Praise for Nick Earls’ Wisdom Tree novellas:
This smart, precise, and beautiful novella reads like an emotional time bomb. Everything is quiet at first, then comes a slow build of tension, and then comes a strange ticking sound, and then — BOOM — suddenly your heart blows up. You can’t write better than this. It’s simply perfect. – Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic, Eat Pray Love) on Gotham
The five brilliant parts of Wisdom Tree are notable for how each concludes with a sense of possibilities yet to come, with a resounding and moving open-endedness. For all that the novella form is no longer as familiar as once it was, Earls has created a triumphant and extraordinary piece of fiction within an only apparently modest compass. – Sydney Morning Herald
Superbly written, Wisdom Tree is the accessible form for twenty-first century time poor, screen devoted readers. – Debbish.com
One of Earls’s strengths as a writer of fiction is his sharp observation of domestic detail; another is his keen awareness of how our cultural life intermingles with the quotidian reality of family routine. – The Australian
Somebody buy Australian writer Nick Earls a drink. Or better still, hand him another prize (although he already has a bunch), because he has written THE MOST PERFECT NOVELLA IN THE HISTORY OF THE FORMAT . . . Gotham is a literary gem of the highest grade. – North & South Magazine
“Gotham (Wisdom Tree 1)”
Jeff Foster is in Manhattan to interview the latest and greatest hip-hop sensation, Na$ti Boi, a session which will include shopping at Bloomingdales and a side trip for “candy.” But he’s also in Manhattan for family reasons, and he’ll bond with Na4ti Boi’s cousin and manager over child birth and care.
“Venice (Wisdom Tree 2)”
No, it’s not set in Venice — it’s about the Venice prize, a prestigious art award, one Ryan’s sister Natalie wins while Ryan is staying with her and her husband after being “right-sized.” It’s their son, Harrison, with whom Ryan bonds as they explore kitchen-sink science experiments and “Blitzkrieg Pop.”
“Vancouver (Wisdom Tree 3)”
Jeff Coates is in Vancouver to promote his newest novel, but it’s October 2001 and where Jeff once anticipated a big launch for his story and perhaps even a multi-city tour, he finds the world suddenly a different place with different concerns. But he also finds Knut, the friendly giant who lived with his family during Jeff’s childhood, when his father struck it rich enough with one idea that his other idea — for a football league that would compete with the NFL — didn’t matter as much.