An Introduction: Getting On With It   02-24-2021

Paul is experiencing a crisis of his heart and head. He imagines things to be worse than they are. Why? He does not wallow, but searches for answers, in his own experiences and thought processes, and those of his friends, who attempt to round the corners of his limited perspectives and irascible behavior. Dreamers Ascending encompasses the teenage years in a big city in the 60's, The Great Migration, the civil rights movement,  sports, jazz, blues, and soul music as cultural touchstones, Europe during and after WWII, and the tech revolution. From southern experiences to basketball courts to battlefields to museums and a car with a dog in a blue mist, our dreamers embark on a journey in which they seek only communal fulfillment and joy as they dance the victory dances of rich lives, well led.

I have written Dreamers Ascending as a whole novel, a magical-realist, fantasy, thriller, spiritual, historical, sensual, romance novel of international proportions, taking the reader to what are, perhaps, strange places, or familiar places with different perspectives. Paul, Terry, Anthony, and Jimmy are Black men who come from different regions of America, their experiences dictated not only by the color of their skin, but their drive and the energy of seeking something better for themselves, and love; reveling in their cultural heritage and pushing each other to do better. But they are not only concerned with financial progress; they uncover truths under various unexpected rocks, some full of moss and dirt, while others are perpetually clean as water flows over them at all times, as they search for the knowledge that will enable them to perform and prosper. 

The story largely takes place between the years 1936 and 2002. If you object to sensual and erotic depictions n your literature, you may want to skip this one or, quite reasonably, skip over those passages. These are unapologetically sensual men and women who take life as t comes, while planning for what lies over the hill. 

Publishing people have expressed dismay at some of my deliberate choices: flashbacks, extensive inner narratives, and different points of view. Some complain that it is confusing, that there is no plot. 

Readers, on the other hand, have responded differently, on the whole. They bring different experiences to the story, recognize themselves or a relative, understand what my characters experienced, have grown up in and traveled to the places described, cared enough to pay closer attention, and have been altogether very happy with the story. I will be publishing my experience with a wholly incompetent reviewer at Kirkus Reviews soon.

Cultural and historical references abound in Dreamers Ascending. Pedantic? Perhaps at times, but I would like to think that the whole is worth far more than the sum of its parts. In the 1960's, James Baldwin had me scurrying  to learn about Jean Genet, Andre Malraux, and Albert Camus in a much slower form of hyperlinking that required pen and paper, bus rides, and library visits. I have provided a road map for those who desire it, for those who need it, the aspirational dreamer. The works referenced were some of the foundations and building blocks of many souls; one remembers hearing Thelonious Monk during a particular car ride, or Credence Clearwater Revival while reveling in the fresh air of a German forest. 

One way that writers define their freedom is by indicating an unwillingness to change their focus or perspective to please 'mainstream' tastes, attitudes, conventions, or perspectives. Serious writers seek to gain credibility by focusing relentlessly on what we see as objective truths, and attempt to express those truths in as effective a manner as possible. Baldwin did not write down to my level, that of a bookish fifteen year-old. I had to grow, read, rise, attempt to fully understand his meanings, sentence by sentence, word by word, a physical dictionary constantly by my side. Patience will be rewarded if you take your time. This is not a quick airport read. It is a thoroughly researched story of love and adventure written with great care.