Why do young people go down the wrong road for no apparent reason? Tragedies like the recent Aurora shooting cause us to question what they need––from themselves and society––to turn their lives around. Albert Flynn DeSilver's redemptive memoir of survival might not have all the answers, but it poignantly tracks one young man's journey from addiction, violence, and self-annihilation to creativity, inner peace, and self-realization.
Raised in "a clock tower with bats in the belfry," DeSilver grew up in material privilege in suburban Connecticut in the 1970s and '80s. Raised by a German Swiss governess, his desperate longing to exist in his parents' eyes––an alcoholic mother and emotionally unavailable father––caused him to "fall in love with the sound of shattering glass."
After a series of increasingly dangerous adventures and ecstasies––including getting run over by his best friend after passing out in a driveway, plunging into obsessive relationships, contracting malaria in east Africa, and joining a psychedelic therapy cult––he miraculously finds himself, through photography, poetry, and writing, in a hilarious moment of awakening where he is offered a glimpse of the human condition, and what it means to be fully alive and to truly love.
"..a beautifully written memoir. . .poignant and inspirational, comical and terrifying." ––Kirkus Reviews
"...a fascinating, poetic memoir..." ––ForeWord Reviews
“…filled with epiphanies...backsliding, clarity and bewilderment...DeSilver’s seesawing journey will keep readers committed to his story until he learns to "beam" without self-destructing and finds peace and stability in a loving relationship and meditation." ––Publishers Weekly
ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . .
Albert Flynn DeSilver is an internationally published poet, author, teacher, speaker, and writing coach. His work has appeared in more than 100 literary journals worldwide including ZYZZYVA, New American Writing, Jacket (Australia), Poetry Kanto (Japan), Van Gogh’s Ear (France), and many others. He has read and performed with many of America’s literary legends including Maxine Hong Kingston, Michael McCluer, Anne Waldman, Quincy Troupe, Kay Ryan, and many others. He teaches writing and meditation workshops–from the University of California-Davis to AWP in New York City to the British Institute in Paris. For more about the author, please visit his website at www.albertflynndesilver.com.
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