The Next Scott Nadelson

“One of the joys of this book is that in showing how literature sustained him Nadelson gives us literature that sustains.” —Scott F. Parker, The Oregonian

“Even in his most pitiful moments, Nadelson’s readers can’t help but look through their fingers at him, not in disgust or bewilderment, but in solidarity.” —Corey Fawcett, Portland Monthly Magazine

“It’s unusual to read a memoir built of short stories, but it works—instead of forcing a narrative arc onto his own life, as so many memoir writers do, Nadelson simply places these stories next to one another, allowing their edges to overlap, tugging the reader forward and backward in time. The results are funny, quietly compelling, and unflinchingly frank. Nadelson has built a golem out of paper and typeface.” —Alison Hallett, The Portland Mercury

“[The Next Scott Nadelson] seems written to a cool score by Townes Van Zandt and is a book that is hard to put aside . . . Philip Roth usually comes to mind when I read Nadelson . . . I mention the Roth comparison because I think Nadelson is better compared with another writer, not Jewish. Reading Scott Nadelson makes me want to read more Turgenev, but only while I eagerly await the next Scott Nadelson.” —Paul Haist, Oregon Jewish Review

“With a voice that’s smart, candid, self-effacing, and immensely likeable, Nadelson’s memoir is a complete success.” —Tyler McMahon, The Collagist

“In Nadelson’s memoir, readers find a skilled writer whose introspection into his insecurities endears him to his readers and presents a fine example of memoir writing that is immediate, honest, visceral, and altogether a pleasure to read. It must also be said that Nadelson’s honesty and openness are rare and underappreciated qualities in memoir writing, especially one from a male perspective.” —Girija Sankar, New Pages

“For previous fans of Nadelson, The Next Scott Nadelson will come as no surprise, and it will greater enhance the understanding of his previous fiction. For those unacquainted with the author, they might be pleased to find that they have not necessarily encountered the next Philip Roth, but a new, twenty-first century version of the late, great master of the absurdly comic tragedy that is life, Saul Bellow.” —Adam Gallari, Fifth Wednesday

“Eloquent and universal.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A poignant meditation on love, literature, and the pains as well as the perverse pleasures of loneliness. Nadelson chronicles his life in progress with the wry, warm honesty of an old friend catching up after many years. He reminds us that the world can be simultaneously huge and miniscule, that what we read and see and remember is at once nothing and everything, that wholeness is much greater than any sum total you can imagine.” —Meghan Daum, author of Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House

“The Next Scott Nadelson: A Life in Progress is an endearing self-portrait filled with wisdom, humor, and refreshing honesty. Nadelson examines moments in his life marked by failure and disappointment, yet nothing fails or disappoints in this fine modern memoir. A great read.” —Dinty W. Moore, author of Between Panic and Desire

“In The Next Scott Nadelson, the title figure is honest, open, and searching, and his presence on the page is truly consoling: his patient excavation of his life will help readers understand their own.” —David Shields, author of Reality Hunger: A Manifesto