Alive and Well at the Class of 2K8 blog this week, is Daphne Grab! We're so excited to get to send the week launching her debut book Alive and Well in Prague, New York! Welcome, Daphne!
Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. She buys her clothes at Andy’s Cheapies, watches indie films at The Angelika, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a hay ride. But when her father gets sick and Matisse’s parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York , her perfect world crumbles.
As Matisse trudges through life in Prague , she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78th St. with a father who’s well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn’t pretend that everything is okay. When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father’s symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she’s making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.
As Matisse trudges through life in Prague , she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78th St. with a father who’s well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn’t pretend that everything is okay. When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father’s symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she’s making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.
Is it as magical as the life of an author?
Daphne Grab grew up in a small town in upstate New York. She has worked a number of jobs including teaching high school history, building houses for Habitat for Humanity and teaching ESL in China. She also earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the New School. In 1998 she moved to New York City where she discovered that she has always been a city girl at heart. She lives there now with her husband and children.
On how Alive and Well in Prague, New York came to be:
"The idea for PRAGUE came to me a few years after my dad had died. I wanted to write a book about what it’s like to see a parent lose the ability to control their own body because it’s such a profound and life changing thing for everyone involved. But of course the thing about that experience is that it’s grounded in all the other parts of life: friends, social stuff, guys, school. So the story just grew from there. "
"The idea for PRAGUE came to me a few years after my dad had died. I wanted to write a book about what it’s like to see a parent lose the ability to control their own body because it’s such a profound and life changing thing for everyone involved. But of course the thing about that experience is that it’s grounded in all the other parts of life: friends, social stuff, guys, school. So the story just grew from there. "
Tomorrow we'll be asking her so much more about life as a debut author so stay tuned!
5 Comments on Welcome Daphne Grab!, last added: 6/18/2008
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Daphne,
Just reading that little bit about Matisse and how she wishes her father well has me hooked, I love her character already! Congrats on a wonderful launch! Zu
sounds like a good one! :) thanks for stopping by my blog!
Daphne,
Happy launch! I'm expecting my copy to arrive soon. Can't wait to start reading.
Jen
My dad grew up in upstate New York! I bet he didn't find it half as interesting as your heroine, or have such a difficult time. You'll touch hearts with this one. Congratulations on a wonderful debut, Daphne!
thanks so much you guys!