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New Literary Novel Explores Philosophy of Hedonism

Author Donné Raffat has written a compelling novel that follows the collective story of five individuals whose lives unexpectedly intertwine in Cowpet Bay

PHOENIX – Author Donné Raffat has published his most recent literary publication, “Hedonism - A Novel.” Raffat received critical praise for previous works including reviews in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, and Publishers Weekly.

His latest novel examines the notion of hedonism as viewed and experienced by five characters – three men and two women – whose interaction leads to major changes.

A Wall Street banker, his young mistress, an aspiring academic, a retired professor of literature, a German graduate student of philosophy, and a local waitress all find their lives intertwined in a way none expected. As their collective story unfolds over a year, the events are viewed sequentially from the standpoint of each, revealing their impact not only on each other but also, ultimately, on the whole Cowpet Bay community in St. Thomas.

“All of my novels deal with periods of transition. The characters are unprepared for it, however the readers know more about the transition than the characters do at first,” said Raffat. “The same applies to ‘Hedonism’ as the characters are trying to determine what constitutes a good life.”

To learn more about Raffat’s novels, please visit www.draffat.com.

“Hedonism – A Novel”

By Donné Raffat

ISBN: 978-1-4990-2200-1 (Hard Cover), 978-1-4990-2200-1 (Soft Cover), 978-1-4990-2199-8 (eBook)

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Xlibris Bookstore

About the author

Donné Raffat has published seven books with one completed and another in progress. Much of Raffat’s writing has been inspired by his experience and travel to various parts of the world and time living in several different countries. In addition to his novels, Raffat has also written reviews for publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Nation. He received a B.A. from Harvard, a doctorate from Michigan and was a visiting scholar at Cambridge.

Website: http://www.draffat.com/

Interview

Welcome to my blog Donne. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and tell us about your latest book.

Q:	*Tell us about your latest work—title, genre, etc. — and why you wrote it?*
A:	I have two upcoming literary novels, the last one “Chimeras” and the one in writing “Triads.” The first one involves a journey around the world by a journalist in search of a woman, an obsession, and the second one is about a book decoder in Chicago who has always stayed in place until the subject of the story.
Q:	*What draws you to your genre(s)? Why is this type of story compelling to you?*
A:	The novel is the freest form of writing I know in literature and one which can go in all sorts of directions, appealing to all sorts of human responses, including thought, imagination, and feeling. In grief, it activates the mind. The best, in my view, are those that engage the reader just as fully as the author, without the author, interfering.
Q:	*What is your writing process like? Do you map the whole thing out or do you just let it unfold?*
A:	Like most things in life, it’s a combination of things. To get any story started, you need to know what it is about, as well as something about the characters. But as you write, the story and characters have a tendency of going their own way and having that happen is the real delight for the novelist: seeing the story take off in its own direction.
Q:	*What kind of research was involved?*
A:	Going or being there. In the case of “Hedonism,” I went to St. Thomas and Cowpet Bay, I was just visiting friends in a place I had not been to before. After two days there, I knew that I was viewing the place as a novelist and would return. The same happened in Belize with “Maya Blue.”
Q:	*How much of YOU makes it into your characters?*
A:	As little as possible, otherwise they wouldn’t be their own characters. Besides, when they emerge in their own right, they wouldn’t put up with it. As for my thoughts, however, they are everywhere—not unlike the influence parents have on their children.
Q:	*How do you balance the need to have time to write with the needs of family, society, etc.?*
A:	As one ages, managing such matters becomes easier, provided one has an appreciation of one’s solitude, which is the main condition for writing. That aside, in lieu of a schedule, I have a daily routine. And just as I exercise daily, so I write daily. The rest is secondary and will come of its own.
Q:	*Have there been any authors in particular, that inspired your writing?*
A:	There have been plenty, both ones I have read and ones I have known and talked with. As such, there are too many to single out individually as each has influenced me differently in a collective fashion. That said, the favorite writers of one’s youth always stay with one.
Q:	*Is there a story you want to tell behind or about your work(s)?*
A:	No, the less said by a novelist about his work, the better. What goes into conversations with fellow writers, on the other hand, is another matter as that is discourse.
Q:	*What other projects are you currently working on or about to start?*
A:	I currently have two books in progress and as for the next novel, who is to say? But when it comes, it will make its usual demanding presence known as one novel, like The Phoenix, arises from the ashes of the last one.
Q:	*Could you share some of your marketing strategies? Which ones are the most effective in your opinion?*
A:	I leave that for my Publicist, who is more knowledgeable about that than I am. My recommendation is to get a good Publicist.
Q:	*What would be the top five, (or 3 or 1 or however many) things you would tell aspiring authors?*
A:	I make it a point never to tell others what to do, as the discovery of that is one of the adventures in life. Besides, they wouldn’t listen anyway. But to address the questions differently: 1. Good luck. 2. Enjoy your work. 3. Establish a writing routine. 4. Finish what you start. 5. Your work is not finished until it is published. Only then are you set to work on the next book.