Photograph of Chaucer's Books storefront in Santa Barbara, with a dust jacket of "The Contortionist's Handbook" superimposed on the image, just below the sign. Bonus alt text: Chaucer's just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Also, Howdy. Glad to have you here.
Santa Barbara folks... our celebrated local indie, Chaucer's Books, has signed copies of #TheContortionistsHandbook on their shelves. You know what to do.
Cardboard box full of books, with a sticker on the outside that reads, "Super Hot Title."
My stash of books arrived from my publisher today. This label went through the postal service, so it has to be true, right? #TheContortionistsHandbook #CrimeFiction #noir
Had a long distance (and long) sit-down with Robb Olson of @thearcparty.bsky.social... we talked about #TheContortionistsHandbook then and now, and a host of topics that I can't remember. But it was a blast.
#CrimeFiction
#Noir
www.thearcparty.com/p/craig-clev...
Stack of re-issue copies of "The ContortionistsHandbook" signed by the author.
This is why I love working with independents. Thanks for the support, y'all. #TheContortionistsHandbook #crimefiction
Release event: Saturday, January 18th at 3pm, "The Contortionist's Handbook" by Craig Clevenger. Joining Craig Will be David M. Olsen and Curtis Ippolito for "The Amber Waves of Autumn" noir anthology.
Tomorrow afternoon, 3pm, at Artifact Books in Encinitas, CA, I'll be defacing copies of #TheContortionistsHandbook, and reading alongside the lads from "The Amber Waves of Autumn.
Photograph of Craig Clevenger talking in front of a bookshelf on "Drinks with Tony."
I celebrated release day yesterday with Tony DuShane on "Drinks with Tony." We talked #TheContortionistsHandbook, our mutual love of libraries and a host of other random topics.
Listen Thursday at 6pm on 92.9FM Los Gatos and 101.9FM Santa Cruz on Pirate Cat Radio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Here's the original Guardian review for #TheContortionistsHandbook from none other than Irvine Welsh himself. This one really lit a fire under my career years ago. And the re-release is just a week away...
www.theguardian.com/books/2005/a...
Exterior shot of a Los Angeles bar during the daytime, with the unlit neon sign reading "Boardner's" above the awning.
Cover shot of "The Contortionist's Handbook" out 14th January 2025 with blurbs: "Clevener's talent is revealed in his ability to create a true testament to the resilience of the human spirit." -USA Today "Immaculately detailed and emotionally explosive, this is rolling, riveting stuff." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review "I swear to god, this is the best book I have read in years." -Chuck Palahniuk, author of "Fight Club"
When I wrote The Contortionist's Handbook, I wanted to give a nod to some of my old L.A. haunts, so John Vincent (my protagonist) stops at Boardner's for a shot (four, I think). More from Handbook tour of L.A. to come...
#TheContortionistsHandbook
#bookstagram
#daturabooks
#crimefiction
#noir
"He's still circling tighter and tighter, every now and again a quick snap of his jaws when he sees a soft spot." From #TheContortionistsHandbook Datura Books, January 2025
"The Contortionist's Handbook" by Craig Clevenger with a new introduction by Jordan Harper, now available to request on NetGalley.
You know what to do. #TheContortionistsHandbook
Saturday, January 18th @3pm, Craig Clevenger, author of "The Contortionist's Handbook" at Artifact Books in Encinitas, CA.
Saturday, January 18th at 3pm, I'll be at Artifact Books in Encinitas, CA, for the re-release of #TheContortionistsHandbook forthcoming from Datura Books, with an intro by Jordan Harper. See y'all there.
So... a non-scientific poll for all y'all who've read #TheContortionistsHandbook (for those of you who haven't, this post/thread is spoiler adjacent... read further at your [kinda but not really] peril). A short thread.
