Blauner never shies away from the grotesque, or the beautiful. . . .
Courageous and innovative and mesmerizing, Frankenstein for a new age.
--Helen Phillips, The Beautiful Bureaucrat
A statement about the nature of evil and its inevitability, even
necessity, that reveals the tragic essence of [Blauner's] vision and
her adroitness with metaphor. --Jerome Gold, The Moral Life of
Soldiers
If Solace was like its protagonist--built from others' body parts--it
might draw its parts from Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, Haddon's The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and, naturally,
Frankenstein. In the end, Solace is its own weird and wonderful
creation, the story of the fifth version of a daughter who, despite
being haunted by lives she never led . . . simply wants to be herself.
--Mark Brazaitis, The Incurables
Created by a grieving father, Mara F. is haunted by previous Maras. One
day she escapes into the world. The Solace of Monsters contrasts the
creation of life with its ending. How does an artificial creature
discover life? What do her adventures tell us about natural life and our
own attempts to survive--and find solace--in the world?
Laurie Blauner is the author of three novels and seven books of
poetry. She received a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship and
Seattle Arts Commission, King County Arts Commission, 4Culture, and
Artist Trust grants and awards. She was a resident at Centrum in
Washington State and was in the Jack Straw Writers Program in 2007. Her
work has appeared in many literary journals.
