WILLISTON PARK, N.Y., Nov. 17, 2009 — Richard Marston, an innocent with psychological problems, comes to live in New York City with a relative following his mother’s death, and then meets violent conflict with this urban environment — threatening and predatory.
This is “The Wilderness Singers” (published by iUniverse), one of a collection of stories and a short novel by John Zepf. “The Wilderness Singers” writings are emotionally nuanced and quite moving, at other times unusually topical, using a satirical voice which is unusually perceptive and savage. In “Lao Hu,” the narration attempts to inhabit the cat’s character as he endures through many challenges posed by nature and humans. Frank Smaldoni, the struggling “doo-wop” impresario of “Flames, Penguins, Hollywood Argyles,” is devoted to his musical muse, but lacks the essential gift of recognizing original talent — hence his career problems. The ’50s New Haven setting is evoked with local musical acts and other period details. “Charles Brainard,” retired when his story opens and in a nursing home, was a respected novelist. He has a fatal encounter with some media insiders, who are trying to “play” him in a mysterious way. George Gessler, the bachelor engineer of “Nemesis,” feels blessed when he meets Nina, an immigrant woman. But the relationship leads to conflicts in this noir-ish novel.
Zepf’s characters in “The Wilderness Singers” are emotionally nuanced, at other times unusually topical, and Zepf’s satirical voice is perceptive and savage. Many themes, such as the struggle to survive, the enduring importance of family and the need for kindness to living things, are explored in direct fashion. Zepf’s readers will be those longing to hear an original voice.
About the Author
John Zepf grew up in small-town central Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in engineering from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has worked primarily in product manufacturing as a quality engineer. He was drawn to prose in high school and developed writing and his love for literature as an avocation. He also studies languages (Italian and Mandarin Chinese) and enjoys listening to music. Single, he lives in suburban Long Island. This is his first book.
“The Wilderness Singers”
Available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com
iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the U.S. iUniverse is based in Bloomington, Indiana.
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