Had a wonderful time at the AWP Conference last weekend in Seattle. Thanks to everyone for their great advice and willingness to share the secrets of the trade! In particular, thanks to my two traveling mates, Mark Keats and Arielle Bernstein, who made a foreign city like Seattle feel like home. And to Duncan May, who was super helpful and welcoming.

At the book signing with the wonderful Duncan May of Dufour Editions.

Mark Keats, Arielle Bernstein, and I at the first Starbucks in Seattle! (on a side note, the distance between Mark and I is not metaphorical – he’s making room for the sign in the back… I think…)

“Andrew Gretes’ debut novel, How to Dispose of Dead Elephants, is a richly imagined and vibrant piece of writing. Illuminating the irrefutable complexities of family and his protagonist’s evolution into adulthood, Gretes manages to reveal memorable, multi-textured characters with stunning originality, humor and deep compassion, while addressing the many questions inherent in what it means to be human.”

~Denise Orenstein, author of Unseen Companion and The Secret Twin.