Mention Harry Crews' name amongst select members of the literati, especially in Florida, and you're likely to get people in several bouts of prostration. Which is to say, he's almost a cult writer's cult writer, so beloved for his quirky novels and his teaching acumen that mainstream success has to elude him. But the 71 year old author's newest move goes beyond cult to near obscurity as, the NYT's David Shaftel finds out, Crews's new novel AN AMERICAN FAMILY is published by a little-known small press called Blood and Guts.

How'd the deal happen? "AN AMERICAN FAMILY popped up out of the blue," said Craig Graham, the owner of Blood and Guts and a longtime fan. "He just had finished it and called me and asked if I wanted to read it. I said, 'Of course.'" Blood and Guts had reprinted an earlier novella by Crews, so this became the second book of his that it had published, printing 2000 hardcover copies (with an additional 326 signed) and shipping 500 so far, mostly to Florida-based buyers.

The book's barely been reviewed outside of Florida and even longtime fans had to hunt long and hard for news of the new book. Crews is also shying away from publicity, and though his body is breaking down from a life hard lived, Crews said in a telephone interview that he still writes every day and his door is open to legions of former students, young writers and searchers. "Nobody has ever been turned away," he said to Sheftel. "Why would I turn them away? Everyone has terrible and wonderful mysteries just dripping off of them."