What's happened

7.26.18: "Downs tells a fascinating story in skilled, often elegant prose, and he treats all his characters with great sympathy." The Los Angeles Review of Books considers The Strange and True Tale and deems it "hypnotic" and "a meditation on pain."

6.11.18: "Wells is an odd, obsessive man, and Downs does an excellent job capturing his weirdness." The Missoulian newspaper offers its take on The Strange and True Tale.

5.22.18: The premier of The Strange and True Tale's book trailer! Watch this short film, made by the talented David Grossbach. It might be the best three minutes you'll spend today.

5.16.18: Spoiler alert! Sort of. American Short Fiction published an alternate ending for The Strange and True Tale as part of its Editorial Outtakes feature. This is an ending Michael wrote for the novel, then cut and replaced with the book's published ending.

5.3.18: Michael chatted with Marion Winik, the amazing author of The Glen Rock Book of the Dead and other books, about The Strange and True Tale. Their conversation can be found at Baltimore Fishbowl, once you scroll past the white space.

5.2.18: Michael talks with Sheilah Kast of WYPR in Baltimore about The Strange and True Tale. Their conversation begins at the 12:50 minute mark of the downloadable podcast.

4.17.18: The Strange and True Tale of Horace Wells, Surgeon Dentist, Michael's debut novel, now available for pre-order on Amazon.

3.6.18: "I told Melania after we saw Titanic, I would have breast-stroked through the North Atlantic to rescue Kate Winslett. Absolutely." Humor at Scoundrel Time!

2.23.18: What skills transfer from the news page to the novel? Check out this discussion at the Sundress Blog featuring five novelists who started as reporters, including Michael.

 2.14.18: Joshua Hall, one of the young men featured in House of Good Hope, ultimately became a high school teacher, then entered politics. He has announced his candidacy for re-election to the Connecticut House of Delegates, representing a section of Hartford.

2.13.18: Subscribers to some editions of AARP: The Magazine will find in the February issue Michael's short feature about Angloville, a Polish company that matches English-speakers with Poles for a week of conversation at a Polish resort – lodging and food provided. Bardzo dobrze!

1.25.18: New work at The Southern Review

At the debut reading for The Strange and True Tale, at Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore.

Chatting while signing the new novel.

What's happening

September
9.13.18: Enoch Pratt Library's Writers LIVE, 6:30 p.m., Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 415 Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201. With Paul Goldberg, author of The Chateau  

9.29.18: Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Stage and time TBD.

October
10.10.18: Cook Library, Towson University, Brown Bag Lunch and discussion regarding The Strange and True Tale. I'll bring jawbreakers. 12-1 p.m., Room CK507

November
11.3.18: Reading and conversation, The Tolland Public Library, Tolland, CT. 2 p.m..

11.5.18: The ROAR Reading Series. University of Connecticut Barnes and Noble, Willimantic, CT. 7 p.m..

11.10.18: Baltimore Writers Conference, Towson University. Fiction craft talk. College of Liberal Arts Building,  Time TBA.

2019
February
2.18.19: Reading and conversation, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, details TBA.

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