Garth Greenwell Books

A medical crisis thrusts a man into a profound exploration of love, art, and beauty in this luminous novel by award-winning author Garth Greenwell. A sudden, wrenching pain disrupts a poet's life, leading him to the ICU, where he grapples with the complexities of his body and the dysfunctional American healthcare system. Confined to his bed, he navigates a world that has long existed in his mind, revealing the beauty of life at its most fragile. This sweeping narrative captures the essence of human experience, highlighting the value of art, memory, poetry, and care. As time shifts, unexpected intimacies arise, and the story transcends the hospital setting to illuminate our shared vulnerability and the limits of sympathy. It presents a radiant vision of life and the fragile dream of America, ultimately unfolding as a love story of an unexpected kind. Critics have hailed it as a classic, a miracle of joy that resonates deeply, promising to linger in the hearts of readers long after the last page is turned.

Sofia, Bulgaria, a landlocked city in southern Europe, stirs with hope and impending upheaval. Soviet buildings crumble, wind scatters sand from the far south, and political protesters flood the streets with song. In this atmosphere of disquiet, an American teacher navigates a life transformed by the discovery and loss of love. As he prepares to leave the place he's come to call home, he grapples with the intimate encounters that have marked his years abroad, each bearing uncanny reminders of his past. A queer student's confession recalls his own first love, a stranger's seduction devolves into paternal sadism, and a romance with another foreigner opens, and heals, old wounds. Each echo reveals startling insights about what it means to seek connection: with those we love, with the places we inhabit, and with our own fugitive selves. -- publisher's website

Garth Greenwell's "What Belongs to You" is a powerful exploration of desire, identity, and the impact of past traumas on love. Set in Sofia, it follows an American teacher's intense relationship with a hustler, Mitko, as he confronts his painful history as a gay man. The novel is celebrated for its poetic beauty and depth.

Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell.