Last month I posted a diary to let the DKos community know I had put up a web site where they could read a serialized version of my novel, The Rowan Tree, for free. After that diary, the posting of the second chapter was delayed because of a technical problem with the ebook. That problem has now been fixed. The second chapter has been posted, and more will follow. You can also sign up to receive email notifications when new chapters are posted.
I've been writing about social and political issues, and particularly the theme of universal dignity, since the 60s. While I drew on my own experiences of activism and social change, The Rowan Tree is pure fiction that expresses my greatest hopes for humankind.
The Rowan Tree explores many of the key events that shaped the way the US relates to the rest of the world, such as the Civil Rights Movement, détente in the USSR, famine in Africa, and the increasingly global scope of humanitarian efforts such as Doctors Without Borders. Baby boomers will recognize many of the historical moments that reverberated through their own lives. The Rowan Tree blends all these threads into a family saga, and the characters struggle to come to terms with the birth of a new era. The ramifications play out in an uplifting vision of our near future, when American politics and policy will engage with the most universal of human aspirations: dignity for all.
I was heartened by the positive reception of my last Rowan Tree diary, and I look forward to discussing the themes with everyone who reads my novel. Comments are enabled on the web site, so readers can comment on a chapter-by-chapter basis.