News
Dallas Voice review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
April 26 2009 -
J. S. Hall, writing in the Dallas Voice, says of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second: "a raucous joie de vivre permeates the book... [and] makes it laugh-out loud funny." The full review is here.#Amazonfail
April 13 2009 -
Well, besides having troubles logging into my email account through here, it seems that the online world has gotten very screwy indeed. Amazon.com is claiming a "glitch" has caused it to suppress searches for and the sales rankings of books with LGBT content. At first, Amazon claimed to a few authors (my friend Craig Seymour) that this was...
Finalist for a Lambda Literary Award!
March 16 2009 -
I learned yesterday that The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second is a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in the gay debut fiction category. The other nominees are:
- Shuck, Daniel Allen Cox, Arsenal Pulp Press
- Light Fell, Evan Fallenberg, Soho Press
- The Steve Machine, Mike Hoolboom, Coach House Books
- Finlater, Shawn Ruff, Quote...
March 18 Reading: Story Week Festival of Writers
February 13 2009 -
As part of the 2009 Story Week Festival of Writers, sponsored by the Fiction Writing Department of Columbia College Chicago, I will be a featured reader at the Studs Terkel Tribute on March 18 at 6:00 p.m.
Chicago Tribune reporter and WGN radio host Rick Kogan will conduct a conversation with friends of Studs: Donna Seaman, Booklist,...
March 18 Panel Discussion: 2009 Story Week Festival of Writers
February 13 2009 -
Each year, Columbia College Chicago's Story Week Festival of Writers brings some of the brightest literary luminaries to Chicago for a week of readings, discussions and a host of other events. This year, I'll be on the panel discussion--Writing on the Edge, Beyond the Mainstream--with Richard Price (Lush Life), Lydia Millet (How the Dead...WORT-FM’s “Radio Literature” interview and reading
December 20 2008 -
On Thursday, December 18, 2008, the charming Melvin Hinton of WORT-FM's program, Radio Literature, interviewed me about The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. I also read (with expletives redacted) from several different sections of the book. You can listen to the interview here.More reviews of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
December 18 2008 -
Writing for Demo, the Columbia College alumni magazine, Kevin Riordan says of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second: "This book is quite ambitious and hugely entertaining." You can read the full review here.
Boi Magazine's Dennis Michaels calls The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second "...quite entertaining... The story is smartly...
Out in New Jersey reviews The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
November 18 2008 -
Thomas Basgill of Out in New Jersey writes of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second: "Ferguson's debut novel is an invigorating look into the life of a less-than-average teen." You can read the full review here.The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second is an InsightOut Books Main Selection
November 06 2008 -
The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second has been named a main selection for November of the InsightOut Book Club. They're offering a special hardcover edition of the novel. In their review, they say: "Featuring one of the most loveable, believable character we've come across in years, author Drew Ferguson's debut novel The Screwed-Up Life...In Memoriam--Studs
October 31 2008 -
I'm floored. Studs Terkel is gone. God, does this hurt.Chicago Reader profile on The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 30 2008 -
The Chicago Reader has a profile piece by Robert McDonald on The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. McDonald says of Charlie: "...the resulting blend of humor and heartache makes for the most true-to-life queer coming-of-age story since John Fox's 1994 Boys on the Rock..." You can read the whole piece here.Out Front Colorado review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 29 2008 -
Jerry Wheeler from Out Front Colorado says of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, "Ferguson's voice is uncannily accurate and devastatingly funny, going from hilarious self-pity to tremendous insight, sometimes in the same sentence. His plotting is expertly paced and his characters never make a false move. Even if you're not a teen,...Chicago Reading: November 18 at 7:30 p.m.
October 27 2008 -
I've been invited to participate in the Homolatte series, so on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 7:30 p.m., I'll be reading from The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. I'll also be joined by singer-songwriter, Ryan Mintz, whose new CD is Monkeys & Ice Cream. The Homolatte series is hosted at Big Chicks (5024 N. Sheridan Road). I promise to...Podcast interview: That Blue Jeans Guy
October 27 2008 -
David of the That Blue Jeans Guy podcast, along with his listener, Kenny, interviewed me about The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, during which there was much making of porno-wahhh-chicka-wahhh-wahhh music. You had to be there. Or you can go to iTunes or here to listen to the show.Foul Monkeys Podcast Book Club for The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 27 2008 -
Ricky, Nichole and Samantha of the Foul Monkeys podcast posted their book club show for The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second here and it's also available on iTunes. It's a hilarious show, so be sure to check it out. Plus, if you send them an email of an embarrasing moment, you can get entered for a chance to win a signed copy of the...Bay Area Reporter review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 22 2008 -
Jim Piechota of San Francisco's Bay Area Reporter reviewed The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second calling the novel "a true pleasure" and saying, "...it's the quietly thoughtful way that Ferguson pairs his hapless lead character with the true love of his life that will make readers smile and tear up at the same time." The full review can...2008 Cybils Award Nomination for The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 21 2008 -
I just found out that The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second has been nominated in the Young Adult category for a 2008 Cybils Award. The Cybils Awards started three years ago and it is billed as the children and young adult bloggers' literary awards. Apparently, nominations are initially made by members of the public and then the...
David That Blue Jeans Guy Podcast Book Club of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 21 2008 -
David of the That Blue Jeans Guy podcast has just posted his own inaugural book club podcast in which he discusses The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second with one of his listeners, Kenny. You can check out the podcast via iTunes or by clicking here.SX News review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 15 2008 -
SX News, the leading gay and lesbian newspaper in Australia, reviewed The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, saying in part, "All too rarely you read a wonderful book that is so sexy, so true-to-life, and so laugh-out-loud funny you want to tell the world. Conversely, the book means so much to you that you just want to hug it to yourself...
ArcherRadio Podcast Book Club for The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 15 2008 -
Archer of the ArcherRadio podcast hosted the first book club for The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second last night. Joining him as guests were Holly from We're Mean Because You're Stupid, Jim from MyGayTwoCents, and Tim and Robert from Terminally Single. You can download the podcast book club, which contains spoilers, by going to iTunes...More reviews of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 09 2008 -
Jesse Monteagudo of AfterElton.com reviews The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, saying in part: "It is this year's finest contribution to the gay youth genre." Previously, author Brent Hartinger called the book "funny" on AfterElton. com and complained that the book looks like it has a 13 year-old kid on the cover. For the record, I...
The Advocate review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
October 05 2008 -
Charlotte Abbott of The Advocate reviews The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second in the October 21 issue. She writes: "Charlie learns it's no picnic being a gay teen, especially with a dad who's running for state's attorney. But when a cute new boy at school turns out to be gay, Charlie starts to think coming out was worth the angst. His...Interview on Chicago Public Radio’s “Eight Forty-Eight”
October 01 2008 -
The inimitable Tony Sarabia of Chicago Public Radio interviewed me about The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second for "Eight Forty-Eight." You can listen to the segment here.TimeOut Chicago review and interview
September 18 2008 -
In "Angst for the Memories," (I love that title) Jason Heidemann of TimeOut Chicago does an interview with me and also writes of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second: "If John Hughes were still translating suburban-teen angst to the silver screen, he’d surely dig the tale of Charlie, a 17-year-old high-school senior at suburban Crystal...A Q&A with Kenneth in the 212
September 15 2008 -
The handsome Mr. Kenneth Walsh of Kenneth in the 212 has posted a brief interview (I love that he calls it Tales of a 12th Grade Nothing) he did with me about The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. Kenneth's a great guy and I can't wait to meet him the next time I get to NYC.The first ever podcasting virtual book club!
September 12 2008 -
Well, after floating the idea yesterday, it's rapidly becoming a reality. A whole group of great podcasting personalities have signed on to do what we all think will be the first ever virtual book club via podcast. In the coming weeks, some of the nation's funniest, smartest, sexiest, and and snarkiest podcasters will be reading The...
Xtra review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
September 11 2008 -
Jim Bartley of Xtra, out of Canada, offers an incredibly detailed review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, writing: "Everyone who survived high school--or is still running the gauntlet--should check out this seductive novel." You can read, Jim's very in-depth review here.Second printing!
September 10 2008 -
I just received word today that The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second has just gone into a second printing. My sincerest and heartfelt thanks to everyone who's bought the book, talked it up, or helped me promote it. You guys rock!
In the meantime, if you're looking for autographed copies of the first edition and you're in Chicago, be...
Frontiers Magazine review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
September 01 2008 -
Harry Eugene Baldwin of Frontiers Magazine says that Charlie has "the most locquaciously sarcastic mouth since Holden Caulfield" and calls The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, "A good, funny first novel."Charlie at largehearted boy’s Book Notes
August 29 2008 -
If you haven't ever checked out the largehearted boy blog, stop what you're doing and go there now. This is an amazing blog that I've been reading for years and it's been featured in the Wall Street Journal. It's a great source for music and lit recommendations, musicians writing about music, and its Book Notes series, where writers writing...
The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second’s first podcast shout-out!
August 28 2008 -
Brian and Jim of the MyGayTwoCents podcast gave me and The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second on their August 28, 2008, show. I just got introduced to these great guys not too long ago from another podcaster and I've enjoyed their banter and back catalog of shows. You can subscribe to their podcast for free on iTunes (I wish I could...
Instinct Magazine review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 27 2008 -
John Hamilton at Instinct Magazine reviewed The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, giving the novel 4.5 out of 5 stars, and writing: "Ferguson tempers [Charlie's] illicit antics in the choir rehearsal room with compelling well-rounded characters and plenty of humor ... Despite Judy Blume's groundbreaking frankness, I don't think she ever...
Signed copies of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 27 2008 -
If you're looking for a signed copy of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second before the September 5, 2008, reading at Women and Children First, there are signed copies available at a number of stores in Chicago, but I personally recommend going to Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview. It's an amazing bookstore with a really smart, hip, and,...
Reading at Women & Children First in Chicago on September 5
August 26 2008 -
Drew Ferguson will be reading from his novel, The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. The reading will be hosted by:
5233 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
Ph. 773-769-9299
Edge review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 26 2008 -
Christian Cintron, writing for Edge (which has sites for Chicago, Philadelphia, Provincetown, Boston, and New England), says of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second: "The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second is an amazing novel that captures the true essence of growing up ... author Drew Ferguson creates complex characters with real...Reading Keeps You Sane review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 25 2008 -
Kelsey, an awesome blogger who owns the Reading Keeps You Sane Web log, just posted a review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. Kelsey has this to say: "This book is told with attitude ... honest, smart, and humorous. You will love Charlie..."
Be sure to check out her blog for other book recommendations.
Lavender Magazine Review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 22 2008 -
E. B. Boatner of Lavender Magazine says, "Narrated through Charlie's diary, the novel adroitly mixes teenage and adult angst, humor and reality, in a satisfying read."Washington Blade Review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 22 2008 -
The Washington Blade's book critic writes, "Ferguson's novel is ... boyfriend fiction at it's best." The review is available here.More mentions of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie
August 22 2008 -
First, I'd like to give a huge ol' sloppy hug to my friend, Frank Anthony Polito. He's guest blogging over at Kenneth in the 212. Apparently, like me, he quickly ran out things to blog about so he blogged about Charlie. Frank's a great writer so be sure to check out his debut novel Band Fags! and also check out an "interview" I did with him...Modern Tonic review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
August 21 2008 -
Modern Tonic, a really great site for all things pop culture, just posted a review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. They write, "Drew Ferguson’s bittersweet debut novel The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second (out August 26) [is] an unflinchingly honest — and really funny — gay-teen coming-of-age tale." You can read the whole...Shooting Stars Magazine Review of CHARLIE
August 16 2008 -
Lauren over at Shooting Stars Magazine, which is a really great book blog with a host of reviews and giveaways--just posted her review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. She also came up with a wickedly cool idea for a contest--the prize being an advanced reader copy of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second that I personally...Eureka Pride review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
July 28 2008 -
"This very well could be the gay book of the year."Amos Lassen, who writes for Eureka Pride and is an Amazon Top 500 reviewer (and his recommendations have been a great source for my reading selections through the years), has posted an early review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. In part, Mr. Lassen writes, "You will fall...
Reading in San Francisco: Thursday, October 16, 7:30 pm at Books Inc. in the Castro
July 23 2008 -
On Thursday, October 16, 2008, at 7:30 pm, I'll be reading from The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second at Books Inc. in the Castro.
Better still, the event will also feature the amazing Michael Thomas Ford, whose new book, Suicide Notes, will be coming out in October. If you haven't checked out Michael's amazing books, do so right now....
Pride Reading at Women and Children First
June 04 2008 -
Drew Ferguson will be one of the featured readers at Women and Children First Bookstore's annual Pride Reading on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 7: 00 p.m.
The Pride Open Mic is an annual tradition. This year’s featured readers are Achy Obejas, Carol Anshaw, Gregg Shapiro, Drew Ferguson, Deb R. Lewis, Nikki Patin, Rick Karlin, and Darwyn...
Publishers Weekly Review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second
June 04 2008 -
On June 2, 2008, Publishers Weekly printed their review of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, saying in part, "Ferguson's exuberant portrait successfully re-creates coming-of-age's dizzy heat."
Read the full review here.
The Charlie the Second Pre-Publication Contest Begins
June 01 2008 - DrewFerguson.com
Check out my blog to see how you can win an advanced reader copy of The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, other great summer reads, iTunes goodies, and other prizes. It’ll be the first Charlie contest, but definitely not the last—and it’s free!
Panel Discussion at Columbia College Chicago’s Young Authors Event
May 10 2008 - DrewFerguson.com
Drew participated in a panel discussion at Columbia College Chicago’s Young Authors Event along with these great writers: Don DeGrazia (American Skin
Drew Appears on The Brian Costello Show
April 26 2008 - DrewFerguson.com
Drew appeared as a guest on The Brian Costello Show with Brian Costello.