As a twenty-something corporate employee with a doctor-in-training girlfriend, Livingstone Modicai Ackerman—Liv, to his friends—personifies success. Yet all is not as it seems. His job is tedious and soul-gutting, his girlfriend is a vacuous, image-conscious snob, and, meanwhile, his pathologically narcissistic parents are constant irritants. Add to this the febrile political climate dominated by a reactionary group, the Patriot Posse, led by a mendacious radio personality with outlandish hair and catchy campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again,” is a presidential candidate—and he’s winning!
Overwhelmed and struggling to maintain a sense of dignity and worth, Liv quits his job, breaks up with his girlfriend, and leaves for Spain to explore the existential question: Why live?
Told with humorous charm and wit, Why Liv? examines why modern work is so devoid of purpose and why reactionary politics is so alluring in America. Most of all, it humbly attempts to offer a reason to persevere during difficult times.
Author Interview
1. What book do you
feel is under-appreciated? How about overrated?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is under-appreciated (it’s far
more than a book about man’s hubris and science gone amok); The Bible is
overrated
2. If you had to
describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Regimented, thoughtful, & curious.
3. What is your most
unusual writing quirk?
I write a specific number of words each day (500)—rarely
more, rarely less.
4. What’s one movie
you like recommending to others?
The Best of Youth (an Italian film bursting with humanity).
5. If you could own
any animal as a pet, what would it be?
Golden Retriever – does a sweeter creature exist?
6. Have you ever met
anyone famous?
Yes. Bill Clinton.
7. What is the first
book that made you cry?
My Brother Sam is
Dead by James Lincoln
Collier
8. How long, on
average, does it take you to write a book?
About two years.
9. What are your top
5 favorite movies?
The Best of Youth, It’s a Wonderful Life, Empire
of the Sun, Munich, & Gallipoli,
10. Do you have any
advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t quit your day job.
11. What book do you
wish you had written?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
12. If you could
live in any time period, what would it be and why?
The present – try living without modern medicine!
13. What is your
favorite genre to read?
Non-Fiction. You can’t go wrong reading about
history.
About the Author
Jon Sebastian Shifrin is a writer plying his trade in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in The Baltimore Sun, The Hill, Reunion: The Dallas Review, The Missing Slate, The Indian Review, and Futures Trading. Jon also is the founder of the popular current events website, The Daily Dissident (www.dailydissident.com). His non-literary career in politics has taken him from the White House to Capitol Hill to think tanks in Washington and Europe. To learn more about Why Liv?, visit www.whyliv.com.
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