In July, I had the opportunity to jet down to LA to join Noah Hawley at the release party for The Punch. Noah’s name probably sounds familiar to you. Not only has he written two other novels (A Conspiracy of Tall Men, Other People’s Weddings), he was also executive story editor for the television show “Bones” (FOX). It was a star-studded affair, given Noah’s so hooked in with the television industry. I arrived at Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on a sunny Sunday afternoon. San Francisco is pretty much covered in fog in the summer, so I was thrilled that the party was held in the hotel garden. Many people came together to celebrate the release of the book.
Amber Tamblyn, Noah Hawley and Joshua Close
I chatted with Amber Tamblyn (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, “Joan of Arcadia”) about making purses, and debated Harold Perrineau (“Lost”), about the benefits of living in California versus New York. He’s a super-nice guy who seemed genuinely interested in the publishing industry… perhaps he has a book proposal up his sleeve! And special thanks to Tyson Cornell who came over from Book Soup to sell copies of The Punch. All in all, a lovely afternoon.
Jeremy Renner, Noah Hawley and Harold Perrineau
For anyone who loved The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, The Punch is a must read. The story follows brothers David and Scott—along with their mother Doris, and accompanied by the ashes of their dead father—as they journey from Portland to Los Angeles to New York, and finally Maine, to spread Joe’s ashes at sea. Along the way, chaos, alcoholism, polygamy, and other tragic love disorders ensue, building to a harrowing climax that turns life upside down for this motley crew.
The Punch is hilarious in the way only dysfunctional families can be. Readers will laugh out loud at these totally screwy characters, and also recognize pieces of themselves. People Magazine called The Punch “insane, tender and hilarious,” and the Boston Globe reported that “Hawley has a wonderful way with irony … [t]hreaded throughout the novel are comic observations both descriptive and anecdotal that are so astutely insightful they can take your breath away.”
Listen now to the podcast in which Noah describes his writing process and spares his characters no mercy.
Now Noah is focusing again on his television work. Just a couple of weeks ago, ABC announced that it’s picking up a pilot that Noah created. “The Unusuals” is a police drama, and it stars Harold Perrineau, Amber Tamblyn and Adam Goldberg (2 Days in Paris), among others.
Darcy Cohan
Director of Publicity
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