ANNIVERSARY
In Search
Of Redemption
Ann Arbor's Steven Gillis pens
a first novel without Jewish characters
but with very Jewish themes.
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Walter Falls recounts the life of
Walter Brimm, a financial adviser
who suspects his wife is having an
affair and devises unconventional
newly published Ann
means to make the alleged lover
Arbor author invests lots
appear undesirable.
of literary capital in
The unexpected results of Brimm's
names.
devices,
with the goal of bankrupting
He uses the pen name Steven
the other man, build the action of
Gillis because there are so many peo-
the book, and readers are asked to
ple with his given name — Steven
question how far someone can go
Schwartz — already working in the
and still expect to be
arts. He gives
forgiven.
unusual names —
Complicating the
Gee, Rea, Janus —
storyline
are indis-
to many characters
cretions of other
because he believes
characters, also
it is part of creating
introduced for the
distinct individuals.
moral contemplation
Gillis, a
of readers. A doctor
University of
at a free clinic, for
Michigan graduate
example, raises
who worked out of
money for his work
state as a commer-
through insurance
cial and labor
fraud and enters into
lawyer, returned to
Walter's many
his college town
dilemmas as the two
eight years ago to
become friends.
write fiction in the
"I think we all
ambience of acade-
have a fear of infi-
mia and cultural
delity whether we're
activities.
exposed to it, con-
His first novel,
"I think of `Waite r Falls' as a
sider it or are affect-
Walter Falls (Brook
spiritual book be cause of the
ed by it," Gillis gives
Street Press; 225
moral undertone, says Gillis.
as the reason for
pp.; $21.95), takes
choosing his domi-
place in a fictitious
nant subject. "It's a gut issue that
university city very much like Ann
Arbor and probes the dissolution of a makes us nervous, and it was an issue
to get Walter's juices going at the
marriage.
beginning of the book.
The author will be signing copies
'Although the novel does not moral-
of his book 7-9 p.m. Thursday, June
ize,
I wanted readers to identify with
26, at Book Beat in Oak Park.
Walter, see how difficult his choices
"My writing always starts from a
were and explore how people justify
question, and this book questions
their choices in terms of love and busi-
how people make choices," says
ness while society and law might not
Gillis, 46, who works on his fiction
recognize them as correct."
projects every day between 5 a.m.
Gillis, who grew up in Detroit and
and 2 p.m.
Bloomfield
Hills, always aspired to
"With Walter Falls, I wanted to
be a writer and started out with
explore issues of right and wrong,
poetry as a youngster. The son of
and I leave it to the readers to decide
Ilene and Stanley Schwartz, he grad-
whether there is justification for
uated from Lahser High School and
what characters do."
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
27566 Northwestern Hwy.
R.,