lit out loud
Local author Owen Egerton celebrates The Book of Harold at BookPeople
- Owen Egerton
From stage to page, Owen Egerton is one of Austin’s favorite funny men. Tomorrow night you’ll have a chance to see why as BookPeople celebrates the paperback release of his novel The Book of Harold, out now from Soft Skull Press.
A decade in the making, Egerton’s novel is fully titled The Book of Harold: The Illegitimate Son of God. It’s a satisfying satire set in modern-day Houston, focused on a meek man named Harold Peeks. Dissatisfied with his stereotypically suburban existence, one day Harold makes an announcement to his coworkers: He’s the Son of God.
Egerton will be appearing at BookPeople on Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m., where you’ll have a chance to hear the tale of Harold in the author’s own voice.
"In no way was I trying to write a book that dismisses a faith … or that makes proclamations about Jesus, Christianity, Buddhism," Egerton tells the Statesman. "This is a work of fiction - and fiction shouldn't give answers. Fiction should expand the mystery. It should wrestle with the questions."
And wrestle it does, both lyrically and philosophically, blending on-point humor with true heart while managing to tackle a divisive topic as respectfully as possible.
Egerton has also authored short story collection How Best to Avoid Dyingand acclaimed one-man show The Other Side of Sleep (which went up on the Zach Scott stage in 2010).
The three-time “Austin’s favorite author” isn’t just a writer; he also produces shows at the Alamo (like the “Best of” series, composed of clips, on themes like Sex and God, curated and narrated by Egerton), and is a co-founding member of Master Pancake.
He’s a triple-threat for sure, with a dynamic personality makes his live events especially compelling; Egerton will be appearing at BookPeople on Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m., where you’ll have a chance to hear the tale of Harold in the author’s own voice.
Take a look at the book trailer:
Preview what to expect at tomorrow’s event with this clip of Egerton reading from a section of the book wherein “a live Nativity play goes horribly wrong”:
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