Ig’s acclaimed Bookmarked series is proud to announce three new spring releases: Michael J. Seidlinger on Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, Jaime Clarke on The Great Gatsby, and David Ryan on Under the Volcano. If you are interested in receiving a review copy of any or all of the books, please email us.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is widely considered to be the greatest American novel ever written, its exploration of decadence, idealism, social upheaval, and excess having been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream. In his Bookmarked volume, author Jaime Clarke examines how this seminal novel influenced his writing and life, including his aborted love affair with a Mormon girl and his time working for Charles Keating of the infamous S&L scandal.

Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves is a classic of modern, experimental literature, a “demonically brilliant book [that] is impossible to ignore, put down, or persuasively conclude reading,” according to Jonathan Lethem. Michael J. Seidlinger writes about how the book inspired his literary life. “The best books stick with you, often reminding you of the power, and potential, of storytelling,” he writes, “and House of Leaves is one of those books.”

The New York Times called Malcolm Lowry’s 1947 novel Under the Volcano “One of the towering novels of this century,” and the Modern Library ranked the book number eleven on its list of the one hundred Best English-language novels of the twentieth century. In his Bookmarked entry, critically celebrated author David Ryan shows how this modernist masterpiece has affected his life and creative work, including his years spent as drummer for the rock band, The Lemonheads.

Slated for later this year are Steve Yarbrough on Larry McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show, and Charles Holdefer on George Saunders’ Pastoralia. Brian Evenson on Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love will be released in early 2018.