Denver author lands 'One Book'

World War II novel chosen for reading program's fourth year

Patti Thorn, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 19, 2007 at midnight

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As the first local writer to have his work chosen for the One Book, One Denver reading program, you'd think a prose master like Nick Arvin would be overflowing with words.

But Tuesday, he could come up with only one.

"The whole thing is, well, overwhelming is the word that keeps coming to mind," he said.

If the 34-year-old Denverite was somewhat tongue-tied, others weren't suffering the same problem. The announcement that Arvin's World War II novel Articles of War would be the focus of One Book, One Denver was applauded by many in the local writing community, which had been critical of the sponsoring Denver Office of Cultural Affairs for overlooking books by Colorado authors.

"I'm glad he picked Nick's book," said Andrea Dupree, a founder of Denver's Lighthouse Writer's Workshop. "It's so great. I know people were waiting for this and I think people will be pleased."

Articles of War is the fourth title to be chosen for the program, which encourages members of the community to read and discuss the same book. A spare, literary tale about a soldier facing his fear of battle, it was widely praised upon its publication in 2005.

The New York Times called it "a short, furious novel" with a "tough and visceral vision of war." It was named a book of the year by Esquire magazine, the Rocky and The Detroit Free Press.

"There's a cleanness to the prose," Dupree said. "I think it lends itself to high school students or adults with literary tastes."

Announcing the title, Mayor John Hickenlooper noted that the book has themes of "life and death, human nature and love" that should get people talking.

But if recent participation in the program is any indication, the book may face an uphill battle. The number of One Book participants has been declining since the program's inception in 2004. According to Office of Cultural Affairs figures, last year's participation with The Milagro Beanfield War was less than half that of the first year.

"It's difficult to satisfy everyone with one book," said Pauline Herrera, the office's communications and marketing director.

Despite the decline, Herrera noted that the program has exceeded the office's expectations of 10,000 participants each year. "In our eyes the project was extremely successful (from the beginning) and continues to be successful."

Previous selections

The past three One Book, One Denver reading program novels:

Peace Like A River

by Leif Enger

• Eleven-year-old Reuben Land chronicles the Land family's odyssey in search of Reuben's older brother, Davy, who has escaped from jail before he can stand trial for the killing of two marauders.

Caramelo

by Sandra Cisneros

• Through the eyes of young Celaya, or Lala, the Reyes family saga twists and turns over three generations of truths, half-truths and outright lies. And like Celaya's grandmother's prized caramelo (striped) rebozo, so is "the universe a cloth, and all humanity interwoven. . . ."

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

• Joe Mondragon, a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble, marched into the arid patch of ground. Carefully (and also illegally), he tapped into the main irrigation channel. And so began - although few knew it at the time - the Milagro beanfield war.- Google Books - Amazon.Com - Google Books

Meet Nick Arvin

• Personal: The author, 34, grew up in Clio, Mich.; he's lived in Denver for six years. The author is married, with a 1-year-old son.

• Education: Engineering degrees from the University of Michigan and Stanford; he attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop and is the recipient of the Michener Fellowship.

• Career: Arvin has worked in the automotive industry, including a stint in product development at Ford. He's on the faculty of Denver's Lighthouse Writers Workshop and works part time with the engineering firm Harris Group Inc.

• Other work: In the Electric Eden, a short story collection.

Articles of War

• What: A novel about George Tilson, a small-town boy drafted into the Army in 1944 and nicknamed "Heck," because he refuses to swear. He winds up in Normandy after D-Day, where he meets a seductive young girl who both attracts and frightens him. As his fears about fighting mount, he must face the fact of his own cowardice, in love and on the battlefield.

• Honors: The novel won the American Library Association's Boyd Award and Colorado Book Award, among other honors.

• One Book events: Go to denvergov.org/onebook

thornp@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5419

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