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December 8, 2003

Boise State Prof's Novel Named A 'Best Book' By L.A. Times

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Elise Blackwell�s debut novel Hunger has been named a Best Book of 2003 by the Los Angeles Times. Of the 1,500 titles noted and reviewed during the year, the Times listed only about 40 fiction books as notable, including translations and books of poetry. Blackwell is a professor of fiction writing in the MFA program for creative writing at Boise State University. Set in 1942 Leningrad, Hunger (Little, Brown, 2003) centers on a scientist working to preserve rare specimens of seed, grains and tubers. Despite having vowed to protect the specimens for future generations, he nibbles at them to save himself from starvation as the Nazis close off the food supply to the city. Those who kept the pledge, including his wife, die and he is left to face his own cowardice. The Times� Mark Rozzo said this about the book: �� Blackwell craftily weaves history and botany through this utterly devourable narrative; it reminds us of those delicious genre crossings equally full of fancy and fact, plot and digression that the wonderful Italian writer Aldo Buzzi has elevated to a new literary art form. Hunger is a compact embarrassment of riches.� -30- Contact Janet Holmes Department of English 208 426-2195 Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275

Last reviewed on Thursday, July 21, 2005