Third Place Books welcomes John Whittier Treat to our Seward Park store! Treat will be discussing his latest novel First Consonants, the story of a stutterer who hopes to save the world. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required in advance.
Copies of First Consonants will be available for purchase at the store. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!
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Brian is an unremarkable child, until he isn't. As other children start to babble, adding to their vocabularies day by day, Brian grows quieter with age, stumbling over the words he needs to lead a normal life: He is a stutterer. This speech disorder defines his formative years, filled with prejudice and bullying, as he creates his own scales of right and wrong, both justified and unjustified. He uses his fists whenever words fail him. As he increasingly fills with rage after life-changing abuse at the hands of a priest who takes advantage of his vulnerability, he resorts to ever greater acts of violence, risking everything he has worked hard for in life. Brian's one hope for his redemption? Alaska. An elderly Brian moves to the Alaskan outback, and here he attempts to redeem himself and the world.
“First Consonants touches on the origins of violence, of love, and what it means to find one’s way through the maze that is the world. Here is a story that is engrossing, vulnerable and wise in a way that few books are these days.”
—Jim Krusoe, author of The Sleep Garden
“A compelling, at times relentless novel that gives the term antihero a brand new spin.”
—Felice Picano, author of Like People in History, The Book of Lies, and Onyx
“A flame of rage burns at the core of Brian Moriarty, ignited by a traumatic birth and fueled by a lifetime of debasement and abuse because Brian stutters. The text of John Whittier Treat’s First Consonants is incendiary, placing the reader in the furious heart of Brian’s world. As we may decry his actions, we cannot help but want a balm for him, a cool soothing of his implacable ire, lest it consume and reduce him to ash.”
—Terry Wolverton, the author of Stealing Angel
John Whittier Treat has published numerous short stories, one of which won the Christopher Hewitt Prize and another nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His novel, The Rise and Fall of the Yellow House, was a finalist for the 2016 Lambda Literary Foundation for Best Gay Fiction. His novella, Maid Service, was published in 2020 and he was a finalist for both the fiction and poetry prizes in the 2021 Saints & Sinners competition. His opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and Out magazine. His new novel, First Consonants, features a stutterer who hopes to save the world.
Want a signed edition of the featured book, but can't make it to the event? Order through our website or over the phone, and write your request for a signature or personalization in the comments field at checkout. Please call the hosting store if you're placing your order within 24 hours of the event.
Third Place Books Events Code of Conduct: Third Place Books is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of event attendees and guest authors, during both online and in-store events. By registering for this event, you are agreeing to refrain from engaging in inappropriate behavior and harassment of any kind throughout the course of this event (i.e. racial slurs, profanity, hate speech, spam comments, etc.). Please note that any participants who engage in inappropriate behavior or harassment of any kind will be immediately ejected from the event.
For media inquiries, access inquiries, or questions about our Covid-19 policies, please email events@thirdplacebooks.com or call our Lake Forest Park store at (206) 366-3311.
