Mr. Goumas
Your diatribe on Amazon has promoted my book. Thank you. (“For whatever reason, people continue to be fascinated by our family tragedies”)
And thank you for buying my book, as well.
The novel clearly state’s “This is a work of
fiction”….that means “not real”, or “made up”. Did you read the book? (By the
way, you wrote “This author focuses on Ansonia, a small industrial town in
Connecticut's Lower Naugatuck Valley”…..you should have written “The author’
not “This author” and I have a name, it's in big bold letters on the book cover,
but anyway) the book isn’t about the Valley. The book is a collection of
stories about the human condition that happens in a dinner, over the course of a
day.
And why, oh why, would I engage you before writing
a piece of fiction? (“Authors don't have the courtesy to engage with us before
writing and publishing”) …and don’t use the word “Engage” when you mean “contact”.
Keep it simple and say what you mean, that’s the basis of good writing.
In your demand for privacy, you did two things
I would never do, you gave people your family name and where they lived. Now,
literally, for decades to come, the world will associate a simple faction story
with your family. Nice work.
I knew your father, your mother, your grandmother,
your brother Rocky and went to school with one of your sisters, who was beautiful
and extremely intelligent. I saw your parents several times a week at their
store, which was down the hill from us. Your parents were kind, generous, and
considerate people. I admired Rocky’s talents on the football field.
You and
I have several mutual acquaintances. I’m easily reachable. If what I write disturbs
you, why didn’t you simply contact me ……or as you so badly put it, “Engage me”,
and talk to me? After all, it's your demand that I “engage” you before writing.
What’s that saying? “Rules for ye but not for
me”
(From Amazon)
While this book was published in 2011, I was
only recently made aware of its existence. This author focuses on Ansonia, a
small industrial town in Connecticut's Lower Naugatuck Valley. In particular, I
found the author's story "Small Town Tragedy" in this collection
deeply troubling. It's a thinly-veiled telling of two real-life tragedies
experienced by my family in the late 60's-early 1970.
The portrayals of my
late father and brother are both unflattering and frankly wrong. My sister's
accidental death does not need to be relived yet again. For whatever reason,
people continue to be fascinated by our family tragedies, which is deeply
troubling to the surviving members, and authors don't
have the courtesy to engage with us before writing and publishing. I'm only
grateful that both of my parents didn't encounter this book before they passed
away.
Mark Goumas
