Published in 20 languages, David Vann's internationally-bestselling books have won 15 prizes, including best foreign novel in France and Spain, and appeared on 75 Best Books of the Year lists in a dozen countries. A former Guggenheim fellow, he is currently a Professor at the University of Warwick in England and Honorary Professor at the University of Franche-Comté in France.
Praise for Bright Air Black
"In Bright Air Black, Vann captures all of the fascinating dark and
magical elements of classic Greek mythology that have made it
endure across time and cultures, but challenges us to empathize
with Medea, to see her humanity despite the actions that will label
her as a monster."--Zyzzyva
"Vann writes in an elliptical, often impressionistic style . . .
creating an unfamiliarity that effectively suggests distance, as if
the language of this far-off world is not yet fully formed. It's an
effect that is countered by the dialogue, which is jarringly
contemporary . . . Perhaps the point is to remind us how little
separates us from these characters 25 centuries old, but the modern
idiom sits oddly with the careful, mesmeric poetry of the
narrative. Where Vann succeeds is in creating a Medea who, at the
climax of her tragedy, feels convincing and sympathetic. Far from a
monster who sacrifices her sons for spite, he shows her as a fierce
woman who, faced with losing everything, will not surrender control
when it matters most . . . Bright Air Black is a compelling study
of human nature stripped to its most elemental, and a vivid
addition to the many interpretations of this character, whose
complexity shows no sign of losing its allure." --Guardian (UK)
"Sympathy for Medea builds as Vann shows us the world she inhabits
. . . His Medea is a victim and a survivor. The time and the place
may be very different from his previous novels, but Bright Air
Black shares the same central structure of a searing family drama
set against a backdrop of untamed nature . . . At the heart of this
ambitious, dazzling, disturbing and memorable novel lies the uneasy
juxtaposing of the wild and the civilised, and the complex,
shifting relationship between the two." --Financial Times (UK)
"While Vann takes few risks with the myth itself, his genius lies
in his ability to blow away all the elegance and toga-clad
politeness that have grown like a crust around our idea of ancient
Greece and to reveal the bare bones of the Archaic period in all
their bloody, reeking nastiness. There is no magic. There are no
gods." --Times (UK)
"Vann gives us a fresh slant on an early myth, an up-close and
in-depth character study. From the outset, his drama unfolds in
prose that is both atmospheric and electrifying . . . [A] stunning
depiction of one of mythology's most complex characters . . . Its
dark energy shocks us and shakes us, yet it is impossible to pull
away." --The Australian "Incorporating both mesmerizing sentences
and concentrated fragments . . . Sensual and violent, often
simultaneously, Vann's novel evokes the primal force of women's
power." --Booklist "Vann peels back the layers of myth to depict
the ruthless realities of Bronze Age existence. Medea is depicted
as a protofeminist antiheroine who must rely on her wits to survive
in a world of hostile and brutish men who will betray her . . .
Insightful and poetic, dark and atmospheric." --Library Journal
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