EISENSTEIN’S MONSTER
BY: A.V. BACH
BOOK SPECS
Publication Date: October 27, 2016
Publisher: Tetracules Press
Genre: Literary Fiction
Available in paperback and eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tetracules Press
ISBN: 978-0-9976812-0-8 (print); 978-0-9976812-1-5 (electronic)
Page count: 551
ABOUT EISENSTEIN’S MONSTER
A novel in montage, Eisenstein's Monster is a wild romp through the terrains of our consciousness. A man with terminal cancer in the language centers of his brain meets a young woman he hopes will facilitate an existence beyond the dwindling limits of his body. What follows is a psychedelic odyssey exploring consciousness and identity through language and montage, placing seemingly disparate chapters together to create a stitched-together being and a one-of-a-kind reading experience.
Eisenstein's Monster is like a new drug whose trip will take you to the edges of the universe or the fringes of your soul, and one whose effects will last long after the final page is turned.
ABOUT A.V. BACH
A.V. Bach was born in Minnesota in 1985, before his family relocated to Naperville, IL. He attended Syracuse University, studying under several prominent writers such as George Saunders, Mary Gaitskill, and Arthur Flowers. He graduated in 2008 with a BA in English and Textual Studies, with a concentration on film and creative writing. Upon graduating, Bach enrolled in Johns Hopkins University's Writing Program where he received his MA in Fiction Writing, of which an early draft of Eisenstein's Monster made up his thesis. Following graduation, he went on to publish several short stories in the US and UK, including Gargoyle, Fogged Clarity, Gone Lawn, Kerouac's Dog Magazine, and a special film edition of Big Muddy, earning several award nominations (Pushcart Prize and Best of New England) in the process.
An avid homebrewer, Bach began writing for Mash Tun: A Craft Beer Journal in 2015. In addition to Mash Tun articles, he is currently working on his second novel, finishing a screenplay, publishing more short stories, and launching Tetracules Press. He lives in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
CONTACT
avbach@gmail.com | 315-729-4910 | www.avbach.com | www.facebook.com/avbachauthor
AUTHOR Q&A
What inspired Eisenstein’s Monster?
The book was inspired by the Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein’s seminal editing technique of montage, which he unveiled in his film The Battleship Potemkin in 1925. Montage involves deriving meaning through rapid and sometimes disjointed film shots. It is so ingrained into our perception we don’t ever realize how much we take for granted the idea that someone had to invent the concept, the ability to subconsciously create meaning from an assembly of disparate parts.
Considering how much we already build ideas and concepts from disparate pieces of information (TV, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Emoji, texts, etc.), I wanted to explore this basic technique in a literary sense with Eisenstein’s Monster. Something people would already be pretty familiar with, whether they know it or not.
Why did you start writing?
I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember, whether it be through visual arts like drawing and painting, making music, writing lyrics and stories, or dictating stories to my mom at age 5. Music consumed most of my middle and high school years, but a creative writing class in high school rekindled my interest in both reading and writing. I decided to forego pursuing a degree in music to focus on writing instead.
I went to Syracuse University and was lucky enough to be paired with a teacher from the creative writing department as both my faculty advisor and first semester creative writing teacher. Arthur Flowers became my mentor, encouraging my desire to continue on in the field. And after graduating, I immediately went to grad school for fiction writing.
How long did Eisenstein’s Monster take to write?
I started Eisenstein’s Monster in grad school at the Johns Hopkins MA Writing Program, where it became my graduate thesis in 2010. With several revisions and other side projects, all said and done the novel took eight years to write.
What are the main themes in Eisenstein’s Monster?
The main themes in the book are consciousness, creation, rebirth, and the meaning, importance, and life of language itself—the tools used to construct all of the above.
The book is about what it means to live with and without a body—the body of language, the body of the novel, the body of a character. It’s about how we came to be (and the language that brought us into being); about how we’re made and shaped by our families; about how we live, love, and create in that life; about how we live when our bodies fail us; and, finally, how we live beyond the threshold of death. Those are the broad strokes/themes of how the book is arranged.
Who is the publisher?
The book is published through Tetracules Press, an imprint I started this year. With this venture, my goal is to provide writers an alternative route between straight self-publishing and the traditional model.
What about this genre appeals to you?
Literary fiction is a very broad genre. In all of my various artistic endeavors, I’ve always been drawn towards the more serious side of art—even if that serious artwork happens to be humorous.
The genre subset of experimental literary fiction speaks to my inner Victor Frankenstein, pushing me to explore new forms, styles, uses, or concepts of the novel, of what it can be. For Eisenstein’s Monster, I really wanted to find a way to look at how we read a novel, how we experience a novel and perceive character; and I wanted to find a way to make that experience closer to seeing a wild movie or a trip to an amusement park, something outside of the our normal, daily experience.
Are you working on any other books or projects currently?
Yes! I’m excited to reveal the completion of my second literary novel, Welcome to Americaland, which will be the first part of a trilogy. I’ve also got a screenplay in the works that’s a horror-comedy mashup.