December 2024
Arcade Publishing Monthly Newsletter
Some Arcade Publishing housekeeping:
We’ve witnessed some intriguing shifts in the political sphere over the last month. It thus follows that we’ve also seen quite the shift in literary discourse as well: new ideas are coming to the fore as literature becomes as essential a medium as ever to amplify the persistent intellectual dilemmas confronting a furiously evolving culture.
So, we are quite excited—as we are sure you will be—to announce that Skyhorse will be publishing a collection of essays from none other than
. We are thrilled to welcome such a powerful voice to our publications—a voice that unhesitatingly targets the universal issues surrounding censorship and propaganda.More on that to come. In the meantime, check out CJ’s Substack here.
Now, for some recent highlights:
’s Vivenne continues to receive a plethora of praises from a variety of reviewers. Notably, fashion writer Rachel Tashijan interviewed Emmalea about the significance of “disturbing” or “violent style” and the variety of clothes worn in Vivienne. You can read it in Tashijan’s style newsletter (invite only), Opulent Tips.Emmalea also recently appeared on the
podcast to discuss Vivienne, astrology, the moon, and more. Check it out here, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.And be sure to remember that Emmalea will be hosting a presentation and book signing on December 21st in Asbury Park, NJ. Check out the details here and reserve your spot to celebrate Vivienne!
In other news, Bruce Wagner launched his latest book, The Met Gala & Tales of Saints and Seekers, at Stories Books & Cafe in Los Angeles. In a conversation with Jordan Firstman, Wagner discussed the celebrity life, lust for fame, and cinema (including his take on the new Joker film). Brittany Menjivar wrote a piece on the launch for the Los Angeles Review of Books; it’s worth a read.
What else to look forward to:
will be featuring pieces on Vivienne and Let Me Try Again in its next issue, to be released this month. And keep a keen eye on the Mars podcast—we hear there will be some great guests coming up.For another exciting upcoming release: in the tradition of Albert Camus, J. D. Salinger, and Osamu Dazai, the archetype of the savage young man at the precipice returns in Ben Faulkner's debut novel, The Agonies, to be released March 25th of next year. Ben, a former child actor, has written for various publications, including ExPat Press and Forever Magazine. His debut displays his irresistible skill in a hypnotic, but nonetheless intoxicating, narrative about a disoriented young man in a gothic America.
Finally, we are pleased to announce a newly acquired title by the award-winning author, Yannick Murphy, to be published in the Fall of 2025 (details below).
While we look forward to the holiday season and the new year, we have some exciting new projects coming on the Arcade Substack, as well as some new reviews, interviews, and other collaborations, so be sure to subscribe!
Things That are Funny on a Submarine, But Not Really, by Yannick Murphy
Informed by an intense pressure of language, wit, and energy, Things That Are Funny on a Submarine, But Not Really enraptures with the colorful world of David, nicknamed "Dead Man," and his shipmates.
Stationed in Guam, they sail the depths of the oceans, swapping jokes and stories while strengthening bonds continually tested by the rigors of submarine life. But when one shipmate is revealed as a Chinese spy, and another takes his own life, Dead Man is burdened by a repressed guilt and left with a lingering trauma.
Searching for a change, Dead Man leaves the Navy to start fresh as a college student, but his past refuses to let go. The ghosts of former shipmates—both dead and alive—continue to haunt him, and unwilling to stay mired in his turbulent memories, Dead Man navigates the complex terrain of identity and searches for meaning after reentering a way of life that feels increasingly foreign.
Written with Yannick Murphy’s distinctive and darkly humorous style, Things That Are Funny on a Submarine, But Not Really is a headlong, entertaining dive into an authentic and emotional exploration of what it means to find one's way in a rapidly changing world.
Yannick Murphy is the author of the novels, The Call, Signed, Mata Hari, Here They Come, and The Sea of Trees. Her story collections include By the Time You Read This, Stories in Another Language, and In a Bear’s Eye. Her children’s books include The Cold Water Witch, Baby Polar, and Ahwoooooooo!. She is the recipient of various awards, including a Pushcart Prize, a Laurence L. and Thomas Winship/PEN New England Award, a Whiting Writer’s Award, a National Endowment for the Arts award, and a Chesterfield Screenwriting award. Her story “In a Bear’s Eye” was published in the 2007 O. Henry Prize Stories. She and her veterinarian husband live in Vermont.
PRAISE FOR YANNICK MURPHY:
“Murphy has invented a language all her own.”—Kate Walbert, author His Favorites and A Short History of Women
“Murphy’s cool, minimalist style is undeniably appealing.”—Publishers Weekly
“Remarkable. . . . The truthful evocation of family is the real triumph of The Call. There is much love in this novel, and just as much truth about the pain and pleasure of family life. . . . [A] clever and beautiful book.”—Boston Globe
“Wondrously dynamic. . . . A warm-hearted paean to family devotion.”—Wall Street Journal
“Murphy pays close attention to the sensual and the macabre. . . . In the quotidian details of farm life, Murphy demonstrates how crucial it is to focus on the small, real tasks in the face of something too big and too dark to understand.”—Time Out New York
“Murphy is a subtle, psychologically perceptive writer. . . . A marvelous book: sweet and poignant without ever succumbing to easy sentiment, formally inventive and dexterous without ever seeming showy. A triumph.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A gifted storyteller with an unusual, hypnotic voice. . . . The nuances of small-town life are superbly captured in prose reminiscent of Philip Roth, but it is menace that drives the story forward. Truly original, it casts a spell that lingers in your mind.”—Daily Mail (London)
“She cuts quickly and deeply to the heart of what it means to be human and yet, even after that surgery, her characters remain whole and astonishingly alive.”—Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World
“A triumph of quiet humor and understated beauty. . . . Murphy’s subtle, wry wit and an appealing sense for the surreal leaven moments of anger and bleakness, and elevate moments of kindness, whimsy, and grace.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Yannick Murphy’s beautiful new novel is a stirring example of what a real writer can do with form and feeling."—Sam Lipsyte, author of The Ask
“Arcade is a storied literary imprint (its original publisher discovered Samuel Beckett) that mirrors and embodies Tony Lyons’s fierce, lifelong commitment to writers and their art. After thirty-five years and fourteen novels, I have never been treated with more care, respect, and devotion, and have never, hands-down, had such beautiful books created from my work than with Arcade . . . Long may Arcade (and Tony Lyons) live!”
—BRUCE WAGNER
A new book by Yannick Murphy! Excellent!