An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England tells the story of young man who accidentally burned down Emily Dickinson's home, killing two people in the process, and was sent to prison. Upon his release he discovers a box of letters from people asking him to burn down other writer's homes.

Fast Facts

1. Author: Brock Clarke
2. Genre: Novel, Fiction, Comedy
3. Publication Date: September 4, 2007
4. Publisher: Algonquin Books
5. Pages: 305
6. Perspective: First-person narrative
7. Adaptations: Warner Independent has optioned the rights for a film adaptation.

Critical Reception

• Amazon.com: "heartfelt, funny, and highly entertaining"
• The Washington Post's Book World: "despite the usual liveliness of Clarke's humor, some of his satire is stale...For the most part, An Arsonist's Guide is a mixture of Mark Twain and Jasper Fforde, which is, admittedly, just the kind of inane PR blather that Clarke skewers in these pages."
• Village Voice: "It's the perfect end-of-summer book, funny and sharp and smart enough to ease the transition from beach to boardroom."
• The New York Times' Book Review: "No writer's house--neither Frost's, nor Twain's, nor Wharton's, nor Thoreau's--is safe in this comic whodunit."

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