NYC writer to publish mysterious debut novel

New York-based author David Smith Levinson will appear in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 6 (at WORD Bookstore in Greenpoint) and on Friday, June 7 (at BookCourt in Cobble Hill). Photo courtesy of Algonquin Books

According to Brooklyn Eagle, David Samuel Levinson will soon release his haunting debut novel “Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence” (Algonquin Books), and he will appear twice in Brooklyn to celebrate.

Set in the ‘90s in a small college town in upstate New York, the novel traces the intersecting lives of characters immersed in a cutthroat literary world. Catherine is in the dark about the passing of her husband, a talented writer whose cause of death is unclear. Rather than escaping her surroundings, which are a constant reminder of her loss, Catherine remains in the isolated town and tries to move on with her life there.

Catherine’s circumstances are further complicated when her former mentor – an esteemed literary critic who was once her lover – lands a teaching job at the college and brings with him Antonia Lively, a mysterious young writer who has published a wildly popular novel.

When Antonia weaves her way into Catherine’s life, secretly gathering information for her next literary endeavor, her manipulative efforts begin to prompt some eerie occurrences.

Levinson will be launching his book on Thursday, June 6 at WORD Bookstore (7 p.m., 126 Franklin St. in Greenpoint) and on Friday, June 7 at BookCourt (7 p.m., 163 Court St. in Cobble Hill).

David Samuel Levinson’s stories have appeared in Prairie Schooner, West Branch, and the Brooklyn Review, among others. He lives in New York City. This is his first novel.

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