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C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

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My September Featured Follower is… And Don’t Miss #InkRipples

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 Barnes and Noble. Amazon. Indiebound
. . . Steve Parlato, author of The Namesake. I first met Steve in the UncommonYa group and came to appreciate his hard work and generous nature. He always chimed in during discussions, tweeted and re-tweeted author news, and posted regularly on the blog. Then I read his book and was drawn into his story by some seriously good writing and a story that touched my heart. I reviewed it just recently. This an example of a young adult story that can be devoured by a more mature reader and truly appreciated by them. My Review.
BLURB: The Namesake ~ (Adapted from Merit’s dustjacket copy)
For his teenage son, Evan Sr.’s decision to end his life is a deep betrayal. Evan was named for his father, and looks eerily like him, but the suicide proves the father he thought he knew was just a myth. A locked trunk may hold answers, and, thanks to his grandmother, the key is literally in Evan’s hand. Will his quest for answers help Evan find peace, or will he merely follow his father’s path to despair?  
In a voice that resonates with the authenticity of grief, Steven Parlato tells a different coming-of-age story, about a boy thrust into adulthood too soon, through the corridor of shame, disbelief, and finally…compassion. 

Kirkus Reviews: 
Evan Galloway, in his third year at Saint Sebastian’s Catholic High School, is told to “write what you know” for his college-application essays. But it’s what he doesn’t know that is haunting him.
“It’s funny how perfectly life splits into before and after,” Evan says. Before his father killed himself, home life was pretty normal—Now there’s a hole in that life that can’t be filled or explained. Evan takes on a quest…and the story becomes compelling, as answers to questions slowly surface…His digging… “let[s] the dragon out of the cave,” though, as troubling information unfolds about his father… Parlato’s debut novel, many years in the making, is a painstaking dissection of a father’s past and its reverberations in his son’s life.

A memorable, disturbing story, carefully wrought. (Fiction. 14 & up)
Blog. Twitter. Facebook

Steven Parlato, novelist, poet, and illustrator, is Associate Professor of English at Naugatuck Valley Community College, where he serves as advisor to the student newspaper, The Tamarack. Parlato’s played roles ranging from the Scarecrow to Macbeth; his poetry appears in Freshwater, MARGIE, Borderlands, Pirene’s Fountain, and Peregrine. Steven’s YA manuscript won a 2011 CT Shoreline Arts Alliance Tassy Walden Award. Upon The Namesake’s 2013 release, Kirkus called Parlato’s novel “a memorable, disturbing story, carefully wrought.”  

Lee, I’m so honored to be September’s Featured Follower. It’s been a summer of deep personal loss—my dad passed in July after a long cancer battle—and I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump. But the chance to share with your readers is inspiring. And it couldn’t come at a better time: I’m excited to share the news that Brilliance Audio’s new CD version of The Namesake audiobook releases September 6. It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

And stay tuned because Steve has more news about his next book. I’ll be posting all about it next week! The Precious Dreadful! is the title. Can’t wait to find out more.

#InkRipples is a monthly meme created by Kai Strand, Mary Waibel, and Katie L. Carroll. They post on the first Monday of every month with a new topic. They’re all authors, but you don’t have to be to participate.

The idea of #InkRipples is to toss a word, idea, image, whatever into the inkwell and see what kind of ripples it makes. They provide the topics and will be blogging about them on the first Monday of the month. You can spread your own ripples by blogging about the topic any day of the month that fits your schedule, just be sure to include links back to Katie, Kai, and Mary.

My favorite banned book is Catch 22. I still have a torn and marked up paperback of my first copy, and I wouldn’t part with it. Every time I run into situations that seem to have no solutions or are totally insane, I hear Heller’s words in my head. 



So here are 3 Quotes for the Week from Joseph Heller’s Catch-22:


“Insanity is contagious.” 
“[They] agreed that it was neither possible nor necessary to educate people who never questioned anything.”
“Why are they going to ‘disappear him?'”
“I don’t know.”
“It doesn’t make sense. It isn’t even good grammar.”

Comments

  1. So wonderful to meet Steve. His book sounds fascinating. I have seen the cover around and will have to check it out. Wishing Steve the best of luck. Sorry to hear about his dad.
    ~Jess

    • Thank you very much, Alexa–for your kind condolences and for checking out The Namesake. Let me know what you think! All best ~ Steve

    • Thank you, Shah. Those are some great Catch-22 quotes, aren't they? Here's a quote from The Namesake, not saying it stacks up against Heller, just to share: "This time, the bad stuff seems important in a new way. Like part of the recipe: the bitter lemon that makes the coconut sweeter."

    • J.H. I am really appreciative to Lee as well for featuring my novel. It is a dark story, but leavened with hope and humor. Kind of like life. 😉 All best, SP

    • Hi Joylene, it was, at times, very difficult to write, but it ended up being a healing process. Thank you for your sensitive comment. All best ~ SP

  11. Great to see you here, Steve. Excited to hear your announcement next week!

    It's been a long time since I read Catch-22, but I remember quite enjoying it. As always, thanks for participating in Ink Ripples, C. Lee

  12. So cool you got to meet him:) Also, I'd say that my favorite banned book is Huck Finn. All the good ones get banned. I almost wish mine would get banned now;)

    • Mark, I agree with you. So many of the good ones are banned and challenged. Right after The Namesake was published, I got an email from a TX librarian alerting me that a parent had challenged my book. I took it as a sign of success. 😉 All best, SP

    • We need a book-banning campaign for all our books. Why not? One reviewer contacted me and said my book was terrible because the kids did dangerous things. Well, then. You need to be on that book-banning committee, my dear. I'm nominating you today. 🙂

    • I'll have to look for the movie. It's been years since I read the book. Thanks to Lee for getting it back on my radar. Take care, Donna! ~ SP

  16. Catch22 is sitting on my bedside table where it has been for several years – I really MUST read it!
    So sorry to read about your dad Steve.
    Congratulations on the new Book.

    • Barbara, thank you. I like to think of my folks celebrating their anniversary together (it's today) for the 1st time in 11 years. Thoughts appreciated! ~ SP

  17. Dear Steve, So sorry for your loss. Hugs! I love the concept of your book. I would love to read it. I have a feeling I must keep tissues handy.

    And yes, Jennifer is right. The sequel is called "Closing Time" and there's a 5th Anniv edition available. 🙂

    Lee, I have my copy of Catch 22, too. 🙂 InkRipples sounds like fun. So, was this month's prompt Catch 22? 🙂

    • Liz – Deep, but with humor (essential, I think). For instance, Evan compares the mausoleum where his dad is buried to a giant "crisper drawer." Dark humor as coping mechanism, I guess. Thanks for stopping by! SP

    • Thank you, Lori. It was definitely a challenge to write, but ended up being an experience I wouldn't trade. Thanks for your condolences. ~ SP

    • Thank you, Lori. It was definitely a challenge to write, but ended up being an experience I wouldn't trade. Thanks for your condolences. ~ SP

  23. Congratulations Steve. A difficult topic which is dear to my heart. I have been volunteering on a crisis line for over eighteen years now and suicide raises so many questions. And regrets.
    I am sorry to hear that you have been through a difficult time. Which is an understatement for the loss of a parent. I hope you have support and can be kind to yourself.
    Thank you Lee for introducing yet another author to my bookaholic self.

    • Hello, EC! Thank you for your kind message–and for all you do to guide those in darkness toward healing and light. I have a wonderfully supportive wife, family, and friends, and believe me, I recognize how lucky I am. I also feel lucky to be introduced to Lee's kind and generous followers. All best, SP

  24. Hi, Lee! Hi, Steve P!

    Steve, I am deeply sorry for your recent loss. As you probably know, the best way to recover from such a blow is to keep busy and stay connected. Clearly you are doing that.

    I clicked over to Lee's review of The Namesake and read the others in this post. These morsels have me hungering for the entire story because it is one to which many of us can relate. Thirty years ago I went into shock upon discovering that a person I loved and trusted was not what she seemed, not what I had come to believe her to be, that she harbored secrets and kept me in the dark, not for my own good, but to advance her own agenda. I found myself playing detective, uncovering clues, needing to know and yet not wanting to know. Dreading… the truth. This book will surely be a hot seller, Steve!

    Thank you for introducing Steve and his book, Lee!

    • Thank you so much, Del–for your kind comments and for sharing some of your own experience with personal detecting. Evan goes through just what you describe, "wanting to know. Dreading…the truth." If you have a chance to read The Namesake, let me know what you think. All best, SP

  25. Congrats to Steve on his book and on being your Sept featured author! It's so good of you to help introduce authors to a wider readership. 🙂

  28. Steven, to lose a parent is a massive blow. It is only natural for your mind to recoil at writing when your inner turmoil is so fresh and deep. Love your cover, and your story sounds riveting.

    Lee, I love all 3 of those CATCH-22 quotes.

  32. This book sounds great. I had a friend in the sixth grade who had just moved into the neighborhood and a month later, his father shot himself. His mother moved the family back to Florida where they had moved from. I have often wondered what happened to him. I've not read Catch 22 but have seen the movie!

    • Sage, the book was inspired by a family member's suicide, and my inability to let go wondering what it would be like for a teen to lose a parent that way. It's become part of my mission to raise awareness of the issue of suicide–to get beyond judging and try to encourage folks to reach out to those who are suffering. September is Suicide Prevention Month, btw. I'll be thinking of your sixth grade friend. Take care, SP

  34. Great quotes, Lee.

    So nice to "meet" you, Steven. Congratulations on your book and on the next one too. Best wishes to you with your writing. May it touch the hearts of young readers.

    Have a lovely week.

    • He handled the subject very well. Each time Evan discovered more about his dad, I ached for both the father and son–actually, for all of the people who played a part in the father's life.

    • Aw, thanks, Pat. Whether or not it was a true home run, it was important for me to portray the topic with authenticity. From Lee's reaction (which was very powerful for this author), I guess I did okay. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Pat!

  36. Steven, sounds like you've tackled a difficult subject, one that I know has touched the lives of many children.

    I think I read Catch 22 in high school and was too young/nieve to know what the heck was going on. Maybe it's time to reread it, as the quotes you provided are so excellent!

    • Hi Bish, I didn't set out to tackle the topic I did, but the story sent me in that direction. It was a pretty tough journey, writing The Namesake, but it's my hope that it touches readers who may feel alone in their own dark journeys. Thanks for your comment! SP

  37. Hi Lee and Steven – so sorry to read about your father – experiencing the loss of a parent is always so difficult .. my thoughts as you adjust.

    You've obviously got lots to share with author friends, students and bloggers … they (the bloggers) certainly helped me through the time of my mother's final illness … and we'll be here …

    Good luck with "the Namesake" and Lee with your books – then there's that audio … great way to advertise/market your book – cheers and take care – Hilary

    • Hi, Hilary! Lee is right; I appreciate your lovely message. We're taking comfort in the fact that Mom and Dad are reunited; still it's never an easy adjustment. It may sound odd, but I feel even closer with my character, Evan, these days, truly understanding the loss of father–though under very different circumstances. Thanks for checking in, and thank you, Lee, for having me!