It’s no secret that we are fans of Rock Plaza Central here on the hill. We were the site of choice for their fantastic Dylan cover and have loved every record they’ve put out. But front man Chris Eaton is more than just a singer; serious fans of the band may know he’s an equally talented/accomplished author. His first novel, The Inactivist, is a must read for lovers of the English language, with a thought per page density that could challenge Plutonium’s reign. The Grammar Architect – my introduction to Eaton’s work – displays Eaton’s creativity as he basically delivers a literary cover (although that certainly cheapens the result and effort required) of Thomas Hardy’s, “A Pair of Blue Eyes.”

 

Anyway, enough with the bio-rehash. The heart of the matter is that Chris is finishing his next book, a pseudo auto-biography of Chris Eaton (or people on the internet with the same name) and to whet our whistles he’s just finished a book of short stories (Letters to Thomas Pynchon) that features chapters from the upcoming novel. Starting with a personalized {form} letter to the reader and an angry letter to Thomas himself – actually an open letter to a hotmail account that could in theory belong to Pynchon – these snippets find Chris proudly displaying his sense of humor and quick wit, but it’s the little moments of humanity that make the chapters so riveting. Honestly, I read this on the plane to Vancouver, and tried (unsuccessfully I might add) to hush each and every passenger on the plane so I could fully concentrate on each word. I was blown away by how effortlessly Eaton breathed life into the everyday, seemingly mundane moments we call life and forces us to connect with an ever changing cast of characters. I never thought reading about a man rearranging parking spots to fit more cars in could be so enjoyable.

 

Eaton is unconventional – have you ever seen a list of childhood games frame a short story – but appreciates classic themes and subject matter to make for truly interesting experience. He jumps eras and emotion with the creative guide of simply sharing a name and this e-book certainly hints at a novel worth reading when it comes out.

 


Thanks to the good people at ECW, we have a copy of Chris’ book to giveaway. To enter, simply drop us an email with your name and contact email and cross your fingers. Good luck!