On Wednesday, July 9, a crowd of book lovers gathered at Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood, for an intimate outdoor reading and book signing with author Mark Sarvas, joined in conversation with Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer’s English and the retired copy chief of Random House.
Mark Sarvas is no stranger to literary acclaim. He’s the recipient of a 2019 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation and the American Jewish Library Association Fiction Award the same year. He’s also a 2018 Santa Monica Arts Fellow and was a 2021 Artist in Residence at Guild Hall. In addition to authoring three full-length novels, he teaches advanced novel writing in UCLA’s Extension Writers Program and holds an MFA from Bennington College.
The two discussed Mark’s newest novel, @UGMAN— that began as what he described in his journal as “the rage novel.” Benjamin, ever the voice of editorial wisdom, shared some of his golden rules for editing. One standout? “Read the first 35 to 40 pages with your hands entirely behind your back,” he said. “Figure out what the author is doing before you try to fix it. A copy editor’s job is to enhance the author’s voice, not to step in front of it. That requires ego suppression and a lot of listening.” Spoken like a true sage.
Mark read selections from @UGMAN for over an hour, and after the reading, he took questions before heading inside for book signings.
As a self-published author deep into my first full-length paranormal novel—and still holding tight to the dream of landing a traditional publishing deal —I asked him something that felt necessary.
“What advice would you give to dealing with writer’s block?”
Mark didn’t offer a canned response. Instead, he paused and then spoke.
“I think everyone has to find what works for them,” he said. “For me, the biggest thing is permission. Just giving yourself the okay to step away and not judge yourself. If it’s not coming that day, that’s alright. Invariably, the recharge happens. I have this weird, magical gift,” he continued, “that whatever book I pick up to read on those days seems to have in it what I need to keep going. Or I get out and walk. I look at art and go to museums. I unhook from writing entirely.”
He went on to say, “With writers block, the longer it lasts, the more desperate it gets—and it becomes self-fulfilling. You have to disconnect and say, ‘Today’s a reading day. Today I’m taking a walk with my partner and my dog.’ Giving yourself permission is the thing I recommend.”
Another audience member asked whether writing such a furious book brought catharsis.
“For the longest time, I literally called this my ‘rage novel’ in my journal,” Mark laughed. “Then, one day, I made myself laugh for the first time—just told myself a joke. And then I knew it was going somewhere. It gave me a little hope It’s meant to be hopeful. The book is dark as hell, and it’s relentless, but I hope you’ll find shards of hope in there.”
Later that evening, we wandered over to O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. The full moon was glowing and enormous in the sky, hanging like it was low enough to touch if you extended your hand out. I didn’t realize the back patio was entirely filled with people who had just come from the reading. As we ate, Mark walked in—and the patio erupted into applause.
It was cooler than anything you’d see scripted on TV—one of those rare moments that felt too perfect to be real, but it was, and in every way. He thanked us all for coming and made the rounds to each table to chat with readers, writers, and friends alike. A patio full of authors under a brilliant full moon, trading stories, ideas, and remembering why we fell in love with words in the first place.
With all his success, Mark Sarvas showed up grounded and generous. The whole night felt like a celebration—not just of books, but of community.
Article and photos by Maggie St. Thomas