TouchAuthor: Courtney Maum
Genre: Women's Fiction
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Description:
From the author of the acclaimedI Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You, a satirical and moving novel in the spirit of Maria Semple and Jess Walter about a New York City trend forecaster who finds herself wanting to overturn her own predictions, move away from technology, and reclaim her heart.
Sloane Jacobsen is the most powerful trend forecaster in the world (she was the foreseer of the swipe ), and global fashion, lifestyle, and tech companies pay to hear her opinions about the future. Her recent forecasts on the family are unwavering: the world is over-populated, and with unemployment, college costs, and food prices all on the rise, having children is an extravagant indulgence.
So it s no surprise when the tech giant Mammoth hires Sloane to lead their groundbreaking annual conference, celebrating the voluntarily childless. But not far into her contract, Sloane begins to sense the undeniable signs of a movement against electronics that will see people embracing compassion, empathy, and in-personism again. She s struggling with the fact that her predictions are hopelessly out of sync with her employer's mission and that her closest personal relationship is with her self-driving car when her partner, the French neo-sensualist Roman Bellard, reveals that he is about to publish an op-ed on the death of penetrative sex a post-sexual treatise that instantly goes viral. Despite the risks to her professional reputation, Sloane is nevertheless convinced that her instincts are the right ones, and goes on a quest to defend real life human interaction, while finally allowing in the love and connectedness she's long been denying herself.
Praise:
"Sweet and funny. . . A sharp yet feeling satire, Touch
bristles with insights into the longing for warm, messy, inefficient,
and imperfect human life buried in our increasingly streamlined,
disembodied now."—Interview
"A satirical but sincere look at our thirst for 'in-personism.”—Departures
”[A]
trenchant satirical novel . . . Maum has such an incisive grasp of
where tech and culture meet that she could add sociologist to her resume
. . . A perceptive, thought-provoking read.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“With
a weirdly nurturing driverless car, a family emergency, a sexy art
director, and wrenching and hilarious confrontations and meltdowns, Maum’s incisive, charming, and funny novel ebulliently champions the healing powers of touch, the living world, and love in all its crazy risks, surprises, and sustaining radiance.” —Booklist, Starred Review
"Maum perfectly captures the zeitgeist of our era as technology battles with humanity. Her thought-provoking, humorous book will inspire readers to forgo the electronics and get back to basics as simple as human touch."—Library Journal
Courtney Maum is the author of the novel I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You and the chapbook “Notes from Mexico.” Her short fiction, book reviews, and essays on the writing life have been widely published in outlets such as The New York Times, Tin House, Electric Literature, and Buzzfeed, and she has co-written films that have debuted at Sundance and won awards at Cannes. At various points in her life, she has been a trend forecaster, a fashion publicist, and a party promoter for Corona Extra. She currently works as a product namer for M·A·C cosmetics from her home in Litchfield County, CT.
Courtney maum on tour for touch:
Washington, DC – East City Bookshop, in-conversation with Jennifer Close, author of The Hopefuls – Tuesday, 5/30 at 6:30 PM
Houston, TX – Brazos Bookstore, in-conversation with Alyson Ward, Books Editor at The Houston Chronicle – Wednesday, 5/31 at 7 PM
Wichita, KS – Watermark Books & Cafe – Thursday, 6/1 at 6 PM
Saint Paul, MN – SubText Books – Friday, 6/2 at 7 PM
Corte Madera, CA – Book Passage –Saturday, 6/3 at 7:00 PM
Oakland, CA – DIESEL, A Bookstore – Sunday, 6/4 at 3 PM
Seattle, WA – Elliott Bay Book Company – Monday, 6/5 at 12:00 PM
Portland, OR – Powell’s City of Books, in-conversation with Samantha Hess, professional cuddler – Monday, 6/5 at 7:30 PM
Ann
Arbor, MI – Literati Bookstore, in-conversation with Callie Collins,
Co-Director of A
Strange Object independent press – Tuesday, 6/6 at 7:00
PM
New York, NY – Summer Reads Panel at the Bryant Park Reading Room – Wednesday, 6/7 at 12:30 PM
Brooklyn, NY – WORD at Villain, panel discussion – Wednesday, 6/7 at 7:00 PM
Madison, CT – R.J. Julia Booksellers, joint event with Julia Fierro, author of The Gypsy Moth Summer – Thursday, 6/8 at 7:00 PM
Chattanooga, TN – Starline Books – Friday, 6/9 at 6:00 PM
Norfolk,
CT – The Norfolk Library with Oblong Books, in-conversation with Jane
Larkworthy, beauty expert – Sunday, 6/18 at 2:00 PM
I partnered with Putnam Books to giveaway a copy of the book to 1 lucky winner! Open to US only!
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