The Tall-Tale Heart

Big Fish author spins another whopper

Comments (0) By Jay Bennett Thursday, Aug 23 2007

In Big Fish, author Daniel Wallace used tall tales to help a son search for the father he barely knew. In The Watermelon King, he utilized the stories of a town’s residents to help uncover the truth about his mother’s death. And in Wallace’s just-released fourth novel, Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician, the author once again relies on yarns spun by his colorful characters -- in this case, a band of circus freaks -- to tell an illusory story about a broken family.

The North Carolina-based author will make one of only two Western stops on his current book tour in Scottsdale. He'll discuss the new book -- one of his most haunting and mysterious -- in which a boy whose deal with the Devil (hint: that’s Mr. Sebastian) gives him great fame as a magician but takes away his beloved sister.

Big Fish, of course, was adapted by Tim Burton for the big screen, and fans of the 2004 movie will get the chance to watch the film with Wallace and ask the author questions about it afterward. The screening starts at 11 a.m. At 3 p.m., Wallace will turn his attention to the new book.

Advance registration is recommended.

Sat., Aug. 25