#MMBBR #Showcase Lynn Rosen, author of A Man of Genius

Samuel Grafton-Hall is a man of genius who demands reverence from all. A renowned architect, Grafton-Hall is grudgingly admired for his vision and talent, but his egocentricity engenders the scorn of his students, critics, colleagues, and even his clients. All of which is of little consequence to him, for he revels in his misanthropy. 

Immune to the barbs of the masses, Grafton-Hall also suffers no qualms about his personal peccadilloes and perversions. An unrepentant womanizer, Grafton-Hall leaves colleagues, friends, and lovers deeply scarred. 

And then there is the murder. The question of legal guilt is of less consequence than whether the gift of genius makes one immune to moral judgment. 

A rich gothic novel that will sweep you into a life of glittering achievement and the core of hubris, “A Man of Genius” will forever alter your ideas about success and pride. 

About the author: Lynn Rosen is the author of A Man of Genius, out on April 11th, 2016 [Una Publications]. Born and raised in New York City, Rosen earned three graduate degrees at the University of Rochester, where she later served on faculty. She has lived in Japan, the Midwest, and the East Coast, and been published in The Texas Quarterly and Caprice.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. A good story. Particularly one that leaves the reader without resolution, but with open-ended possibilities.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

A. When I’m writing I enjoy playing with thoughts in my mind. I love the freedom of moving about plot, people, and places, and testing the affect of newly discovered possibilities.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being a writer?

A. The toughest part about writing is that a writer can go a very long time with little or no sense as to the value of the effort.

Q.  What would the story of your life be titled?

A. THE STORY OF A LIFE: Let’s Give it a Try

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A. TRISTRAM SHANDY

Q. Which character from ANY book do you most identify with?

A. Mrs. Dalloway

Q.  What character from your book do you most identify with?

A. Arthur Dolinger

Q.  What book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. Fall

Q.  What inspired the cover image you chose for A Man of Genius? What is your favorite book cover and why?

A. The cover of A MAN OF GENIUS is a painting by Carroll Beckwith titled “Fame.” It was my father’s favorite painting and now resides in the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery.

The painting depicts a laughing skull crowned by dead rust-colored laurel leaves.

“Fame” captures one of the essential messages of A MAN OF GENIUS. The book speaks to the choices we make in life and how we are defined by them even after death.

My favorite book cover adorns the Seamus Heaney translation of BEOWULF. The cover art’s texture, posing of form, and its tones so perfectly encapsulate the story told. There is a back-story to my prefence. I have presented this book to high school scholars in an inner-city school. The book cover captured their attention. They absorbed and liked it so much that it was included among their belongings when they went to college. And their reading of it provided these students with a new and different entry to joining in conversation with other students in their new and somewhat alien environment. It all came about because the cover was so alluring.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A. If you enter into the world of A MAN OF GENIUS, I hope you enjoy the encounter and that you leave with your mind full of rich images and with provocative thoughts.

And – I’d love to discuss the book with you. Just go to my website at: www.unapublications.com (where I regularly post various short pieces), then join me on Facebook and Twitter and share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.