The Writer's Life 9/22 - Heroes & Villains

According to Wiki, E.R. Frank earned a degree from Vassar and works as a social worker and psychotherapist. She also writes novels. I just finished America, the second of her five books, published in 2002 and still selling modestly. It is the first person account, told in non-linear form, of a troubled teenager. Born to a drug-addicted mother, he is sent to a foster home at five. America has the great fortune of being in the care of a loving elderly woman. Unfortunately, her nephew, who at first treats the boy very well, eventually takes advantage of him sexually, another blow to the kid's sense of trust. The court then orders him on a weekend visit to his natural mom, who disappears. He is lost in the system, living with two older brothers who lead him astray, who frown at his not being black enough. He runs away and lives for a time with a young, kind-hearted pot dealer. When the latter is busted, America is sent to a psychiatric facility. Having repressed his inner rage for so long, he entertains thoughts of suicide when the memory of the violence he perpetrated begins to come to the surface. His male therapist doggedly tries to help despite the abuse America directs at him. Most of the narrative is grim. Of course, all humans suffer periodically throughout life, but not to the degree a handful do. The majority would rather not think of what those unlucky few experience. Fortunately, there are certain individuals, heroes really, who try to help. The narrative smacks of authenticity. The prose and dialogue are solid. The 242 pages read like considerably less. Only the hardest heart would not root for America. Although the conclusion is open-ended, it is hopeful. I don't believe the protagonist's name is meant to signify all of America, although it would be understandable how someone who works in such a field and witnesses such horrors daily might think so. 39 readers at Amazon have rated the novel, forging to a consensus of 4.1 on a scale of five. I wouldn't go that high, perhaps because I would rather not think of such things at this stage of my life. Kudos to those who have the resolve to face and do something about them.

The following were gleaned from today's NY Post: In his sports betting column, Stitches cleverly refers to New York's pro basketball team as the Titanknicks... In the Fast Takes column, Fox News reporter Marc Thiessen comments brilliantly on the cost of security for the recent speaking engagement of Ben Shapiro at UC-Berkley: "...leftists succeeded in imposing a $600,000 tax on conservative speech."... Texas state representative Dawna Dukes (D) has been indicted for spending $51,000, $1000 per month, of taxpayers' money on a psychic. Looking into my crystal  ball, I bet she gets off with a slap on the wrist.

Season four of Gotham began last night. The Penguin has cut crime by 57% - by killing many criminals. He makes a deal, Pax Penguina, with the mayor on a license to steal. Anyone who holds one and is caught in the act of theft must be released by the GCPD. It's an interesting theme, although I'm not sure if it will fly. The episode was so-so. Here's Robin Lord Taylor in the part it seems he was born to play:

I received a royalty from Amazon that covers the reading of pages by online visitors. In this instance it was for my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. Someone read - or at least looked through - 300 pages or so. That amounted to a disappointing payment of four cents. I have to remind myself that the company needn't do this at all. It's a no lose situation for a writer. It's up to me to steer readers to my work, to get more people to read pages, to buy a book.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books, in English, Russian and French (grammar), on the last day of what has been a spectacular summer in NYC in terms of weather. Fall arrived at 4:02 PM.

Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story Collection:http:// tinyurl.com/lh2tepa 
Vic's 2nd Novel Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

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