Innovative Fiction Has a New Voice in Atlanta Author

Jan. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- Mouzza Publications has released ‘A Brief History of Howard,’ a suspenseful and innovative work of Jewish literary fiction about a young jazz guitar player/grad student who faces unusual and overwhelming obstacles to his health and psyche, and must search for his inner strength to stay alive.  Penned by Atlanta author, Robert M. (Bob) Levin, ‘A Brief History of Howard’ is a thrill ride unlike any other.

If you’ve spent any time going to acupuncture, studying Asian Philosophy, Tai Chi, or Chinese Herbal Remedies, you’ve no doubt come across the stories of ancient masters who have managed to live 200 or more years through a superior understanding of the inner workings of Ch’i, otherwise known as life force.  Some have used this knowledge to better humankind, while some have placed more emphasis on “superior” instead of “understanding,” and have become like a deadly virus, like an impending nuclear explosion threatening to cover the planet.  This is the villain of this novel, Dr. Wang, one such master who is a half step from assembling the final pieces to this horribly destructive puzzle.

Over the years Dr. Wang has moved into the proper geographic position, living in the Center of the world’s most dominant power.  He has migrated to St. Louis, living a mundane life as an acupuncturist and herbalist, until the moment when his knowledge can be complete. He finds that the last bits of knowledge center on Howard Stein—a young graduate student at Washington University.  The now famous ‘flap of the butterfly’ that causes an earthquake, lies in a deadly illness that has befallen Howard.  Howard is Chaos Theory, the New Physics, personified.  To Dr. Wang, Howard’s illness is a legion of Monarchs.

To Howard, Howard is a typical American Jewish young man.  A good student, enrolled in a graduate Psychology program as a matter of rational choice, a baseball fan as a matter of love, a jazz guitarist as a matter of greater love; a young man—in the history of American Jewish Literature—who has successfully removed the stain of being Jewish, the stain of Judaism, and has become generic.  He develops an illness that doesn’t allow this self-concept to remain.  Howard goes to doctors, the emergency room, more doctors, has more visits to the emergency room—and the results are the same.  Something is wrong; no one can say just what.  Howard senses that there is something seriously wrong with his body—and this is how he ends up on Dr. Wang’s treatment table.

What follows is Howard’s fight for life on so many levels; not just his disease, but the murderous pursuit of Dr. Wang, who sees that his final puzzle piece involves the discovery of a new way of killing—destroying not just the body, not just the Ch’i, but going so far as having to erase a human soul, Howard’s soul.  For Howard to survive he must take a wholly unpredictable and surprising journey across country, and into the depths of his own existence, into his own first person “I.”  Rather, the journey takes him.

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Praise for ‘A Brief History of Howard’:
“A Brief History of Howard presents an opportunity discover a classic: gifted writing, intellectual stimulation, and just enough ‘Hollywood’ suspense to prevent you from guessing what happens next.  Pay attention; you can’t imagine where you’re going to end up on this journey!” says Jennifer Elin Cole, Cookie Bear Press Inc., publisher of I Love You All The Time.

“It’s an astonishing work of innovative fiction,” says Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, NYC. “Howard Stein finds himself in a battle not only for his life, but for his soul, his ch’i, and has to reach down to the mysteries of physics, religion and the Judaism of his ancestors to find the weapons to prevail,” says Ms. Schneider.

About Robert M. Levin:
As in all works of fiction, there is non-fiction.  Robert Levin was indeed a graduate student at Washington University, in the Creative Writing Department, where he studied with Stanley Elkin, Jarvis Thurston, and the many other distinguished men and women of letters that gathered at the school at the time.  Following that episode, he studied Family Therapy as a rational decision, and then became seriously ill.  In the real world, the acupuncture was good and effective, the herbs worked, and the Tai Chi helped—period.  The questioning of the self, the explorations of the soul, and the rethinking of Judaism—all necessary.  He presently lives in a good climate with his wife and children, and is still trying to play jazz guitar.  He also goes to an M.D. and an acupuncturist depending on just what needs fixing—and he’s old enough to need to be checked every 3000 miles.    

About Mouzza Publications:
Established in 2008, Mouzza Publications LLC (http://www.mouzza.com) offers the best in straight ahead jazz music and unique literary fiction.

Mouzza’s roster of artists includes teen jazz vibraphonist, Amy Levin, whose CD, ‘What I Did Over My Summer Vacation’ has garnered airplay on every jazz radio show in Atlanta and has sold well nationwide. Amy’s straight-ahead jazz style is in the Milt Jackson tradition, but with her own unique approach.

‘A Brief History of Howard – A Novel’ is Mouzza’s first book release.

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Established in 2008, Mouzza Publications offers the best in straight-ahead jazz music and Jewish literary fiction from extraordinary talents. Just released - 'A Brief History of Howard-A Novel' by Robert M. Levin, available on Amazon.com and Kindle store.