Melville House author, Pulitzer finalist, and New Yorker writer Lore Segal has been garnering some very friendly ink (and cyber-ink as well) these last few days in honor of the reprint of her classic, brilliant novella, Lucinella. A review by the Los Angeles Times’ s Robert Raynor called it “dizzy, shameless fun.” And went on to praise the construction as “clever, the style delicious.” Along the way he kindly compliments Melville House’s “elegant novella series,” the Art of the Novella, where Lucinella is now safely housed. Originally published in 1976, this ode to writers, gossip, and the writing life, has long been a cult favorite amongst the literary cognoscenti. When it was first released, John Gardner called it “a perfectly simple, wonderful, magical book” and “the best book I know about how poets and novelists really are,” while Stanley Elkin called it “a shamelessly wonderful novel, so flawless one feels civilized reading it.”

Meanwhile, in addition to the Los Angeles Times rave this past weekend, more well-deserved love came Lucinella‘s way with a review in the Boston Globe calling it “Charming and imaginative” and “timeless.” And, not to over-privilege print media, let us not forget cyberspace: From Bilbioklept, a thoughtful and in-depth review that ends: “Highly recommended.”

Anyone interested in sampling Lucinella‘s charms for themselves can come tonight — Wednesday the 18th — to hear Lore Segal read from and talk about her book at Book Culture (536 West 112 Street, New York, NY) at 7:00. Admission is free. Be sure to ask her about the ‘bucket’!