A really good novel does the same thing. At its best Peter Bognanni's 'House of Tomorrow' is tight and quick enough to pull you into its rhythm. It draws its audience in the way a steady bass line does — to the waxing and waning of the story's tides."Visit Bognanni's website to view video trailer and link to essays and stories.
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