Alexander Sammartino
Alexander Sammartino | |
|---|---|
 Sammartino at the 2024 National Book Festival | |
| Born | 1991 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Spouse | Kelley Rowland (m. 2020) |
| Website | |
| alexandersammartino | |
Alexander Sammartino is an American novelist currently living in Brooklyn, New York. In 2024, Sammartino published his debut novel, Last Acts, which the New York Times heralded as hilarious and exceptional.[1] Nylon magazine listed Sammartino's book as a must-read.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Sammartino received his MFA from Syracuse University in 2018.[3] He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their cat, Godot.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Last Acts (2024)
[edit]Set in Phoenix, Arizona, Last Acts is the satirical story of a father and son with "crackling prose and real depth of feeling."[4] The father, David Rizzo, owns a struggling firearm store that he is on the brink of losing and the son, Nick, is a heroin addict.[5] After a near fatal overdose, Nick reunites with his father and the two embark on a plan to save the father's business.[6] Nick makes a video advertisement for the store, confessing his recent overdose, and promising a percentage of each firearm sale to go to rehabilitation facilities and halfway houses.[7] The advertisement propels the store to local fame and controversy, and hijinks, hope and disaster ensues.[1][8]
Last Acts addresses several themes in contemporary American society: gun culture, the opioid epidemic, economic uncertainly, polarizing politics, racial inequity, and religious intolerance, with empathy, humanity and grim humor.[9][10][11] Last Acts was published by Simon & Schuster.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Chaon, Dan (2024-01-23). "Who Says a Novel About Guns and Opioids Can't Be Funny?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b "January 2024's Must-Read Book Releases". Nylon. 2023-12-26. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "Last Acts". Literary Hub. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "BOMB Magazine | Alexander Sammartino by Walker Rutter-Bowman". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "LAST ACTS". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Last Acts". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "Review: 'Last Acts' asks America how to find salvation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ Assistant2, E. L. (2024-05-29). ""Last Acts" Is a Father-Son Story Where Neither Man Knows How To Communicate". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Peck, Claude (18 January 2024). "'Hilarious' and 'wrenching' novel 'Last Acts' depicts a hapless father and son". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ Yatchisin, George (2024-06-11). "Book Review | 'Last Acts' by Alexander Sammartino". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ Ripatrazone, Nick. "An Encore for Italian-American Fiction". www.thebulwark.com. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
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