Publishing news…

It’s official: Inspired by stories of my paternal grandfather, my new novel The Great Goldbergs will be released by Cormorant on September 29, 2023.

When Sean McFall encounters golden-haired David Goldberg and his larger-than-life father, Saul, he is dazzled by the family’s riches, power, and ease in social situations. The bright lives of the Goldbergs are profoundly different from those of Sean’s working-class parents. But as Sean grows up and is pulled closer to the centre of the Goldberg family by the gravitational force of their wealth and position, he discovers a tyrannical and abusive patriarch, an estranged relative bent on revenge, and dark family secrets. As he struggles to reconcile his first impressions with the realities he later confronts, Sean must determine who he is, what he will stand for, and whether he can resist the attraction that has dominated his life.

Rich in understanding of the relationships between parents and children, the loyalty we show our friends, and how a family’s past haunts its present, The Great Goldbergs is about the compromises we make in pursuit of wealth and acceptance, and for love

Many thanks to book designer Angel John Guerra for the evocative cover art.

It’s available now for pre-order at all your favourite brick-and-mortar and online bookstores. And stay tuned for more updates as we approach the publication date.

Human-only writing:

This website is a completely ChatGPT-free zone and will always remains so. And I’ve recently written two opinion pieces about machine writing:

The first one is “Why would we want to outsource being human to a machine?” and ran in The Toronto Star. You can read it here.

The second one is “Why all machine writing should carry a label” and ran in The Ottawa Citizen. You can read it here.

Blog and poetry:

If you’re interested in occasional musings on miscellaneous topics, sometimes literary, you can check out my blog. Or if you like poetry, I sometimes post poems on my poetry tab. My latest is a poem about the Ukraine War titled “February 24, 2022”, the date on which Russian tanks rolled across the border.

The most recent novel:

The Art of Being Lewis

A middle-aged coming-of-age story about the journeys we take to become ourselves …

East Coast architect Lewis Morton thought he had it all: loving wife and children, dream job, and a house that meets his exacting architectural standards. But after his beloved mentor dies in suspicious circumstances and Lewis gets pulled into a lawsuit that threatens to destroy his career and possibly his life, the respectable identity he has carefully constructed for himself after fleeing his unconventional childhood begins to disintegrate. In trying to build his new future he must first come to terms with his past.

Who is Lewis Morton, and who will he choose to become?

The Art of Being Lewis was long-listed for the 2020 Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and short-listed for the 2020 Nancy Richler Memorial Prize for Fiction.

Praise for The Art of Being Lewis

“A literary page-turner with profound insight into the stories we make our own.”

– Atlantic Books Today

“The novel’s cast of characters is sketched with care, down to the cut of their suit, the confidence expressed in their stance, the set of their expression in an awkward social setting. In its attention to detail The Art of Being Lewis is a contemporary version of the novel of manners by Jane Austen or George Eliot. Goodwin shifts the focus from a female central figure toward male customs, character and behaviour.”

– Norman Raavin, Canadian Jewish News

An “affecting” book that shows how “defining yourself isn’t something you do once and for all in early adulthood, but is an ongoing art.”

– Elizabeth McCausland, Event Magazine

“Daniel Goodwin’s The Art of Being Lewis is a smart, funny and warmhearted novel in the spirit and lineage of Mordecai Richler.”

– David Bezmozgis, author of The Betrayers and Natasha and Other Stories

“Daniel Goodwin’s poetry and novels are always filled with deep insights into the confused state of modern masculinity. The Art of Being Lewis is his best work so far: a sad, hilarious, philosophical novel that blends fine writing and forward momentum. You will think about Lewis, his humiliations and regular triumphs, before falling asleep at night (if you can stop to turn out the light).”

– Todd Babiak, author of Come Barbarians and Son of France

“Imagine if, one fine day, your meticulously structured world fell apart. For Lewis Morton, a successful architect, it’s as if one of his buildings has collapsed over his head, burying in the rubble his sense of purpose and even his sanity. In this insightful, well-crafted and warm-hearted novel, Daniel Goodwin shows us that the materials upon which we build our lives should include the tricky yet essential blend of steel and imagination. This is that essential story of how to build a house that can properly be called a home.”

– David Layton, author of The Dictator