Smoke & Blue in the Face

Smoke tells the story of Paul Benjamin, a novelist suffering from writer's block - as well as the death of his wife - who comes into contact with a young black kid who shakes Benjamin out of his lethargy and inspires him to begin writing again. It's a story of stealing and giving, lying and telling the truth, in which stealing turns out to be giving and lying turns out to be the truth

The action of Smoke takes place in Auggie Wren's cigar shop, and this location also provides the focal point for Blue in the Face, which was improvised by the actors of Smoke after shooting was completed on that film. Guided by Auster and director Wayne Wang, the actors created a world whose spirit is comic, whose engine is words, and whose guiding principle is spontaneity

This edition also contains Auster's short story, 'Auggie Wren's Christmas Story', which was the original inspiration for Smoke; an interview with Auster conducted by Annette Insdorf; the notes which Auster prepared for the actors in Blue in the Face, along with his commentaries; and a preface by Wayne Wang