Birdland

Swirling riffs of language and a propulsive beat set this gritty, transcendent novel in motion.

Amidst the sparkle and hum of a New York City winter, Jed and his best friend Flyer are filming a documentary of their neighbourhood. All around them are images that Jed's older brother Zeke wrote about: drummers, drunks, dog walkers, and the beautiful water towers that dot the city's skyline.

But what Jed is really in search of is Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who left behind his CDs, a notebook, and a lot of unanswered questions . . .