The Best God Damn Writer Since Hemingway
John Wilkes has traveled extensively in his quest for knowledge and wisdom. From his origins in New York to his teen years in Florida to his escapades at a New England prep school to his discovery of French Culture in Europe and West Africa, he demonstrates a gift for telling stories.
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The Star Gazer is one of those stories. It recounts the struggle of every man to find both joy and meaning in life while battling the instability and unhappiness that surrounds us all.
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Jay Walker fights to escape the sadness of his family and the volatility of his life in general. Facing the cold facade of wealth and privilege behind which his father hides, and the sea of alcoholism and insanity in which his mother is drowning, he relies on the family motto, "Where there's a Walker, there's a way!" Anger fuels his rock hard "I'll show you/I know better" attitude towards his parents and his life. But unable to fill the hole within with the love he so desperately craves, Jay turns to sex, liquor and money instead. Slowly he decends into alcoholism, debt and mental illness until finally he stares suicide in the face.
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A devoted fan of Hemingway as author, adventurer and lover, John has tracked Papa's life and times. Having taught French at private high schools, today he continues to expand his knowledge and love for France and its language by frequentyly visiting the country. It is not surprising then that John lives in the shadow of one of the great gifts of France, the Statue of Liberty, with his wife, Gini.
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"The Star Gazer is a poignant, brutally honest, portrayal of a life traced from boyhood to manhood in a well-to-do, East Coast, Brahmin family that wanted for nothing materially, yet was void of love for family."
- Tom Vaughan, Author, The Other Side of Loss
"Jay Walker gazes skyward, but first he visits the pits of hell. In one of the best opening chapters I can remember, John Wilkes tells us about it. The Star Gazer is a quality book. And one wild ride."
- Ken Byerly, Author, Inside the Citadel
Download The Prologue And
First 3 Chapters Now!!
