October 2004

MY COLD WAR NOW IN PAPERBACK

Tom’s novel My Cold War is now available in paperback from HarperCollins/ReganBooks. Winner of the Faulkner Society Award for the Novel, and named one of the Best Books of 2003 by the San Francisco Chronicle, My Cold War received terrific reviews in the New York Times Book Review, USA Today, Newsday, the Washington Post, and many other publications. Of it, the San Francisco Chronicle said, “It becomes clear that Piazza is creating a genre that barely exists anymore: the American novel of ideas.” Go to the My Cold War page of this site for more information, or click here to find it at Amazon.com.

February 2004

TOM WINS GRAMMY AWARD!

Tom’s essay on the history and nature of the blues, included in the 5-CD box set Martin Scorsese Presents THE BLUES: A Musical Journey, won a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes. It is Tom’s first Grammy Award. The box set itself won a Grammy as well, in the Best Historical Album category. Click here to read about Martin Scorsese Presents THE BLUES at Amazon.com.

MY COLD WAR REVIEWS

Tom spent much of the fall touring in support of My Cold War. He had a great time visiting bookstores from New Orleans to Minneapolis. Please be sure to stop into the wonderful independent bookstores listed on the schedule to the right; they deserve your support. My Cold War has received terrific reviews in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and elsewhere; click on the Reviews button to find links to some of the most interesting ones.

SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE

In answer to requests we’ve received, signed copies of My Cold War (as well as Tom’s other books) are available by phone order from two fine New Orleans independent bookstores: Faulkner House Books (504 524-2940) and Octavia Books (504 899-7323). Both stores stock signed copies of all of Tom’s books and will ship directly to you.

MY COLD WAR IS HERE

Tom’s novel My Cold War has just been published by ReganBooks/HarperCollins. Click on the My Cold War page for a description, reactions from other authors, ordering information, etc. Tom will be touring during September and October in support of My Cold War, visiting New York, Boston, Nashville, Oxford,MS, Jackson,MS, Memphis, Iowa City, Minneapolis, and a number of other locales. We will put up more information as it becomes available. Sign up for the mailing list to make sure you know when updates have been posted.

MARTIN SCORSESE PRESENTS THE BLUES

Tom’s 5,000-word essay on the blues is the main text of the booklet accompanying the just-released 5-CD set Martin Scorsese Presents THE BLUES. The set is the companion piece to the series of films produced by Scorsese and airing on PBS this fall. The individual films, directed by Clint Eastwood, Wim Wenders, Scorsese himself, and other luminaries, are personal and very idiosyncratic takes on the blues.

FAULKNER SOCIETY LITERARY PRIZE….

The manuscript of My Cold War won the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society Award for the Novel, a national award given annually by the New Orleans-based society. The award was presented at the Society’s annual literary festival, Words & Music, in December 2002.

ASCAP-DEEMS TAYLOR AWARD….

Tom’s article “Note In A Bottle,” which appeared in the Oxford American, won an ASCAP-Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for Music Writing. This is Tom’s second ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award; his first was for The Guide to Classic Recorded Jazz (see “Books” section of this website) in 1996. “Note In A Bottle” was recently anthologized in The Best of The Oxford American (see “Other Publications” section of this website).