Set in a Michigan factory, the title story takes readers inside a workplace dominated by a ruthless bully and his cronies. While explaining the actions taking place around him, it becomes clear that the narrator yearns to escape the blue-collar life handed down to him from his father. “Perfect Game” unfolds during a minor league baseball game with Chi-Chi Gomez on the mound, a fearless pitcher who never fails to brush a few batters back from the plate–a space he considers his personal property. Along with other stories, the book also features original poems including “Uncle Nardo’s Store,” “My Father’s Foot,” and “The Malediction of Miss Holstein.”
Read an excerpt!
The Careers of My Mother
When I was a boy
she was a secretary.
Her nights were filled
with filing groceries,
taking phone calls,
posting notes
around his office
to remind him of things
he always forgot.
Then, when I turned fourteen,
My mother earned her law degree.
As a defense counselor,
she became a dazzling chief litigator,
furious with her polished tongue,
bullying us with verbal assaults,
clearing his name with brilliant oration
while drilling her steely finger into my chest
with every point she made!
Today, she’s a nurse.
From the den I watch her
slowly lean over to turn him,
stroke his hair, cut the drool that sways,
from the corner of his mouth,
kiss his hand that trembles
between the tubes that feed him.
Read the Reviews!
Throughout the pages of Sentiments Of Blue, author Garasamo Maccagnone takes the reader deep into the hearts and minds of individuals who find themselves up against some of the greatest challenges of their lives. A creative mix of poetry and short stories, Sentiments Of Blue conveys the raw, unfiltered essence of humanity at its best and worst, painting for the reader a compelling portrait of courage in the face of fear and uncertainty.
Maccagnone’s collection leads off with five reflective poetic pieces, culminating with the jarring “My Father’s Foot” – an eye-opening offering sure to catch the reader off guard. Sentiments Of Blue then closes out with five engaging short stories, including the stirring “Perfect Game,” “Holy Thursday,” and the eponymous tale of a conflicted young soul yearning for release from the mundane legacy of his father. All taken together, Maccagnone’s stories and poems comprise a quite moving collection with the potential to resonate within readers for a long time to come. An impressive, thought-provoking read.
–Apex Reviews
Garasamo Maccagnone is a writer and entrepreneur. The founder of a successful airfreight business, Maccagnone now focuses on his literary career. He is the author of the novel St. John of the Midfield, the novella, For the Love of St. Nick, a collection of short stories entitled, My Dog Tim and Other Stories, and a children’s book titled, The Suburban Dragon. Sentiments of Blue is his latest short story collection. Maccagnone currently lives in Shelby Township where he is working on his second novel, The Sorrows of Pebble Creek.
Visit Gary online at http://garasamomaccagnone.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment