‘Down to the River’ is Anne Whitney Pierce’s new novel. Photo: amazon
Anne Whitney Pierce is a life-long Cantabrigian and the author of two books, “Galaxy Girls: Wonder Women” (1993) and “Rain Line.” (2000) She has taught in the graduate writing program at Emerson College in Boston. Her short fiction has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kansas Quarterly, Crosscurrents, TheSouthern Review, among others. Her work has been included in the O’Henry Prize Story Collection and has won several awards, including the Nelson Algren Award, the Willa Cather Fiction Prize, the Paterson Fiction Prize, New Voices Award and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award. Her new book “Down to the River” is a family saga set in the late 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. (amazon, 2022)
“Down to the River” – Whitney Pierce has set this novel in a time similarly turbulent to our own. It tells the story of how the Potts family, bred from privilege, falls to their knees amongst the revelries, riots, and raging uncertainty of the 60s. It is a family that hides deep secrets, as dark and murky as the Charles River which divides Cambridge and Boston. The town of Cambridge is a city so storied and distinct it becomes a living, breathing character.
Twin brothers, Nash and Remi Potts, have grown up as entitled, Harvard-educated, golden boys, heirs to an old, but dwindling family fortune. With the passage of time, the gold veneer of prosperity begins to chip away, and their lives begin to falter. It is 1968, and they are in their mid-forties and partners in a sporting goods store in Harvard Square. The twins’ marriages are in trouble. Their youngest children, Chickie and Hen, are coming of age during the turbulent urban wilderness of the late 1960s— school bomb threats, racial tensions, war protests and demonstrations at Harvard and beyond. With all hell breaking loose at home, and any semblance of “parenting” hanging ragged in the wind, the two cousins are left largely to their own devices. Suddenly freed from old rules and restrictions, they head out onto the streets of Cambridge, which become their concrete playground, tumbling headlong into a world of politics, sex, drugs, rock and roll.
The Peach Truck will be making stops at EVO’s Schertz and Kyle locations. Photo: Peach Truck, used with permission.
Summer has finally arrived, which means the beloved Peach Truck is making its way back to EVO Entertainment with stops at EVO’s Schertz and Kyle locations. Pickups of delicious, hand-picked peaches and Georgia pecans will be available at both locations by pre-order only, and orders must be placed five days prior to the tour stops. Pickups will take place at EVO Kyle from 9a.m. to 10a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 and at EVO Schertz from 2:30p.m. to 4p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 and from 8a.m.to 9a.m.on Friday,July 22, 2022. (EVO Entertainment, 2022)
After grabbing a box or two of the best peaches around, movie lovers can kick back in one of EVO’s luxury recliners and enjoy the latest summer blockbusters. To sweeten the deal, anyone who purchases a box of peaches or products from The Peach Truck will also receive a complimentary 30-minute game card to redeem at EVO Schertz or EVO Kyle.
EVO Entertainment Group is an Austin based out-of-home entertainment operator made up from several innovative brands including EVO Entertainment, EVO Cinemas, and EVO Concerts. Since its launch in 2014, EVO has gained a reputation as a leader in innovation, as well as one of the fastest growing independent cinema circuits in the country.
‘We Were Dreamers’ is Simu Liu’s new memoir; now available everywhere. Photo: google
Simu Liuis an actor and writer best known for his work on Marvel Studios’ Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in five seasons of the beloved family sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and for manifesting his dreams into existence with a Tweet. He wishes he had tweeted for something a bit better – like world peace, or for his parents to finally say “I love you.” His new book “We Were Dreamers” is more than a celebrity memoir – it is a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance. (Barnes and Noble, 2022)
“We Were Dreamers”– The star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime. In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family’s journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu’s parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu’s new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to – although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.
As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly – he gets straight As, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business. Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu’s determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
The Black Phone, from Joe Hill’s ’20th Century Ghosts’ has been adapted into a movie and will be released in theaters on June 24, 2022. Photo: amazon
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels “The Fireman,” “NOS4A2,” “Horns,” and “Heart-Shaped Box;” “Strange Weather,” a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections “Full Throttle” and “20th Century Ghosts.” He is also the Eisner Award–winning writer of a seven-volume comic book series, “Locke & Key.” Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, including NOS4A2 (AMC), Locke & Key (Netflix), and In the Tall Grass (Netflix). The Black Phone is a short story in his “20th Century Ghosts” collection and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions. It stars Ethan Hawke and will be released in theaters on Friday June 24, 2022. (amazon, 2022)
The Black Phone – Jack Finney is thirteen, alone, and in desperate trouble. For two years now, someone has been stalking the boys of Galesberg, stealing them away, never to be seen again. And now, Finney finds himself in danger of joining them: locked in a psychopath’s basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children.
With him in his subterranean cell is an antique phone, long since disconnected . . . but it rings at night anyway, with calls from the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
“The Black Phone” is one of fifteen stories in Joe Hill’s first story collection, originally published as 20th Century Ghosts—the inventive and chilling compendium that established this award-winning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling author as “a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction” (Washington Post).
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ by Johnny Malapert is available on Kindle through amazon. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
You should be warned that the book you are considering was written by a renegade; a social misfit who has been ostracized by contemporary polite society. Johnny Malapert started out as a high school gang banger. He went on to work in the trades (construction, contracting, transportation) and later the professions (law, finance, education). He also enthusiastically joined many social groups (athletic, religious, charitable) and traveled extensively around the world, especially Western Europe. Although he found these endeavors initially exciting, and educational in a piratical way, and was usually quite good at the activity, none was personally fulfilling and each became boring as time went on. He is now a defrocked university professor working to debunk the social prejudice of “personality disorders,” as defined by psychology. (Johnny Malapert, 2022)
The common public perception of psychopath as evil and despicable is prejudicial and unjustified. His personal passion is to challenge the pervasive, mindless discrimination against psychopathy and help these often abused, but resilient and intrepid, men live freely in society. His proclamation: that the pseudoscience of psychology is wrong and the modern psychopathic man has the potential to achieve an elevated, satisfying, fulfilling, and often socially beneficial, way of life within the norms of modern Western society. If for any reason you think you may be a psychopath, his book ‘Lilith and the Psychopath,’could change your life—for the better. Alternatively, if you are not a psychopath, this book will give you a better understanding of psychopathy and allow you to accept these maligned individuals into society, like any other law abiding citizen. It is a fantastic story based on a hodgepodge conglomeration of places, people, events and ideas that the author has experienced over the years.
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ – The modern, healthy psychopath, referred to by some as ‘psychosapien,’ is not the stereotypical, mindless, and often violent criminal sensationalized in folklore and the media. He is more typically intelligent with a character matrix that makes him exceptionally suited to function successfully in today’s multifaceted social environment. He is hard-wired against the often personally enslaving and destructive social pressures of conformity, doublethink, self-doubt, docility, and guilt. He is adventurous, self-confident, and often charming; an aggressive calculating risk-taker who is willing to challenge the status quo. He is the guy you want to be with in a fight and, if he is on the other side, the guy that causes you to give up and go home. The psychosapien is a gift of social evolution to his friends, family, kingship, and to free-minded people everywhere. He is a curse on the mindless, communalist demagogues that populate the upper echelons of every society throughout all of history, spouting exaggerated political promises and mindless slogans to dishonestly solicit loyalty, support, and compliance from the duped masses of underlings. The modern psychosapien has thrown off the shackles of social stereotyping and prejudice that have marked him as a mentally ill societal misfit, and has emerged as an authentic, happy, healthy, self-actualized individual.
Who is Johnny Picaro? If you ask his brother, the prison psychiatrist, and the beach psychologist, Johnny is an incorrigible psychopath, sociopath, or both. Hiscollege psychology professor agrees but adds that he is also the epitome of a healthy psychopath: a psychosapien. His sister sees him as an anti-Christian heathen; his dad confesses Johnny’s delinquent childhood behavior kept them from bonding but he still is very proud of the successful businessman Johnny became. His ex-fiancée who dumped him as a convicted felon and the superior court judge both agree he will always be a loser, but his surfing buddies acknowledge him as the leader of the pack and as tough as a junkyard dog. The soup kitchen nun sees Johnny as a shifty, social chameleon but also as a charming, resourceful, compassionate guy. The enslaved Ukrainian orphan girl knows him as the hero who helped when no one else would. The ruthless Barrio 13 drug honcho and his autistic brother hate Johnny and see him as an impediment to their business model who they intend to brutalize again and then eliminate. His wealthy, aging social-lite employer recognizes him as the tough, smart fighter she clearly needs right now. His renegade girlfriend sees Johnny as the perfect mate who is highly intelligent, self-confident, and energetic; a fearless risk taker who ignores arbitrary authority. What would Johnny say? “Kinda stupid question to ask someone. Who cares what other people think?”
‘Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together’ by Robert L. Dilenschneider. Photo: amazon
Robert L. Dilenschneider has hired more than 3,000 successful professionals and advised thousands more. He is founder of the Dilenschneider Group, a corporate strategic counseling and public relations firm based in New York City. Formerly president and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, he is the author of the bestselling books “The Critical First Years of Your Professional Life,” “Power and Influence,” “A Briefing for Leaders,” and “Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together.” The latter is an inspiring and encouraging book that provides 25 fascinating and diverse profiles of iconic men and women at or near age 25 and how they built their legacies. (amazon, 2022)
‘Nailing It’ begins with a foreword from U.S. Ambassador Donald Blinken where he writes that Robert L. Dilenschneider focuses on these men and women when they were aged 25 or so, what they did to gain a spot in history, and how they did it. He also mentions that the target demographic is those coming of age right now, but also older people who care about them and want them to succeed. In the Introduction, the author shares that the idea behind the book is to inspire young people and hopes they realize that they can make a difference. In general, he wishes people realize that there are many paths to greatness and not all of them are smooth sailing. The book is made up of twenty three chapters and each focuses on one of these 25 people, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, Coco Chanel, Golda Meir, and more. More than just biographies, each chapter reveals where they were in their lives in their mid-twenties and the choices that made them who they are.
At first, seeing a list of history’s greatest might be intimidating but it serves to remember that each one of them encountered and defeated their own difficulties in life. Even if you do not know every one of the people profiled in this book, all their stories are inspiring. Since each chapter is a different person, readers can take their time and even go back and re-read previous ones. With easy to understand language, the author takes readers deep into the lives of each of these individuals and shares the good and the bad in the hopes of inspiring everyone to dream big, but most of all, to put in the effort and work necessary to achieve success. Most importantly, this book is a reminder that it is ‘never too late to make an impact.’ It is hard to choose a favorite profile, but Mary Shelley (Chapter 2) stands out due to her being a notable literary figure, best known for her masterpiece Frankenstein. By the time she was 25, she had already written what could be considered a best-seller, but she had also suffered more than most young women, starting with the death of her mother when she was only ten days old. ‘Nailing It’ by Robert L. Dilenschneider is an inspiring collection of notable historical figures that would make an excellent addition to any personal library. It is recommended for readers who appreciate biographies and books on career advice and self-improvement.
“The world is full of timid souls and idle dreamers who never really go after what they want. Don’t be one of them. Work to stand out and use the lessons you’ve learned from this book. If you take that approach and stick with it, it will change your life for the better.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
A Town Full of Ghosts’ digital release date is June 17, 2022. Photo: google
For fans of ‘found footage’ horror movies: Some towns should stay forgotten. This June, travel to Blackwood Falls. From filmmaker Isaac Rodriguez, A Town Full of Ghosts premieres on digital platforms June 17. (A Town Full of Ghosts, 2022)
A Town Full of Ghosts– Mark and his wife Jenna sell everything they have to purchase a western ghost town in the middle of nowhere called Blackwood Falls. They plan to turn the ghost town into a tourist attraction with hotels, restaurants, and attractions. They hire a small film crew to document their journey and upload the videos to their video channel. When funding falls through, they find themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere. Things take a twist when Mark discovers the town has a horrible history of death. He secretly digs deeper into the past and stumbles upon something evil.
Tensions start to rise when one of the film crew goes missing, and everyone finds themselves trapped in the town. Jenna comes up with a plan to escape, but Mark begins to lose his mind and takes matters into his own hands. Jenna makes one last attempt to escape the town. She gets lost in the wooden maze while something evil goes after her. She must escape or become an eternal resident in Blackwood Falls.
Andrew C. Fisher, Mandy Lee Rubio, Lauren Lox, Sarah Froelich, Isaac Rodriguez, Keekee Suki, and Vania Vasquez star in an Isaac Rodriguez film,
“After visiting the J. Lorraine, TX, ghost Town in Austin, TX, I was immediately inspired to make my next film there. The town was actually all built by the current owner. Some of the buildings were very small and looked fake, but I knew I could incorporate that into the story. A few months back, I saw a YouTuber who sold everything and moved into a real ghost town in California. I wanted to use that basic idea with a married couple and add a The Shining vibe to it.” – writer/director Isaac Rodriguez
Times Square subway closed in Emmett Adler’s End of the Line. Photo: Gravitas Ventures, used with permission.
Award-winning filmmaker Emmett Adler’s feature documentary End of the Line is a character-driven political drama about the New York City subway crisis and a long overdue reckoning on infrastructure. End of the Line will be released on digital and video on demand platforms in the United States on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Gravitas Ventures, 2022)
Video on demand platforms include Apple/iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Vudu, Microsoft, and more.
End of the Line – Establishing the vital economic importance and grandeur of New York City’s historic subway system, the film dives into its dire modern-day troubles picking up in the late 2010s when flooding, overcrowding, power failures, and derailments have become commonplace. After a particularly bad spate of disasters in the summer of 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaims a state of emergency and hires a new international wunderkind executive named Andy Byford to save the subways. Byford, an earnest Briton with an impressive resume, enters as a charismatic would-be hero. As the political turmoil behind the subway’s decline comes into sharp focus, scenes in barbershops, bodegas, and bakeries show the frustration and devastation among business owners and residents who are caught in the middle.
Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic furthers this, and brings to light America’s need to shore up its infrastructure in cities across the country and the inequality struggles that are central to this debate. A heartfelt and scrupulous exploration, this film poses the question: what happens when the lifeline of a city goes flat? This film is dedicated to the heroic New York City transit workers who lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive Producer: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer Producers: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer; Co-Producer Mariah Wilson Official selection: Doc NYC
Feature Documentary/ Not Yet Rated / Running Time: 65 Minutes
Emmett Adler is an Emmy-winning filmmaker who has taught art in Shenzhen, China, was once a chess champion in the state of Illinois and can juggle pins while walking on stilts. He has over a decade of experience as a freelance documentary and commercial film editor. In 2021, he made his directorial debut with the feature documentary End of the Line which premiered to sold out audiences at DOC NYC film festival.
Gravitas Ventures is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America – over one billion homes worldwide.
Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas launches $2.4 million fundraising campaign to open Uvalde Center providing free grief support. Photo: Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas.
The recent tragedy in Uvalde highlights the need for mental health services and support not only for the families and friends of the 21 victims but for the entire community. The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas (CBCST) is launching a $2.4 million fundraising campaign to expand its presence in Uvalde. (Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, 2022)
The $2.4 million five-year operating budget includes real estate, staff salaries, and training for CBCST at Uvalde. Because all services offered by CBCST are free, financial donations are essential. Its two-pronged plan for assistance includes: (1) a center offering free grief support programs to the children, families and community members living with grief, and (2) grief and trauma training for Uvalde schoolteachers and counselors. Fundraising for the project has already brought in donations from several San Antonio businesses and individuals. Anyone interested in donating may do so online.
“Grief is not a linear process. The Uvalde community and surviving families will go through many stages over an extended period of time – most likely years. We will be here for them for as long as it takes.” – Marian Sokol, Executive Director for CBCST.
CBCST was on the ground in Uvalde within hours of the mass shooting and counselors specifically trained in grief and trauma have remained. They are currently operating out of a temporary space and plan to open a more permanent location in the next 45 days.
Ultimately, the Center in Uvalde will be modeled after the CBCST, offering the same services. These include individual counseling, grief camps and peer support groups for children, parents and caregivers.
CBCST is well-versed in dealing with these types of traumatic events being the largest program of its kind in the country and serving South Texas for 25 years. They created a similar temporary location in Sutherland Springs following the mass shooting there in November 2017. Additionally, they helped launch the Children’s Bereavement Center Rio Grande Valley, which now operates independently and offers the same services as CBCST.
The second prong of the plan will begin immediately with grief and trauma training for schoolteachers and counselors in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD). In fact, CBCST already has some connection to UCISD counselors through a recent virtual training that specifically addressed how to talk to grieving children.
The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas’ mission is to foster healing for grieving children and youth, their families and the community. As the sole provider of grief support programs for children through young adulthood in South Texas, CBCST wholeheartedly devotes itself to addressing the bereavement needs of children from every culture and social circumstance to help them heal and move forward. CBCST believes that each person’s journey through grief is unique and therefore deserving of a distinctive approach. Their goal is to help children and their caregivers understand the depth of their grief, stabilize and preserve family relationships, and develop healthy coping skills after the death of a loved one.
Hotel Contessa’s rooftop Spa will pair rosé infused treatments with signature rosé cocktails and complimentary rosé all day for guests purchasing a treatment only on June 11, 2022. Photo: Spa at Hotel Contessa, used with permission.
Spa at Hotel Contessa is celebrating National Rosé Day on June 11 from 9a.m. to 6:30p.m. by offering specially curated services including a rose-infused facial, massage, and poolside reflexology. The national holiday falls on the second Saturday of June every year, making it perfect for a weekend ‘winedown.’ Rosé lovers can book a service by calling the Spa at Hotel Contessa directly at 210-298-8038 for a day to sip wine, relax, and look forward to the approaching summer at the Spa’s rooftop location. (Spa at Hotel Contessa, 2022)
The full services available for National Rosé Day are as follows:
Rose Water Facial – $160 for 50 minutes
Facials will take place in a spa treatment room
Lotus Rose Cold Stone Massage – $75 for 30 minutes or $160 for 50 minutes
Massage can take place poolside or in a spa treatment room
Rose Oil Reflexology – $75 for 30 minutes
Reflexology will take place poolside
Additional specials for guests who book a treatment on National Rosé Day include complimentary cold rose-infused towels offered both in the spa and poolside, and a complimentary glass of rosé. The spa will also offer a signature rosé cocktail for purchase.
Complimentary valet parking for spa guests is available at Hotel Contessa also located at 306 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205. Spa guests also have access to the hotel’s rooftop pool and fitness center.
Spa at Hotel Contessa 306 West Market Street San Antonio, TX 78205 Rooftop Level
SA Examiner 