The Bridge
Aaron and Tillie don't
know each other, but they are both feeling suicidal, and arrive at the
George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a
gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn't sure
what her problem is -- only that she will never be good enough.
On the bridge, there are four things that could happen:
Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn't.
Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn't.
They both jump.
Neither of them jumps.
Or maybe all four things happen, in this astonishing and insightful novel from Bill Konigsberg.
Praise for Bill Konisberg:
* "Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature." -- Booklist, starred review
* "Give to fans of Benjamin Alire Sáenz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. A first purchase for public and high school libraries." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"The
result is a story with imperfect characters who are, refreshingly,
called out on problematic behaviors and aim to do better. A fresh
addition to the menu of queer teenage love stories." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Konigsberg
explores how conventional ideas about masculinity trap young men into
believing they must act a certain way... A fun, romantic, and moving
novel." -- Publishers Weekly
"Readers seeking an unusually thoughtful gay-positive romance will find this moving." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This
book offers an interesting perspective on growing up and coming-of-age
by crafting two main characters who offer unique points of view for an
often underserved audience. This is a much-needed book in every high
school library." -- School Library Connection
"With The Music of What Happens,
Bill Konigsberg serves up a profound examination of masculinity,
consent, and relationships through the eyes of two of the most endearing
narrators I've ever read. Jordan and Max are vulnerable, sweet, funny,
and flawed. Teens, whether they identify as LGBTQIA+ or not, are lucky
to have this book in their lives." -- Shaun David Hutchinson, author of We Are the Ants
"The Music of What Happens is
a compelling, laugh-out-loud story, as swoon-worthy as it is deeply
affecting. Max and Jordan grabbed hold of my heart from the moment I met
them and I don't see them letting go any time soon. Konigsberg has a
way of making me see the world -- and food trucks! -- a little
differently." -- David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
"Bill
Konigsberg has a way of creating characters that could be your next
door neighbor, your best friend, or that cute boy who once helped you
change a flat tire. Max and Jordan will find their way into your heart,
and after the last page, you'll regret that they aren't real. Once you
start reading The Music of What Happens, you won't be able to stop." -- Brigid Kemmerer, author of Letters to the Lost
Bill Konigsberg
Bill Konigsberg was born in
1970 in New York City. Expectations were high from birth - at least in
terms of athletics. His parents figured he'd be a great soccer player,
based on his spirited kicking from inside the womb. As it turned out,
the highlight of his soccer career was at Camp Greylock in 1978, when he
was chosen for the Camp's "D" team. There were only four levels. Bill
played alongside the likes of the kid who always showered alone, the
chronic nosebleeder and the guy with recurrent poison ivy.
Early
in his life, Bill decided he wanted to be a disc jockey, a professional
baseball player, or the Construction Worker from The Village People.
None of these career paths worked out for him. Yet. He still holds out
hope for a Village People revival and has set up a Google Alert in case
it happens.
A B- student throughout high school, Bill was voted
Most Likely to Avoid Doing Any Real Work In His Life by a panel of his
dismissive peers. He proved them wrong with a series of strange-but-true
jobs in his 20s - driver recruiter for a truck driving school, sales
consultant for a phone company, and temp at Otis Elevators.
He
moved to Denver in 1996 and was voted Least Stylish Gay Guy in the Metro
Denver Area (including Loveland!) for each of the years from 1996-98.
His fashion-free wardrobe robbed him of prospective dates countless
times, as did his penchant for wearing a mustache that didn't suit him.
He
worked at ESPN and ESPN.com from 1999-2002, where he developed a
penchant for sharing too much information about himself. That character
flaw earned him a GLAAD Media Award in 2002, for his column "Sports
World Still a Struggle for Gays." That coming out essay made him a
household name to tens of people across the country.
He continued
oversharing in graduate school at Arizona State, where he added People
Pleasing to his growing list of character defects and parlayed that into
the title of Most Chill Teacher of freshman composition.
As a
sports writer and editor for The Associated Press in New York from
2005-08, Bill once called his husband, who was at the time working a
desk job, from the New York Mets dugout before a game. "I'm so bored,"
Bill whined. He slept on the couch for a week after making that call.
He
wrote a novel called Audibles at Arizona State, and sold that novel to
Dutton Books for Children in 2007. His editor asked him to change the
title so that it would appeal to people other than "football players who
read." The resulting novel, Out of the Pocket, received strong reviews
from his mother, father, significant other and one girl who had a crush
on him in high school. It won the Lambda Literary Award in 2009.
His
second novel, Openly Straight, hit the bookshelves in late May of 2013.
He describes the novel as "Twilight-like, only without vampires and
wolves and angsty teenage girls. Also, set in an all-boys boarding
school in Massachusetts. Otherwise, it's like an exact replica."
His
third novel, The Porcupine of Truth, was released in May of 2015. He
chose to put a porcupine in the title because this is America, and no
one here knows what a platypus is. The novel won the Stonewall Book
Award and PEN Center USA Literary Award.
Next came Honestly Ben, a
companion book to Openly Straight. He wrote it so people would stop
yelling at him about Openly Straight's ending. Honestly Ben received
three starred reviews and made lots of people swoon over Ben some more,
which irks Bill to no end as Ben is loosely based on his husband, Chuck.
No one seems to swoon over Rafe, who is loosely based on Bill.
Harrumph, says Bill.
The Music of What Happens arrives in
February of 2019, and it's a romance between two boys, and it includes a
food truck that makes cloud eggs. Bill has an egg phobia.
Bill
currently lives in Chandler, Arizona, which is the thinking man's
Gilbert, Arizona. He has a husband who is clearly too good for him, and
two cute dogs, Mabel and Buford, who complete him.
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