Coming in from the Cold

The truest most authentic freedom in this Universe is found in love...-Cosmo Chapter 14 Coming in from the ColdThis is one of many seeds of wisdom prudently planted by Cosmo: a mysterious yet engaging and compassionate mentor to Jake Johnson Jr. the protagonist in the novel Coming in from the Cold. Jake Jr. is a young troubled African American man on the cusp of important life transitions when he meets and befriends Cosmo while travelling into New York City one day in early June. Cosmo takes the young man under his wings and over the course of a summer Jake and Cosmo have a series of meetings and dialogues at significant venues in New York City. The compelling dialogues explore such topics as spirituality and religion the constructs of race and racism the dynamics of human sexuality and relationships the connections between the health of planet Earth and human health the mechanics of money and the material world the legacy of slavery across time and the nature of the Universe.The first three chapters of the novel delve into the origins of Jakes family life before his fortuitous meeting with Cosmo. At the heart of the novel is a love story. Shortly after graduating from Evergreen College in New England young Jake travels to Japan where he teaches English. During this transformative sojourn abroad Jake meets and develops a close companionship with a very atypical hip Japanese man named Hiro who introduces Jake to love and the very best of Japanese culture. Much against his fathers wishes Jake is called to work in the field of education and enrolls in Columbia Universitys graduate program in teacher education upon his return from Japan. It is the period between his return from Japan and his enrollment at Columbia when Jake meets Cosmo who provides guidance and wisdom at that critical juncture in the young mans life. During Jakes first semester of graduate school in New York City however there is a catastrophic earthquake in Japan and all communication is cut off between Jake and his Japanese companion Hiro. Not knowing if Hiro is dead or alive and compelled by his deep love for him Jake makes the momentous decision to take a dangerous trip back to Japan to find his lover with whom he is eventually reunited. At the end of the novel the true identity of Cosmo is revealed.The main theme of the novel is about the redemptive powers of embracing love and wisdom in facing the vicissitudes of life during this transitional era in human history: a turbulent era on the cusp of brighter more promising days of a more harmonious united humanity on Earth.