Ta-Ta for now. Both of my readers may have noticed, or likely not noticed, that I have not blogged for a while. There are a number of reasons for this, so I thought you’d like a peek into this author’s mind concerning this, no doubt, earth shaking event. It’s unlikely I will be publishing another blog in the future.
First, let me thank you for having read my A. Lester Lord series (you did read all three novels, didn’t you? If not, do read “Guitars of the Gods” which puts a nice cap on my story and, likely, on my novelist “career.”)
Writing these books was one of the most enjoyable and unexpected chapters in my life. It gave me an opportunity to write whatever I wished, in any way I wished, to organize my thoughts around the issues presented in them and, not least, the luxury to bitch and moan about the stupidity of the human race. As with any creative project, the finished result was not the point. To me what mattered was the process, but I do hope you found the result worth your reading time.
As you may know, prior to writing the books and since having written them, I have successfully placed op-eds in both the Albany Times Union and the Washington Post, along with several letters to the editors. If you have not read them, having read the books, you may find them interesting and/or amusing. It’s likely any writing you may see from me in the future will be in the form of such articles.
As with anything undertaken by someone with less than prodigious talent, these books would never enter into the pantheon of great literature even had I been fortunate to find a way of bringing them to public notice. That you noticed them is enough for me.
What I can say about them is, however artfully or not they were written, I believe they contain a lot of truth. Truth that, sadly, many people cannot accept as true. In this time of plague, and may you both be preserved from it, you can see how prescient was the subplot concerning Luce engineering the election of Trump so as to ensure the destruction of the human race and win his bets. I put forth the premise that the evangelicals, in supporting Trumps, were, in fact doing Satan’s work. To any objective observer, this is not only apparent in our current situation, but has been the case more or less for the past 2000 years. Of course, Christianity is not alone in this regard. To paraphrase philosopher, Bertram Russel, religion is as harmful as it is false. Of course it does have good in it, for like any human invention, it is both good and bad. I have tried to expose it’s failures while asserting that we can all fulfill it’s higher values by living a good life, one in which we take responsibility for our sins and learn to be better for it.
In keeping with this core concept in the novels, I’ll sign off with the words of Thomas Edison. “Show me a man who is satisfied with himself and I’ll show you a failure.” I’m not satisfied with these books, both because they have, predictably, not caught the attention of the reading public (and I knew all along that would be the case) and, also, because I know I am at best a second class talent. This is actually true of me in most things I have undertaken, and, of course, that’s the case with 99.9 percent of us. But, I don’t feel at all like a failure. As Lester shows us, we are all imperfect beings, but if we do the best we can, are faithful to ourselves and our friends and live as close to honest and moral lives as we can, no one can ask more of us. If you would like to contact me, email me at ndovberg@gmail.com.
Stay well, love life and may the blessing of Lester follow you through all of your days.
Norman Dovberg
An Author's Inner Mind 