01/25/2005
Wesleyan prof’s novel picked as Norwalk One-Book
By SZYMON TWAROG , Middletown Press Staff

MIDDLETOWN -- Wesleyan University’s assistant professor of English Matthew Sharpe’s most recent novel, "The Sleeping Father," has been chosen by the town of Norwalk to kick off their first "One Book, One Community" celebration.
"I’m really happy that there are these kinds of programs out there to get people reading and I’m honored that my book was chosen to be worthy enough," said Sharpe.

This is Sharpe’s third published book and, so far, one of his most successful. More than 30,000 copies have been sold after only about 5,000 copies each were sold for his first two.

"It was rejected by most publishers, but a small independent company in Brooklyn picked it up," said Sharpe. "I had no idea it would become this successful. My first books didn’t sell too well and I was hoping just for a slightly higher readership."

"The Sleeping Father" was selected for NBCs "The Today Show Book Club" and it won the Independent Publishers Award for fiction in 2004.

"Being on TV made a big difference," said Sharpe. "Once you’re on TV it really helps getting a readership."

The "Sleeping Father," is a dark comedy about a divorced father of two teenage children, who accidentally takes two incompatible antidepressant medications and goes into a coma. When he comes out of it, his son and daughter attempt to rehabilitate him.

"In some way the unhappy event makes the kids grow up in a way they otherwise may not have," said Sharpe.

Sharpe will read from his novel on Wednesday at Wesleyan’s Russell House at 8 p.m. along with novelist Kit Reed, adjunct professor of English at Wesleyan, and poet Maggie Nelson, a visiting assistant professor of English at Wesleyan. He will also make a presentation about "The Sleeping Father" at a luncheon at the Norwalk "Festival of Words" on April 9 at Norwalk Community College.

Many cities around the country have started similar programs. The idea is to get as many people as possible in a given community reading and talking about a single book, as a way of encouraging literacy and reading.

Middletown has participated in the program for the last three years and, in December, announced this year’s selection "The Kite Runner," a first novel written by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini.

To contact Szymon Twarog, call (860) 347-3331 ext. 220 or email stwarog@middletownpress.com.


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