Fiction author P C Burhenne joins me today to chat about his contemporary literary political novel, The Prophet of Central Park.
Welcome, Patrick. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
After earning a Classical Languages degree at Cincinnati’s Xavier University, I came to New York in my 20s. My first job in the city was in Viking Penguin’s Permission Department. Since then, I’ve supported my literary dreams with work as a carpenter, house painter and a dealer in arts prints. In pursuit of the last, I have sold items via prestigious auction houses in Manhattan and abroad.
Please tell us about your current release.
In the prologue, Caleb Ellison’s departure from a conservative Christian upbringing becomes a desperate escape from his fanatical father. Jumping forward 9 months to a life in New York, my protagonist discovers a deceased uncle, a successful NYC Asian Arts dealer, whom the Ellison family erased from its history because of the man’s homosexuality. Soon after, the street performer/preacher Tawana Johnson enters Caleb’s life on a subway platform when she senses his upset over this lie, an uncanny insight which early on unsettles him. Several pages later, driven by guilt over a past betrayal, Caleb thwarts an organized assault on a Midtown Manhattan abortion rights event. The viral videos of the intervention thrust him into the center of the country’s bitter culture wars.
What inspired you to write this book?
This novel arose out of my alarm at the growing divide in our country. The immediate spark was a story told to me by a close friend which suggested the William Ellison narrative in the book.
Excerpt from The Prophet of Central Park:
“That’s the best I can give ya for it, young man.”
Saying this, the car dealer rests his hand on the hood of Caleb’s pickup, already taking possession. He wears a sympathetic frown because of the disappointing offer but Caleb knows the man is lowballing him. Growing up at the family auction hall has taught Caleb value. The bus leaves in a little over an hour. He realizes he is trembling, can only imagine the “deer in the headlights” look on his face.
“So do we have a deal?”
A smirk flashes across the man’s face before he catches himself. With his pencil legs sticking down from his parka, he seems liable to blow over in the cutting breeze but he is in control. Caleb needs the money to make a start in New York city. A desperation the man has read. Caleb can almost cry at being so easily fleeced. He stares out past the lot, back north where ten miles away the bus depot waits to take him out of Kentucky. He only knows this town to drive through but, more importantly, no one here knows him to report the transaction back to his father. The sun has just set and the thin filigree of clouds looks like frost over the weak blue of the sky. He very nearly nods in surrender.
What exciting project are you working on next?
My current project is a boy-meets-girl story with what I hope is a startling modern twist.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
My father’s praise of a story of mine when I was a teenager made me feel like a real writer. I think I really earned the title after I moved to NYC and became more disciplined about the craft.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I was able to work full-time on the writing of The Prophet of Central Park because of my wife’s financial support. During that time, I wrote for 4 to 5 hours in the morning. Otherwise, I juggle the writing with buying and selling arts prints and other collectibles.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I still write with a pen and paper. Something about slowly filling up a tablet is more rewarding to me than adding to a document on a computer although I do transfer the work to a computer. Not efficient but satisfying to me.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I alternated between wanting to be a writer and a thoroughbred horse trainer.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I hope that my book inspires them to talk to, and listen to, someone with whom they disagree.
The is the author. I will be checking in during today and later in the week so please leave any questions or comments you have and I will answer as soon as I can. Thank you for your interest.
Were any elements of the story taken from your life or from the lives of someone you knew or know?
My religious upbringing, though not as extreme, was similar to Caleb’s. I was raised Catholic, attended 8 years at a Catholic grade school. Therefore I had to overcome an insularity of belief that such a community instills to arrive at the spiritual understanding I have today. That was at times a lonely and sometimes harrowing experience.
Congratulations!
Best of everything!
Congratulations/great interview. I wanted to ask what you hope people will take away from this books?
Dear Clare, thank you for the question. My hope is that the book spurs people to begin dialogues with those they disagree with and to do so with a willingness to listen. I know for myself, to do so is a threatening proposition because if I’m truly willing to listen to opposing views, then someone may highlight the flaws to my beliefs. For so many of us, our beliefs define who we are, so questioning those beliefs is a frightening exercise.