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| The Last Sewer Ball by Steven Schindler |
The Last Sewer Ball by Steven Schindler is a prime example of that remembered past. Mired firmly in rediscovering ones roots, the story presents the past and an all-too-real present.
The main character, Vinny Schmidt, is back to square one when he finds himself without a home, a family, or a job. As he returns to the Bronx after two decades and begins piecing himself back together, he finds something even more important... A gnawing curiosity about his childhood friend, Whitey Shelley.
As the story develops, the reader is taken back to Vinny's childhood; with all of the illogically optimistic meanderings of childhood up to the erratically angst-filled teenage years, awash with the nostalgic references of the 60's.
Schindler's narrative is quite unique, methodically moving from time and place, absolutely comfortable within the intimate surroundings of the Bronx. Old memories and new actualities perpetuate a deceptively simple prose, while precipitating complex emotions within the reader.
There is a certain amount of reflection within the pages of The Last Sewer Ball. Yet, passing through the bound pages of reminiscence, the reader will be given a harsh dose of reality. Schindler has succeeded in something immensely difficult, being able to present both ends of an emotional spectrum within the timeline of a character's life.
It is a gritty, memory-laden, heart-warming story that imprints itself upon the mind, long after the final page is read.
Steven Schindler was born and raised in the Bronx. He graduated Hunter College with a degree in Film and Theatre. He has been awarded four Chicago Emmy Awards and Best Fiction at the DIY/Indie Book Awards for From The Block.
The Last Sewer Ball by Steven Schindler, 2013 ISBN 978-0-9662408-9-4
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