Dark Days, White Nights

In the Republic of Karelia, in the northwestern reaches of the Russian Federation, lies a city by a lake, Petrozavodsk. An American scholar is awarded a Fulbright fellowship to teach and conduct research at one of the regional universities during the millennial transition of 1999–2000. The novel chronicles his misadventures, cultural and social discoveries, and the romantic web he becomes entangled in during his nine-month visit. Partly based on the author's experiences and observations, the story explores the meaning of home, the consequences of cultural misunderstandings, and the psychological highs and lows of a stranger in a strange land.

      This will be the longest novel I have attempted and one of the most challenging. Based in autobiography, the task is to render the story into a smooth narrative arc while retaining observations that reveal the change of a Soviet-era economy and associated behavior into a modern European-oriented one.

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Lobster Summer

The summer of 1970 in Bermuda. Adventure, discovery, natural history, as seen through the eyes of a 27-year-old graduate student. This will most likely complete as a novella, but I haven't decided whether to add photos and make it a travel memoir or keep it as autobiographical fiction. Perhaps a hybrid of the two approaches. And yes, it has a lot of verbiage about lobsters.

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The Time Bubble

In Austin, Texas in the near future, a technology is developed that allows an observation "bubble" to be projected back in time to specific GPS coordinates. It functions like a camera but does not permit interaction or physical disturbance, thus negating time paradox effects. However, discovery has its own rewards and consequences for the future. How will the technology be used and who will control its application? A novel intended for release sometime in 2024 (if the creek don't rise).

 

I occasionally submit stories to literary journals and writing contests, hopefully waiting for both venues to find me worthy. If rejection slips make a writer stronger, I'm on my way to a Pulitzer. It isn't the promise of fame and definitely not the money that keeps me writing. I like telling stories and that's sufficient reason to continue. The challenge of craftsmanship, the desire to improve, the occasional compliment from a reader, it's a good excuse to keep me off the streets at night.

 

 

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