About eight months have passed since we unleashed Blood Red Syrah into the hands of readers, thinkers and other assorted literary wizards.
I hate to say this but nowadays substantive readers and thinkers seem to shape a minority of our mainstream society. Other than a couple of cherished critiques that came my way, I’m not really sure who among family and friends who bought my book actually read the novel. Same goes for people who picked up a copy at the LA Times Festival of Books and various shows during two California promotional tours as well as at artsy Northeastern Pennsylvania events.
Feedback is rare, especially on Facebook, a devil machine run by social media psychopaths who are the true enemy of the people.
I value reaction and would be lying if I said I don’t want people to enjoy and appreciate reading the book as much as I did writing it. I don’t crave approval but value observation about characters, scenes and situations in the novel that warrant discussion. I’d enjoy talking with college classes about the social issues I address in the book. Homicide, insanity, PTSD, substance abuse, Mexican spirituality, witchcraft and legend, domestic violence, Zen Buddhism, dull journalism, animal cruelty, martial arts, corporate winemaking, racism, white nationalism, misogyny, weed and guns among other forces of good and evil shape a dystopian future unless we commit to change lives for the better.
Although I no longer boldly stand on a mainstream journalism platform from which to comment, I focus in the novel on most of the same issues I regularly exposed during my decades-long journalism career.
More people need to read. More people need to think deeply about what they read. More people need to talk about what they read and apply the lessons they learn while living their lives. That’s why I’m available to talk to college classes, reading groups and others who truly invest in the world of the books. I’m not looking for any payoff other than a connection to that mine field of words that lead to action that leads to a stronger, smarter, healthier, more-disciplined planet.
Oh, yeah, I also address earthly environmental concerns in the book. As founding father Thomas Jefferson said, “One woman’s terrorist is another woman’s patriot.” Sorry, TJeff, for switching genders in your quote, but America’s a changing place.
In Blood Red Syrah, strong women rule one way or the other.
Jefferson actually did say, “I cannot live without books.”
Me neither.
In a later letter to his pot dealer he also said, “Blood Red Syrah is one crazy book. Syrah would make a good secretary of defense.”
OK, so Jefferson didn’t say that.
Did he?