On Air by Robin Stratton
$14.95
Blue Mustang Press
ISBN 978-1-935199-11-3
During the 1980s Eric Storm was Boston’s hottest radio personality, but 20 years later he’s a full-grown beagle heavier, divorced, and out of work. Complicating matters is Ma, whose sudden deterioration frightens him. She has loved him, shouted at him, praised him, criticized him, and driven him completely nuts, and he's done the same to her—a comfortable set of dynamics that has worked fine for almost fifty years. Unprepared to take on his new role as caregiver, he responds by becoming obsessed with a sexy young street musician who's probably way out of his league. Then Ma makes a deathbed confession, the diary she kept years ago reveals a shocking truth about the father he never met, and suddenly he has two new roles to play.
During the 1980s Boston-based disc jockey Eric Storm rode the wave of pop radio to its crest, but in the year 2001 his life and career are in ruins, as we discover in On Air, the new novel by Robin Stratton. Eric's mother is ill, his fame long gone, and his wife has left him. Stratton sets the stage for his complete self destruction, but he manages a minor miracle of a reinvention or two, and the result is a compelling, funny and sad story that held my interest from beginning to end. As a reader, I was hooked; as a writer, I fell in love with the author's masterful use of dialogue while she draws us into the world of her characters. We get to know these people well in only a few paragraphs, and her ability to portray the human dynamics with all its humor and frailties is brilliant. As an editor, I was charmed by how the plot was so smoothly revealed using the pacing of the story and the cadence of the language. I developed real feelings for these characters; they became friends I cared about.
This book also broke my heart. Like Eric I am an only child who became the primary care taker for an elderly, terminally ill mother. I read On Air shortly after my mother died. The non-communicative conversations between my mom and myself and Eric and his mom were so genuine and similar. I can imagine an audition: the four of us reading interchangeably from the same script. The mothers' lines, then the sons'. Back and forth we’d go, every line so emotional and tight, till the mothers were gone and the sons sat alone.
D. Mathewson, Editor, Full of Crow Press
"With apt New England idiom, and accurate sentiment throughout, On Air reveals Robin Stratton as a sincere student of character, and a strong storyteller. Her portrayal of Eric Storm exposes a common crisis to which we can all relate. Truly, it would be difficult to experience On Air without ache, surprise, guided optimism, and beautiful release."
Jim Davis, North Chicago Review
"Robin Stratton has written a compelling novel about parents and adult children, love, pain, heartbreak and faith. Her hero is a middle-aged radio guy whose life on and off the air is complicated to say the least. She manages to nail Eric Storm's essence in and out of the radio station, and offers up a story that will hit home with a lot of readers."
Jordan Rich, WBZ Radio Boston
"Written with deep compassion for the human condition, On Air is at once funny and heartfelt. Readers will relate to the novel's poignantly-drawn characters, and in doing so may well discover something important about their own lives . . . and loves. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish."
Michael C. Keith, Life is Falling Sideways
Amazon Reviews
"On Air is what happens when a well thought out story collides with the beautiful literary skills of a writing coach! A wonderful book, with unforgettable characters, dialogue that made me feel like I was eavesdropping on actual conversations, and heartwarming, emotional scenes of a man coming to terms with life and growing up—finally. I couldn't put it down and I don't think you will either! Make sure you have tissues. Looking forward to reading more by this author!"
"Eric Storm is a forty-something radio man with a convergence of crises in his life: Career. Love life. Middle age looming. Mother in failing health. 9/11. In spite of the fact he doesn't start out especially likeable, I found myself rooting for him. I was so drawn in by the events of Storm's rocky life - mix of poignant, arrogant, and hilarious—that I didn't notice I'd begun to experience his feelings right along with him. I'm not surprised at being impressed by Stratton because I've read her stories before. But what a gem this one is. She first creates Eric's mother as a very recognizable type (Jewish mother) and then transforms her into a unique, well-rounded person. She plays the mother and Eric off each other and the rest of the characters in ways that make me feel I know them. She builds feelings about midlife and age that I've never felt before. Insight, playfulness, and genuine feeling. Did I mention Stratton's skills are deadly? Read it and see for yourself!"
"This is not the kind of book I usually read. I like outdoor adventure, survival & other nonfiction. I read this because my wife said the mother in it reminded her of my mother. She said to stay with it and see. My wfe was wrong, but I still liked reading this book. It's written well, but it's not artsy fartsy. It is about a disc jockey (Eric Storm) who lived through the good times of the 1960s/1970s and is having trouble adjusting to the way the world is now. How did we let MBAs and study groups hand us this world and what can one guy do, especially with the way middle aged people are undervalued in society today? Also, 911 is in this book, but not as the main story. It is mixed in wth what's happening in the hero's life (in crisis), which is how most of us experienced it and that makes me relate to this book more. I recommend this book and I would read another book by the same author. Even though it's fiction he definitely has something to say."
From goodreads.com:
"A truly great read! I highly recommend Stratton's modern tale of Boston radio DJ, Eric Storm, his complicated relationship with his mother, and his late 'coming of age', all set against the tragic events of 9/11. Both funny and touching, the flow of writing here is smooth and natural, the characters highly developed, and the theme complex yet fully realized. Stratton is a master storyteller, with the fine writing skills to back it up, and this is a book that will leave you thinking about its characters long after you've put it down. Pick up a copy—you won't be disappointed!"
Reader reviews:
"Robin, I did enjoy and admire this novel. You’ve captured the difficult truths in a variety of relationships. More, you’ve done it in a sweet and wistful way that at no time minimizes the emotions/pains/joys related to break-ups, deaths, mothers and sons, older men vis-à-vis younger women, love and lust and all the rest. And, a deft feel for the immediate aftermath of 9/11, that’s there, too."
"I read your novel at the beach last month. It was laugh out loud funny and all the old music brought back a lot of memories. Loved the 9/11 tie in. Keep up the great work!"
"I love your book. Here's one way I know you're a good writer. When cracking open a fresh Stratton, I start reading with the knowledge that I know a little bit about the author, and I carry that with me into the read. How cool am I that I'm reading a great story AND unlike others I have a modicum of insight to the creator of said work. But with On Air the story took me, and somewhere in the middle, I realized I was completely in the world you created. I was engrossed in the work, not the worker. I forgot about Robin, started caring about Eric and company. You sucked me in and there I was, 40 pages a night. You should know that I can barely read anymore, 2 paragraphs and it does something to my eyes, everything jumps around, and I'm out. But a chapter or two a night started happening, and at one point, I read it in the daytime!!! So, thanks for the trip, you've given me some things to think about."
"I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed On Air. Eric is a really complicated character whose happy ending feels hard won. I was cheering for him all the way through. As for Ma, she's a dead ringer for my mother. Jewish mothers unite!"
"I finished reading On Air and now I miss it. I didn't want it to end. I feel like I know Eric Storm now and I want to know how he's doing. I promised myself to read 20 pages a day because I have a lot going on, but you made me veer off course and get irresponsible. I couldn't stop reading. From a readerly point of view, I got so into the story and the relationships. As a writer, there's so much I need to look back at and see how you did it. I'm not surprised at being impressed by you since I've read stories at your website, but this seems like a whole other side. How did you sound like a man? How did you make a mother I felt like I knew immediately and then reveal that she was so much more? How did you play these two and all the others off each other in a way that made them come so alive? How did you create the feeling about mid-life and age in me that I didn't feel before? And on and on!"
"Just finished On Air and am so impressed with how you brilliantly crafted the character of Eric Storm, capturing so well his internal dialogue as he navigates a mid-life crisis, his relationship with his mother, and the gradually shifts in perspective that he experiences as the story progresses. A stellar novel!!"
"I have finished the book—a real good read. The ending was totally unexpected (by me anyway) and somewhat shocking. I am going to reread that part after Storm reads his mother's diary. It was moving pretty fast after that and I need to get a better grip on him and the eventful facets of his life... putting (Leesha) in Storm's life was a wonderful idea; it gave him a different shape, made him human in a real way. This story is full of loneliness and frustrations. I liked it immensely."
Read Chapter One Here
|
