~Fiction~
Taking on fiction after decades of teaching and writing history was daunting! Downright scary. But the world is full of stories demanding to be told, something I learned from a good friend.
Current Project
*'When the Bough Breaks'
An Old Man remembers the film about Alvin Straight, a man of the same age who rode a lawn mower across two states to reconcile with his ailing brother 'before it's too late.’
Along the way a Young Man asks Straight, ‘What's the worst thing about being old?’
Straight answers, ‘The worst thing of being old is remembering what it was being young.’
That conversation launches an extended debate within the Old Man.
He enlists his daughter to take notes and plunges into his memory bank to test Straight’s proposition.
That journey, which re-educates the Old Man about his experiences, is also punctuated by doubts from family members.
In the end, the Old Man is left with ...
Some of my stories have historical themes.* Others are semi-autobiographical or reflect my fascination with war, art history, obsessive collecting, immigration—even pole dancing!
I based two other stories on events lifted from front pages across the world: The German, 'Mr. Kai,' and The Devil; Illusions; and Blame Jason Bourne.
Romance and crime, of course, are always at the ready should any of my characters be so inclined ...
* Select other fiction by using
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Interned!
Italian and German Americans relocated, interned, or excluded during World War II *
One of those rare books that will gratify readers of diverse backgrounds and interests. —Northcoast Journal
A significant book for all Americans concerned with this country's attitudes toward and treatment of immigrants, and with individual rights. —Voices in Italian Americana
~
For six months in 1942 the federal government pursued a program of civilian internment that forced thousands of West Coast Italian and German aliens and their families to leave their homes and jobs. Other Italians, including American citizens whose loyalty was deemed doubtful, were interned or excluded without due process.
Under Siege! is an oral and documentary history. It uses the words of those affected by the relocation order to tell the human side of the story omitted by the government, and it presents documents that testify to the struggle of a country trying to square its actions with its values.
Under Siege! is a significant book for all Americans concerned with this country's attitudes toward and treatment of immigrants, and with individual rights.
* Under Siege!
* Select other nonfiction by using
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