Every winter, the New York Times names the most notable books published in that year. Barack Obama鈥檚 book has been on the list. So have works by Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, and Elizabeth Strout.
And, this year, so have books by two Stonecoast faculty members.
鈥淗okuloa Road鈥� by Elizabeth Hand and 鈥淣ight of the Living Rez鈥� by Morgan Talty made the New York Times list of .
鈥淚t just came out of nowhere,鈥� said Talty.
While Hand鈥檚 work has appeared on the New York Times list before, this is Talty鈥檚 first time 鈥� and his first book.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a few years (since appearing on the list), so it was really exciting,鈥� Hand said. 鈥淏ut I was really genuinely and especially excited because Morgan was there, too.鈥�
鈥淣ight of the Living Rez鈥� is a short story collection set in a Native community in Maine. Talty, a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, graduated from the 杏吧传媒鈥檚 Stonecoast low-residency MFA program in 2019 and began teaching there not long after.聽 He is also an Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Maine.
Published by Tin House in July, Talty鈥檚 book quickly earned rave reviews, including from the New York Times. It won a New England Book Award for fiction and was a finalist for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction. It鈥檚 been named one of the best books of 2022 multiple times, including by TIME, Publishers Weekly, NPR, and Esquire. It鈥檚 a national bestseller.
Hand is working on the final revisions to 鈥淎 Haunting on the Hill,鈥� an authorized follow-up to Shirley Jackson鈥檚 classic 鈥淭he Haunting of Hill House.鈥� That book is set to be published in 2023.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been surreal. It鈥檚 just been an unexpected trip, and it鈥檚 still going,鈥� Talty said. 鈥淓very week there鈥檚 something 鈥� there鈥檚 something that somebody says about it that keeps it going, which is cool.鈥�
The New York Times鈥� annual book list is among the most well known and carries a lot of sway with readers looking for recommendations.
“It’s fantastic seeing two of our Stonecoast faculty members receive this recognition for their books,鈥� said Stonecoast Director Justin Tussing. 鈥淓lizabeth Hand and Morgan Talty aren’t just remarkable writers; like the rest of their colleagues at Stonecoast, they’re also extraordinary teachers who are invested in helping others realize their writing goals.”
Hand鈥檚 鈥淗okuloa Road鈥� is a mystery/thriller centered on a young Maine man who goes to work as a caretaker for a luxury property in Hawaii and discovers that people in the area tend to disappear. Published by Mulholland Books in July, it also quickly garnered rave reviews, including from the New York Times.
Hand has published nearly 20 novels and a number of short story collections. She has taught at Stonecoast for 15 years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful community of writers,鈥� Hand said of Stonecoast. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not this sort of hierarchy of faculty members, writers, and student writers. It just feels like a whole lot of writers.鈥�
Talty is currently working on a new book, his first novel, called 鈥淔ire Exit.鈥� That book is set to be published in 2024.