The Upsetter Blog

To write the Upsetter Blog washed-up author Henry Barclay will have to leave behind his adult son Patrick who has Down Syndrome and follow the Flak Jackets a rock band of no renown on a grueling months-long nightclub tour for the obscure magazine startup Upsetter. Hes reluctant to take on the assignment but when Patrick catches the bands act and immediately declares himself their Number One Fan Henry sees a chance to redeem himself after decades of clumsy parenting. Setting out from Los Angeles blasting through the deserts of Southern California and up the West Coast Henry quickly learns how tough this job will be. He did not expect he would become obsessed with the mystery behind lead singer Jack Hacketts tortured wailing and violent onstage antics. He did not expect he would fall in love with Jacks new girlfriend Wendy whos along for the ride.Faced with Jacks hostile stonewalling struggling to hold back his own feelings for Jacks girl Henry can only hang on tight and keep writing filling in the blanks Jack leaves with musings about his own troubled past-and watching in horror as life on the road takes its toll and Jacks fragile world begins to fall apart.An accomplished polished surprisingly moving piece of writing. Brett Marie has a strong sense of the messiness of life of how things rarely pan out as hoped or planned and how that can be good bad or anything in-between. Theres tons to admire here.─Gavin Extence author of The Universe Versus Alex Woods