Present Tense
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Book Sense
Local Authors
Western New York has a rich and vibrant literary community. Present Tense is pleased to carry work from many local authors and support the local literary arts. Here is a small selection of current titles by our hometown writers.
House to House $15
Written by David Bellavia
SSG David Bellavia spent spent six years in the US Army, including some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq War. He has been awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq, and recommended for the Distinquished Service Cross and Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah. His writing has been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and other publications. House to House was selected as a September 2007 Book Sense pick.
Unbridled Cowboy $19.95
Written by Joe Fussell, edited by E.R. Fussell
Le Roy, NY resident E.R. (Bob) Fussell published his grandfather's memoirs of a life lived in the wild Old West. Joseph B. Fussell was born in Tyler, Texas, in 1879. He worked various jobs including cowpuncher, railroad man, and even a brief stint as a Texas Ranger. After retiring from the Santa Fe in 1945, Fussell moved to Alhambra, California, to be near his daughter and family. With little formal training, Fussell wrote his riveting memoir about real life in the West at the turn of the century. He died in 1957.
Forgotten Founder, Drunken Prophet: The Life of Luther Martin $25
Written by Bill Kauffman
Hailed as “the sage of Batavia” by Gore Vidal, Bill Kauffman was born in Batavia, New York and currently resides in Elba, New York. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, he went to work as an aide to New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (which he would later describe as an "anarchist-making experience") in 1981. After leaving Moynihan's employ, Kauffman worked as Washington, D.C. editor for Reason, after which he and his family returned to Batavia. He is now a contributing editor to Chronicles and Liberty, and he has also written frequently for The American Conservative, The American Enterprise, The Wall Street Journal, and CounterPunch.
Super America $24.95
Written by Anne Panning
Anne Panning is the author of the short story collection The Price of Eggs and her creative nonfiction and short stories have appeared in such publications as the Beloit Fiction Journal, Prairie Schooner, Quarterly West, Black Warrior Review, and In Short. Panning is an associate professor of English at the State University of New York at Brockport, where she also codirects the Writers Forum. This collection, Super America, won the 2006 Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and was selected as a December 2007 Book Sense pick.
Taming Your Toddler (and Yourself) $14.95
Written by Pam Reed
A native of Batavia, NY, Pam L. Reed has had the opportunity to act as Publicity Director for a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group in New York. As Publicity Director her articles appeared in monthly newsletters. Pam currently works as an Office Manager at Highlands County Family YMCA in Sebring, Florida.
Damaged $21.95
Written by Jack Slutzky
Jack Slutzky lives with his wife on beautiful Oatka Creek in LeRoy, NY. As a teacher, artist, animator, consultant, and writer, he has been an ardent spokesperson for the interconnections between the Arts and the Humanities.
An Explorer's Guide to Western New York $19.95
Written by Christine A. Smyczynski
Christine Smyczynski is a native Western New Yorker with a longtime interest in regional history and local attractions. She is the author of dozens of articles on the region and a former writer for AOL's Digital City Buffalo, an online city guide. She lives outside of Buffalo, NY, with her husband and four children.
Come Sunday $17.95
Written by Paul C. Stomper, M.D.
Paul C. Stomper, M.D. grew up in Batavia, N.Y. Dr. Stomper, a musician and sports enthusiast, studied at the Berklee College of Music and graduated from Syracuse University and Upstate Medical College. He has served full-time on the faculties of Harvard Medical School at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (1982-1989) and Roswell Park Cancer Institute (1989-2004). Dr. Stomper has authored over one hundred papers in peer-reviewed medical journals and authored the book, Cancer Imaging Manual.