David Schmahmann, author of Nibble & Kuhn, sits down to discuss his new novel with Alexis Ann, editor & publisher, the Resident.
story & photo
by Tyler Williams
David Schmahmann, author of the award-winning novel Empire Settings, sat down with us in the beautiful Whaler’s Inn to discuss his new novel, Nibble & Kuhn. We sat down to tea and treats prepared by Innkeeper Richard Prisby and staff and the wonderful setting allowed for the conversation to flow.
Nibble & Kuhn made its debut on November 1 and is receiving a lot of attention. The novel is about a large Boston law firm on the edge of becoming far too big for its own good. David explains that there should be “a little more lawyer and a little less marble.” The large Boston law firm has lashed out on lavish facilities it can’t possibly afford and is overrun with useless bureaucrats and administrators.
Against that background, diligent young lawyer Derek Dover is up for partner, in love with a subordinate he can’t have, and handed an absurd case to try by an incompetent senior leaving the firm for a warm spot on the bench. Derek must prepare the case for trial tormented by seniors seemingly determined to see him fail, by a law firm that has lost all touch with reality, and by a girl who seems to love him but won’t commit or tell him what’s holding her back.
Nibble & Kuhn does a number on the law and lawyers, it is clearly written by an insider. David, a native of South Africa, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Cornell Law School. As a young man in South Africa, David always knew that he wanted to write. His first novel, Empire Settings, reflects his own experiences and Nibble & Kuhn is no different. David asks, “Why do so many people become lawyers? For some people law is interesting, I was not fascinated for even five minutes!” Yet, David’s law career spans over 30 years and he is still practicing law in Boston out of his home office defending one client.
David kept mentioning, “I started a family later in life, I am an old man.” He may think he is an old man but his age only gives him the ability to write from experience. His family is very proud of him and he lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters.
David doesn’t need to be fascinated with law; for readers it is the culmination of his own experiences that makes for one interesting book. David, of course, says, “You must create tension to make a good novel. It needs to be energizing, daring, beautiful and have some sex.”
He continues to capture readers by closely patterning his own experiences with the characters in his novels. David’s next novel, Ivory from Paradise, is due out next fall. However different from Nibble & Kuhn, Ivory from Paradise will take us back to South Africa but will still play off David’s experiences. Ivory from Paradise is not really a sequel to Empire Settings but rather a companion to it. Many of the same people are in it, and several years have passed. Nibble & Kuhn is a different part of David’s life. In this Novel, he is dealing with something much less serious, funny actually, and that is greed and pretension.
Posted on February 3rd, 2010 | category: Author, Featured Articles
