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Hi there,
I’m always excited to hear from anyone and everyone about their reactions to my books, and I try to write back whenever I can. I’m also very happy to speak to book clubs (provided it’s someplace I can get to!). Thanks for your support and for visiting the site.
Evan
Evan-
Just checked out your website. It’s terrific. Congratulations. Talk soon.
Joel
Dear Mr. Mandery -
Congratulations on your new website. It looks great. Although I must admit that I miss the ketchup and mustard bottles. And the relish. Oh, the relish . . .
Seriously, whoever you worked with to do this did a great job. (And I’ve built a few sites over the years so I know from whence I speak. Plus, I’m jacked up on the gimmicks.)
Yours truly,
Bobjo
I read First Contact and thought it was great. However, one bone to pick. When Jessica and Ralph first meet they talk about all the famous Ceaser’s…. Anyway, I bet if you took a poll of 100,000 18 – 25 year olds and asked them if they knew who Sid Ceaser was you might get five people who heard of him….
And by the way, I am always amazed at how life works… I play poker a lot too and I was looking at a list of your tournaments and wonder if may have ever crossed paths. Well best of luck. it really is a funny funny well-written and entertaining novel. Great job!
Hi Evan,
Just wanted to congratulate you on your new book. I saw that you have one on Capital Punishment and am anxious to read.
I was at Simpson until last year (for 5 years) and then left for the Nassau DA’s office. I am in the Appeals Bureau (which I love) and have been for the past year.
Again, I am very excited for you. All the best with the new book.
Jackie
Your short story is fabulous. I haven’t laughed so hard in awhile. I will definitely be checking out your books.
I heard about you on twitter from Jeff Somers, Sean Ferrell and Janet Reid.
Peace,
Elisabeth Black
We met at KGB Bar book launch. I’m a F w/very short,very white hair.. spent some time in conversation w/you and then w/your delightful mom (gave her a card; pls ask her to call me). Hope your dad’s better.
There’s smart (comme moi) and then there’s SMART (comme toi)… and oh how the space in between haunts the likes of me upon reading First Contact. Strangers on all manner of public transportation glared at me upon witnessing my uncontrolled LOL and I cared not a squat as I was having much too much fun.
Have you ever considered a political career? Perhaps you and Al Francken and Bill Maher and John Stewart (I SO want to add a F name and can’t think of one… she (they) is out there, just not in my memory bank ((are Rosie and Whoopi too conservative???)) ). You c/start a ‘new’ party of the absurd (double entendre intended)… at the very least you’d have the manna with which to engage the younger generation.
Finally, kiss your ‘invaluable assistant’ for me, little Mattea.
With deep appreciation,
Elaine
Hi Evan,
I used a gift certificate to my local bookstore on your book, First Contact. I had never heard of you or read anything by you before. I loved it. It was exactly what I needed to read right now. I actually cried at the end because I was sad to leave the characters. So, thank you! I’m talking up the book to all my friends, because “it’s later than you think.” Thanks again for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
–Terese
Hi Evan. Got done reading your wonderful and delightful book “First Contact” and was reading the acknowledgments at the end, yes I read them, and was giddy to learn we attended the same high school (not the same year) and had the same two teachers you mention. I live in Michigan now and it was so cool to read that.
Love the way your mind works.
Pauline
EMHS class of 70
I just finished First Contact and just had to let you know how much I enjoyed it! I laughed out loud (which doesn’t often happen during my light-rail commute to work) and was even compelled to read long passages to my boyfriend, who is not a fan of books. He tolerated it though, and smiled at all the right times. So a big thank you for making my last couple of days so bright, with this funny, thought-provoking, touching, and oh-so-clever read!
Just finished “First Contact…” and loved it. Intelligent, insightful, and utterly hysterical. Thanks for the great read.
Mona
GREETINGS!
I’D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE BEFOREHAND FOR THE CAPITALS – MY KEYBOARD IS INDEED BROKEN, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS REFLECTS MY ENTHUSIASM FOR YOUR WORK. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I GREATLY ENJOYED “FIRST CONTACT”. NEVER WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT THAT I’D MISS FRIENDLY ALIENS NAMED ED, PROFESSORS WHO ENJOYED JELLYBEANS, OR CHARACTERS WHO ENJOYED MOIST CAKE. REGARDLESS, YOUR STORY TOUCHED MY HEART IN MANY WAYS, AND I WISH YOU THE BEST IN YOUR CAREER!
You should be ASHAMED of yourself! I’m tired of your liberal skewed and unfair portrayals of patriotic republicans. You should be FORCED to make a public apology for your portrayal of the president and your views on God in First Contact, and then exiled..
I’m just messing with you. I throughly enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read the rest of your work. I just wanted to share how much I liked the book, but felt like just saying that would be too similar to the rest of the posts.
I wish you much success and hope that other writers and people in general follow in your footsteps.
TJ
Evan, BRAVO! First Contact is a keeper. I just finished it. I suppose that you have never heard of me but the universe seems to be converging, so more and more serendipitous connections seem to be happening. In this ‘grandfalloon” you, your dad and I seem destined to do something together. Matt and I have been working together for the past 20 years or so. I continually prod him to relax and enjoy as Ned and the Ambassador urged Ralph. Matt doesn’t grab on. He is so proud of you! Matt sent me a copy of your latest work which I enjoyed reading. It resonates well with a ‘60’s teacher who taught Salinger and Vonnegut. I recently was out for drinks with member of the class of 1973. A few recall my teaching Slaughterhouse with great fondness. {Perhaps future generations will feel that wayabout your work! In the meantime, I taught Miguel to flyfish. Let’s get you Matt and I out on my boat for some fly fishing, ‘It’s later than you think’!
‘So it goes’- Best, Robin Calitri, LongIslandFlyFishing.com
I wish I remembered what caught my attention at the library, when I decided to pick up your book. But whatever it was, I quickly have become a fan of your writing. I think growing up on Long Island in a Jewish family, your Woody Allenish sense is very natural to me.
I am only in the middle of First Contact and look forward to more of your wonderful tales.
Hello! I briefly met your wife last night on the B platform. I was in a bit of a reading daze and the train was pulling up and I just hopped on and was immediately filled with regret. I should have stayed and chatted with you guys! Your wife asked who had recommended your book to me: this summer I was at an independent bookstore called R. J. Julia in Madison, CT. They have staff picks with blurbs about the books and someone had chosen your book. It sounded good to me so I picked it up! I only started it yesterday morning, but so far I’m loving it! Sorry for being a bit rude. Happy holidays to you and your family!
Best,
Rebecca
Hello,
I’ve just finished reading First Contact and feel I should let you know that you are the first author since the late Mr. Vonnegut who has been able to make me read each and every word without skimming through. I don’t find a lot of entertainment very funny or intelligent. More often than not the general population will be laughing their collective arses off at something which falls dead at my feet. I usually feel like I’ve got some kind of defect that won’t allow me to laugh at movies like Bruce Almighty or The Hangover. Everybody else thought both of those movies were uproariously hilarious. They were not. Your book however, was funny and engaging. I was sorry to finish it and will be going out after work to purchase anything available which you have written. I’ve also posted about it on both my social and business networks. Great job, and thank you.
Rebecca, ON Canada.
Dear Mr. Mandery,
I am a waitress over in Fort Greene at an Irish Pub and I’ve had the pleasure of serving your father for the past two years or so. He’s one of my lunch regulars and usually comes in a couple of times of month. Long story short, I had invited your father to a play I had written/directed/acted in and when I told him the premise (Obama was recently murdered by a Vampire and Sarah Palin takes office and mandates all Vampires to go to rehab to suppress their blood sucking into art therapy) and he said “Do I have a book for you!” The next time he came in he gave me your book First Contact and I instantly fell in love with it! Your book was such a joy to read. I devour books and devoured yours in a matter of two weeks. I saw your father today and told him how much I loved the book. He is a very proud father! Can’t wait to read more from you!
Mary Ann
am reading and enjoying first contact-but- the comment about the q-tip is incorrect, if you look at the anatomy of the ear you can see that you can easily remove earwax without any problem. also- you refer to woody allen and his movies being virtually the same. they definitally are not. his movies are clever and funny and for the most part entertaining- where-as he himself is repugnant and a vile sub-human
I just finished “First Contact.” Great story! I think they do you an injustice to compare you to Doug Adams and Vonnegut — well, maybe not Vonnegut; but I enjoyed all of your book, whereas I always found some parts of “Hitchhikers Guide” to sound as if Adams had maybe been on something, and it hadn’t helped.
It impressed me that you, or the character representing you, could step outside of the story and talk about himself, even acknowledging that he had made up this or that, but it did not ruin the story. One could get back into the story even though they had been reminded, in effect, that it really wasn’t true.
I will recommend this to all of my friends, and even to some people I don’t like.
Please give us more!
Randy
I’m reading an uncorrected proof of “Q” that I acquired from your editor at HarperCollins. I haven’t read anything of yours before, but I’m wondering why you constantly refuse to let your characters speak naturally. Not once does the word, “I’m” or “They’re” occur. It just ends up sounding unnatural and pretentious.
Hi, Evan -
Your website looks very interesting! I am just learning about your books, so I would guess that makes me a new fan!
I plan on enjoying your writing,
Patricia
Hi Evan,
Congratulations on all you have accomplished – personally and professionally! I just finished reading First Contact and really enjoyed it. I discovered it after chancing upon the review of Q in the NYTimes a couple of weeks ago and recognizing your name. (I lived in Quincy House from 1990-1993 and was in your Justice section.) I’m looking forward to reading Q, and if you happen to do a reading at the Coop or Harvard Bookstore, it would be great to see you.
Warmly,
Wynn
Thank you for writing “Q”. It’s a really beautiful book.
I’m really enjoying Q, but a small nit (p152)…Himmler’s daughter Gudrun is married to a _Nazi_ journalist. It’s apparently his grandniece that’s married to an Israeli. Had to look up that factoid…
Evan — I saw the blurb on Q in the NYTimes and promptly hit Google to see if it was the Evan Mandery that I knew. Congratulations on the writing career and your website; it’s all so fabulous! How funny to see Joel’s message when I looked up how to write to you. All the best, Lori L.
Hi Evan,
I bought your novel Q after reading a short review in the NY Times. Thanks for the good read!
You handled time travel very well and I liked your use of I-60, etc. I’m also glad you treated the time travel machinery as not important. The main character was very sympathetic even thought I feel that he’s a bit too passive but then again that is one of the things that makes the novel “work”.
Angelo
As a former television writer, I wish I had the cash to option Q for a movie. It is outstanding. Saw the review and asked my local library to order a copy for the public. As the enchanted first reader it was hard not to underline and make notes in the back, so I finished, and started again from the beginning. You’re a wonderful writer, smart, funny, insightful, ironic – the perfect novelist for me!
Not sure I can read about how we choose to kill people, so I’ll cross my fingers that another literary romance will emerge after. Don’t get too serious! Forget about tenure! Q should earn you any ticket you want – quite sure none of your fellow teachers could do anything near this magic.
Warmest congratulations,
Christie
Hi Evan, I loved First Contact and find myself bringing up the story line about Munt-Zoldarian and the silly law about who is at fault in a rear-end collision all the time. I am almost finished with Q, and I’m really hoping they get back together. I love the succession of future selves and their opinions. Interesting timing with the Lincoln Financial ad campaign.
Evan, thank you for the amazing book, Q. So enjoyable, so hard to put down. I am very happy to learn that there are two more books written by you and already out that I can look forward to reading soon. And another one that you are working on now. Hope you will be doing a reading here in sunny California someday.
Best of luck,
Kira
Hi Evan,
Everything about your book ‘Q:…’ is so enigmatic to me it seems surreal. From how I heard about it, to where I started reading it, to what I listened to whilst reading it and finally and most importantly what stage of my life I was at that moment. I could relate to every concept in your book so personally, like it was written only for me. I don’t know what force put the book in my hands (I doubt it was my future self, however) but I would like to thank it and thank you. It gave me hope. Not only in relation to what the future holds but also hope that there are still authors who can create deep and thought provoking prose that is full of anticipation and optimism at the same time.
Thank you with all my heart.
Kasia
Hi Evan,
Just discovered your books and am so happy to find a new author.
Am currently reading First Contact and loving it–
But am a little disappointed you didn’t reference
Gordon Gano from Violent Femmes as a famous
Gordon.
Keep writing and I’ll keep reading,
Tracey