Joshua Ferris has had some big shoes to fill. Namely, his own.
His 2007 novel, “Then We Came to the End,” a hilarious account of the modern-day workplace, won him the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Barnes and Noble Discover Award, and was a National Book Award finalist. Not too shabby for a debut.
Three years later, the Crown Heights-based writer has followed up the hype with “The Unnamed,” moving out of the cubicle and into the home of a married couple distressed by the husband’s strange illness — a malady that makes him walk for days on end to the point of exhaustion.
A complete left turn from his comedic debut, “The Unnamed” has been hailed for its originality and depth, as Ferris deals with themes of family and chronic disease.
Some brevity should be in store, though, when Ferris reads as part of BAM’s Eat, Drink & Be Literary series on April 22, where you can raise your glass to one of the most toasted young writers working today.
How are those shoes fitting?
Joshua Ferris reads at BAM [30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street in Fort Greene, (718) 636-4100] on April 22 at 6:30 pm. Tickets $52 (includes dinner, wine, tax and tip). For info, visit www.bam.org.
— Meredith Deliso
