Today I’m pleased to announce that AIA Publishing will release my new book, Maslow’s Basement, on August 24. Like my others, this is a work of fiction intended primarily as entertainment, but it also attempts to shine a light on one of the most difficult and pervasive problems facing our society today: homelessness.
When most of us think about this problem, images of crime, squalor, addiction, downtown business impacts, and street corner panhandling come to the fore, and for good reasons. These are some of the most undeniable and visible aspects of the dilemma. But as my mother, who was active in the fight against homelessness in Southern California, once reminded me, homelessness can happen to anyone. Sometimes all it takes is a confluence of bad luck and lack of support. Often there are one or two misguided personal or financial decisions involved. Sometimes illness, physical or mental, is the catalyst. But with few exceptions, the folks who find themselves on the street are not fundamentally “bad people.” They are flawed humans like the rest of us, but ones also caught up in a perfect storm of events—some self-inflicted and some externally imposed. And once stuck in the downward spiral to society’s basement, climbing back out can be extremely difficult.
Maslow’s Basement traces the experience of one such person, Roger Carrington, as he falls from a position of privilege as a hi-tech CEO, to life in a cardboard shack under a Seattle freeway. Roger finds himself living among people he once held in disdain but must now learn to cooperate with. In doing so, he discovers their humanity and finds new purpose. This is a story of hubris, greed, psychological struggle, societal failure, and ultimately personal redemption.
All first-year proceeds from Maslow’s Basement go to a compassionate and impactful organization in Seattle called Mary’s Place (marysplaceseattle.org) with the mission of “Ensuring that no child sleeps outside by centering equity and opportunity for women and families.” If you would like to contribute to this effort, you can do that by simply buying a copy of my book. Leaving a review at your point of purchase or telling friends about the book by posting on social media will also help tremendously. The paperback will become available on Amazon and by special order at independent bookstores on August 24. if you prefer a Kindle copy, you may pre-order one now for activation on the 24th: Maslow's Basement - Kindle edition.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the book.
Update: the publisher has moved the release date up to August 11.