Friday Freebie: The Soul of a Whore and Purvis by Denis Johnson

Congratulations to Bob Alexander, winner of last week's Friday Freebie: The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers.

This week's book giveaway is Soul of a Whore and Purvis: Two Plays in Verse by Denis Johnson, one of the undisputed masters of contemporary American literature.  It's no secret I'm a fan of Johnson's Tree of Smoke and Train Dreams, and so I'm happy to offer a new hardcover copy of Johnson's latest book to Quivering Pen readers: two dramatic works which offer the same gritty pleasures of his novels and short stories.  Flavorwire praised Soul of a Whore and Purvis by saying “These plays are everything you’d expect and want from a dramatic creation written by Denis Johnson—grit, poetry, passionate prose, a host of devilishly dirty characters steeped in backbreaking honesty, and a whirlwind ride that takes us to the polar reaches of the human experience.”  Here's the plot summary from the publisher:

In his poetry, short stories, novels, and plays, the National Book Award-winning author Denis Johnson has explored the story of America—especially of the West, land of self-made men and self-perpetuating myths—with searing honesty and genuine sympathy. These two plays, written in verse at once hypnotic and clear, confirm his position as one of our great verbal stylists and a literary conscience for our times. In Soul of a Whore, a lively cast of characters—faith healers, pimps, strippers, actual demons—converge, with unexpected hilarity, as Bess Cassandra awaits execution for the murder of her infant daughter. Purvis’s seven reverse-chronological scenes catalog the fall and rise of Melvin Purvis, the G-man who brought down John Dillinger and Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Johnson takes us from Washington’s back rooms to a Midwestern cornfield, dramatizing the seductive allure of power and our own human capacity for both pettiness and grace. In these furiously entertaining, occasionally terrifying works, Johnson chronicles and questions America’s myths, heroes, and everyday realities with verve and elegance, revealing himself once again to be at the height of his linguistic and insightful powers.

If you'd like a chance at winning a copy of The Soul of a Whore and Purvis: Two Plays in Verse, all you have to do is email your name and mailing address to thequiveringpen@gmail.com

Put FRIDAY FREEBIE in the e-mail subject line.  One entry per person, please.  Despite its name, the Friday Freebie runs all week long and remains open to entries until midnight on Oct. 25—at which time I'll draw the winning name.  I'll announce the lucky reader on Oct. 26.  If you'd like to join the mailing list for the once-a-week Quivering Pen newsletter, simply add the words "Sign me up for the newsletter" in the body of your email.  Your email address and other personal information will never be sold or given to a third party (except in those instances where the publisher requires a mailing address for sending Friday Freebie winners copies of the book).

Want to double your odds of winning?  Get an extra entry in the contest by posting a link to this webpage on your blog, your Facebook wall or by tweeting it on Twitter.  Once you've done any of those things, send me an additional e-mail saying "I've shared" and I'll put your name in the hat twice.