M. Allen Cunningham is an American author celebrated for his deeply considered novels that delve into the complexities of the human psyche and resonant themes such as the search for identity and the residual effects of war. His works, characterized by a fluid and evocative style, explore interpersonal relationships and spiritual landscapes. Cunningham's approach to writing is often informed by his engagement with art and history, resulting in narratives that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. His ability to capture the interior lives of his characters and render rich, detailed worlds has earned critical acclaim, establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary American literature.
Set in a small Iowa town, the story follows Benjamin Lorn, a sensitive young man grappling with the loss of his mother and a newfound love during a transformative summer. As he uncovers a troubling family secret, he is driven to escape westward. The narrative explores his struggle for transcendence through the telegraph wires that have fascinated him since childhood, all while he confronts the increasing burden of a dark responsibility.
"Partisans is a lost work by the mysterious writer Geoffrey Peerson Leed, presented in nine parts according to Leed's designs as indicated in manuscripts discovered after his disappearance. One half of Partisans concerns an unspecified war in an unspecified past, the other half centers on Leed himself as he struggles to survive in an unspecified future. At the heart of the book is our present moment, though never dealt with explicitly. Beyond that, Partisans eludes simple description"--Amazon.com
Part consoling sourcebook, part cultural commentary, and part wry self-help manual, this gloriously uncynical handbook provides advice for creatives struggling in a career world awash in bottom-line thinking.With an appealing blend of sound counsel, good humor, and vivid historical and literary anecdotes, M. Allen Cunningham offers solidarity to any writer or artist working against the grain of the times, and reminds us that obscurity, rather than being cause for shame, is a time-honored condition of the serious, committed artist. Readers will laugh aloud at the e-mails received by Henry David Thoreau's literary agent in response to his "bloated and incoherent" book Walden, and will underline and annotate the margins in such pieces as "In the Absence of Yes," Cunningham's bracing perspective on endless rejection. Hailed by Cynthia Ozick as "ingenious...important...inspiring and inspiriting," this unique handbook is unlike any volume on creativity you have read before. It is packed with insights -- both practical and philosophical -- that will appeal to every creative person you know.