Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Prepare to fall in love with THE BOHEMIAN LOVE DIARIES

Slash Coleman's memoir, hailed as "moving" and "entertaining" by Kirkus and a de-gentrifier of souls by internationally bestselling author Gary Shteyngart, was released last month by Lyons Press. Zany and offbeat, The Bohemian Love Diaries recounts Coleman's upbringing by a family of eccentric artists and his quest to live life with unrestrained creativity and love.

Coleman is an award-winning storyteller, perhaps best known for his PBS special The New American Storyteller and his Off Broadway show The Neon Man and Me. He is also a regular Psychology Today and Storytelling Magazine contributor with a large and loyal fan following.

To give readers a sense of the vivid storytelling and hilarity in his memoir, Coleman brought an excerpt to graphic-novel-like life for his book trailer:



Only fittingly, the launch party for The Bohemian Love Diaries revolved around storytelling, humor, and (failed) love. It was held at The Gallery at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City and featured “a panel of failed love experts." Below we bring you a photo-summary of the unforgettable evening:

The event started off with a bang as comedy duo The Donovan Ensemble staged a rather unique adaptation of the play Carmen.


Next, comedienne Sarah Elizabeth Greer regaled the audience with a story of love lost and love found.


Performance artist Emleigh Wolf, performing as Umberto MacDougal, read a moving tale from self-created Umberto's Book of Sad.


Playwright Ira Gamerman performed Dangerously Unqualified: A Podcast about Love, using his smartphone as a prop to great effect.


Street photographer Mo Gelber, whose photographs of blow-up doll Rivka have become viral sensations, introduced Rivka, his girlfriend, to the audience.


Then came the moment we'd all been waiting for. Coleman took to the stage and gave a storytelling performance of excerpts from The Bohemian Love Diaries...


...followed by a more formal reading of excerpted passages.


The New York City launch event was only the beginning of Coleman's book tour. He plans to do readings in 23 states. His most recent stop was in his hometown of Richmond, VA, where he gave the below interview with the local CBS news station:



If all of the above didn't make it obvious to you, The Bohemian Love Diaries is a book not to be missed!  It's a book you'll fall in love with.  Below is a sampling of some of the praise it has received:

“The author’s account exhibits flashes of humor and thoughtful introspection...moving...[An] entertaining examination of the plight of an artist’s progeny.” --Kirkus

"Slash Coleman's book has made the East Village dangerous again. He has de-gentrified my soul." --Gary Shteyngart, internationally bestselling author of Super Sad True Love Story

“Coleman comes alive on the page in this memoir about the bizarre and beautiful life of a free spirit and artist who navigates through life with his heart. It’s easy to fall in love with him as a reader, and I can’t decide if I wished I was on the journey with him or if I’m completely content to simply read about it and enjoy the laugh. One thing is for sure, Evel Knievel would be proud.” --Ophira Eisenberg, host of NPR's Ask Me Another and author of Screw Everyone

“Slash’s endearing and idiosyncratic memoir feels wonderfully intimate, like he’s whispering his life’s greatest and most heartbreaking moments right into your ear. A lively, wonderful read.” --Mara Altman, author of Thanks for Coming

"Slash Coleman has a fresh point of view, an original story and tons of style. The Bohemian Love Diaries is a fun, raucous read by a fantastic storyteller." --Mishna Wolff, bestselling author of I'm Down

Lyons Press, July 2013