Books
EARLY PRAISE FOR ALL FOR NOW:
Di Prisco (Sun City) takes a bold and unexpectedly amusing look at the unfortunately joined subjects of religion and pedophilia. When Brother Stephen, an administrator of a Roman Catholic religious teaching order dealing with lawsuits from former students who claimed to have been molested by his brothers, suddenly dies, he finds himself in the afterlife—driving a Prius in Northern California as an NPR interview of himself plays on the radio. Needless to say, he’s shocked and confused, but he discovers that this is only the beginning of the oddities he will soon encounter. He returns to an amorphous afterlife version of his former high school, where, in a nod to Orwell, all doors lead to “Room 101,” and one of them holds his old girlfriend Shannon, now a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits. The dreamlike events that ensue with not only Shannon but also former mentor Brother Charlie and a student Brother Stephen taught 30 years ago forces Stephen to confront truths that he would rather have left unexamined. Though Di Prisco takes a heartbreaking look at the scars left by pedophilia, and some readers will surely feel anger at the sins, the tale unfolds, bravely, with much humor thanks to Brother Stephen’s bemused narration
– Publishers Weekly
“What makes Joseph Di Prisco’s novel work is its narrative voice— poignant, rueful, and wise-crackingly sardonic. This voice belongs to a just-deceased Catholic Brother, lingering in the afterlife to sort out his life’s meanings and errors, confronting friends and enemies. This is a novel about posthumous discoveries, reunions and revenge. Readers of J.F. Powers’ Morte d’Urban and Alice McDermott’s Charming Billy should find their way to All For Now.”
– P.F. Kluge, author of A Call From Jersey, Gone Tomorrow, and Eddie and the Cruisers
“What will the afterlife be like? If we’re lucky, it would be something like the humorous and humane version Joseph Di Prisco imagines in All for Now, a smart, sparkling tale about faith, religion and devotion under less than ideal circumstances—that is, the average existence.”
– Oscar Villalon, Managing Editor Zyzzyva Magazine
“Joseph DiPrisco has crafted a completely original thriller. What happens AFTER we die? It’s the question Brother Stephen asks in DiPrisco’s All for Now. Can Brother Stephen solve the case he was working on when he died or can he discover how he got where he is and why he’s still here? The quick pace and sharp writing make All for Now a book you can’t bear to put down.”
– Kathleen Caldwell, Owner, A Great Good Place for Books
It is especially moving to read a book that looks so broadly at the ubiquitous issue of Roman Catholicism and pedophilia. Brother Stephen, the novel's narrator and protagonist, dies suddenly in the midst of managing a lawsuit dealing with the alleged abuse of a former student by his former mentor - Brother Charlie. Shannon, the plaintiff, is also a former "friend" of Stephen's. The distance that the afterlife affords Stephen gives the book its psychological charge. Suddenly, it is simultaneously the late 1960's and the
present moment, and our culturally shifting views of this ever-existing problem collide. Joseph Di Prisco has given us a brave, bumbling, soul-searching hero whose wry humor only enhances his honesty.
– Jan Weissmiller, Owner, Prairie Lights Books
Brother Stephen drops dead while in the middle of dealing with a string of lawsuits brought against his order by former pupils claiming they were sexually abused. He then finds himself piloting a Prius to various destinations in the afterlife, all of which represent important turning points in his earthly life and lead him closer to resolving the central mystery behind the latest lawsuit. That one was particularly meaningful for him, since it involved the great love of his life, Shannon, and the role his mentor, the popular Brother Charlie, played in the sordid ordeal. His journey also gives Brother Stephen the courage to face his own traumatic adolescence and the defining moment that convinced him to enter religious life and to leave behind the girl he loved Di Prisco opens each chapter with a question and answer from the bible of Catholic childhood, the Baltimore Catechism, wickedly laying out the contrast between dogma and behavior. The novel’s surreal tone, Brother Stephen’s drily acidic worldview, and the enigmatic portrait of a pedophile all combine to deepen this thoughtful look at the heartbreak left in the wake of child sexual abuse.
– Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist
Order from A Great Good Place for Books / Indiebound
Di Prisco (Sun City) takes a bold and unexpectedly amusing look at the unfortunately joined subjects of religion and pedophilia. When Brother Stephen, an administrator of a Roman Catholic religious teaching order dealing with lawsuits from former students who claimed to have been molested by his brothers, suddenly dies, he finds himself in the afterlife—driving a Prius in Northern California as an NPR interview of himself plays on the radio. Needless to say, he’s shocked and confused, but he discovers that this is only the beginning of the oddities he will soon encounter. He returns to an amorphous afterlife version of his former high school, where, in a nod to Orwell, all doors lead to “Room 101,” and one of them holds his old girlfriend Shannon, now a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits. The dreamlike events that ensue with not only Shannon but also former mentor Brother Charlie and a student Brother Stephen taught 30 years ago forces Stephen to confront truths that he would rather have left unexamined. Though Di Prisco takes a heartbreaking look at the scars left by pedophilia, and some readers will surely feel anger at the sins, the tale unfolds, bravely, with much humor thanks to Brother Stephen’s bemused narration
– Publishers Weekly
“What makes Joseph Di Prisco’s novel work is its narrative voice— poignant, rueful, and wise-crackingly sardonic. This voice belongs to a just-deceased Catholic Brother, lingering in the afterlife to sort out his life’s meanings and errors, confronting friends and enemies. This is a novel about posthumous discoveries, reunions and revenge. Readers of J.F. Powers’ Morte d’Urban and Alice McDermott’s Charming Billy should find their way to All For Now.”
– P.F. Kluge, author of A Call From Jersey, Gone Tomorrow, and Eddie and the Cruisers
“What will the afterlife be like? If we’re lucky, it would be something like the humorous and humane version Joseph Di Prisco imagines in All for Now, a smart, sparkling tale about faith, religion and devotion under less than ideal circumstances—that is, the average existence.”
– Oscar Villalon, Managing Editor Zyzzyva Magazine
“Joseph DiPrisco has crafted a completely original thriller. What happens AFTER we die? It’s the question Brother Stephen asks in DiPrisco’s All for Now. Can Brother Stephen solve the case he was working on when he died or can he discover how he got where he is and why he’s still here? The quick pace and sharp writing make All for Now a book you can’t bear to put down.”
– Kathleen Caldwell, Owner, A Great Good Place for Books
It is especially moving to read a book that looks so broadly at the ubiquitous issue of Roman Catholicism and pedophilia. Brother Stephen, the novel's narrator and protagonist, dies suddenly in the midst of managing a lawsuit dealing with the alleged abuse of a former student by his former mentor - Brother Charlie. Shannon, the plaintiff, is also a former "friend" of Stephen's. The distance that the afterlife affords Stephen gives the book its psychological charge. Suddenly, it is simultaneously the late 1960's and the
present moment, and our culturally shifting views of this ever-existing problem collide. Joseph Di Prisco has given us a brave, bumbling, soul-searching hero whose wry humor only enhances his honesty.
– Jan Weissmiller, Owner, Prairie Lights Books
Brother Stephen drops dead while in the middle of dealing with a string of lawsuits brought against his order by former pupils claiming they were sexually abused. He then finds himself piloting a Prius to various destinations in the afterlife, all of which represent important turning points in his earthly life and lead him closer to resolving the central mystery behind the latest lawsuit. That one was particularly meaningful for him, since it involved the great love of his life, Shannon, and the role his mentor, the popular Brother Charlie, played in the sordid ordeal. His journey also gives Brother Stephen the courage to face his own traumatic adolescence and the defining moment that convinced him to enter religious life and to leave behind the girl he loved Di Prisco opens each chapter with a question and answer from the bible of Catholic childhood, the Baltimore Catechism, wickedly laying out the contrast between dogma and behavior. The novel’s surreal tone, Brother Stephen’s drily acidic worldview, and the enigmatic portrait of a pedophile all combine to deepen this thoughtful look at the heartbreak left in the wake of child sexual abuse.
– Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist
Order from A Great Good Place for Books / Indiebound
"First-time novelist Joseph Di Prisco must be a very funny guy. Confessions of Brother Eli fairly sparkles with humor that ranges from sophisticated to slapstick, in what some believe to be the most difficult writing to carry off. And yet, it's not only that. This is a novel that draws the readers in and becomes a serious meditation almost before you can put it down....
"The last third ...shifts course and tone. The comedy of Eli's life takes second place to his overwhelming sense of loss. Di Prisco steers the story on an entirely different path, as the novel becomes an elegant elegy for opportunities lost.
"[Confessions of Brother Eli] takes risks and succeeds on many levels. Di Prisco offers an engaging sensibility and an opportunity to delve into the thalweg of a lonely soul."
– J. Uschuk, Tucson Weekly
"With dry, sardonic wit, Brother Eli questions his faith and vocation, while recounting adventures that tale place at his school.... The writing and narrative voice in this book is some of the best I've come across lately, and it's very funny."
– Vincent Duffy, Akron Beacon Journal
"The last third ...shifts course and tone. The comedy of Eli's life takes second place to his overwhelming sense of loss. Di Prisco steers the story on an entirely different path, as the novel becomes an elegant elegy for opportunities lost.
"[Confessions of Brother Eli] takes risks and succeeds on many levels. Di Prisco offers an engaging sensibility and an opportunity to delve into the thalweg of a lonely soul."
– J. Uschuk, Tucson Weekly
"With dry, sardonic wit, Brother Eli questions his faith and vocation, while recounting adventures that tale place at his school.... The writing and narrative voice in this book is some of the best I've come across lately, and it's very funny."
– Vincent Duffy, Akron Beacon Journal
2000 Editors' Choice: Top-ten Parenting & Families Book of the Year.
– Amazon.com
Best Parenting and Family Books of 2000
– Barnes & Noble.com
"Smart and sensitive."
– TIME Magazine
"This excellent work is to be thoroughly read, reread, and thought about."
– Library Journal
"A lively, wise, and user-friendly translation of bewildering teenaged behavior.. The authors avoid smug formulae and write in a colloquial, jargon-free style."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will find intelligent observations about teens; the authors have a solid grasp on what makes adolescents tick.... The appendixes, which break down teen behavior into developmental characteristics, are particularly useful. The authors' overriding themes--that parents should influence, not control their teen's life; that teens need to be trusted, guided, and loved--are invaluable for parents facing this challenging time in their child's life."
– Publishers Weekly
– Amazon.com
Best Parenting and Family Books of 2000
– Barnes & Noble.com
"Smart and sensitive."
– TIME Magazine
"This excellent work is to be thoroughly read, reread, and thought about."
– Library Journal
"A lively, wise, and user-friendly translation of bewildering teenaged behavior.. The authors avoid smug formulae and write in a colloquial, jargon-free style."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will find intelligent observations about teens; the authors have a solid grasp on what makes adolescents tick.... The appendixes, which break down teen behavior into developmental characteristics, are particularly useful. The authors' overriding themes--that parents should influence, not control their teen's life; that teens need to be trusted, guided, and loved--are invaluable for parents facing this challenging time in their child's life."
– Publishers Weekly
"Never preachy and always practical, Right from Wrong is an important and inspiring book about raising children with a conscience... This book is simply a gem—and a must-read for parents and teachers of young children alike."
Read the full review at Amazon.com.
"We're living at a time when issues of character and integrity have achieved a new level of importance, especially given what's happened in our national political theater. I've noticed a shift in people's attitudes. They don't just want to raise happy kids; they want to raise good kids. The new book Right From Wrong: Instilling a Sense of Integrity in Your Child, by Michael Riera and Joseph Di Prisco, couldn't be more timely."
– Dr. Drew
"How to instill values in our children when they are bombarded with so many conflicting and confusing cultural messages? We live in complicated times of fleeting prosperity and catastrophic tragedy. So we are looking—now more than ever—for a moral compass that will help direct our children, a light to illuminate their path. In Right From Wrong, Mike Riera and Joe DiPrisco, tapping once again their gift for seeing the world through our children's eyes, provide both the compass and the light."
–Joan Ryan, San Francisco Chronicle
Read the full review at Amazon.com.
"We're living at a time when issues of character and integrity have achieved a new level of importance, especially given what's happened in our national political theater. I've noticed a shift in people's attitudes. They don't just want to raise happy kids; they want to raise good kids. The new book Right From Wrong: Instilling a Sense of Integrity in Your Child, by Michael Riera and Joseph Di Prisco, couldn't be more timely."
– Dr. Drew
"How to instill values in our children when they are bombarded with so many conflicting and confusing cultural messages? We live in complicated times of fleeting prosperity and catastrophic tragedy. So we are looking—now more than ever—for a moral compass that will help direct our children, a light to illuminate their path. In Right From Wrong, Mike Riera and Joe DiPrisco, tapping once again their gift for seeing the world through our children's eyes, provide both the compass and the light."
–Joan Ryan, San Francisco Chronicle
"Smart . . . noirish confection... Red-hot at the start..."
– Kirkus Reviews
It's 1996 and Dolly Leone the gambler owes his bookmaker. What can he do to get Greenie's crazy goons off his back: Twitchy, who suffers from Reverse Tourette's Syndrome, and Billy, who is big and wide as a piano and who loves to sing show tunes as he breaks down doors.
Luckily, Dolly stumbles across a manuscript called Pasquale's Wager, written in 1982 by Valentino Comfort, aka The Schoolboy. Dolly and Val were part of a blackjack team financed by Pasquale, the big money restaurateur who took a group of misfits and turned them into high-stakes professional card players--though still misfits. Back then, Dolly came up with a plan for Val to write a best-seller about the team's adventure: Casinos, big money, danger and risk. He figured it was a can't-miss proposition.
– Kirkus Reviews
It's 1996 and Dolly Leone the gambler owes his bookmaker. What can he do to get Greenie's crazy goons off his back: Twitchy, who suffers from Reverse Tourette's Syndrome, and Billy, who is big and wide as a piano and who loves to sing show tunes as he breaks down doors.
Luckily, Dolly stumbles across a manuscript called Pasquale's Wager, written in 1982 by Valentino Comfort, aka The Schoolboy. Dolly and Val were part of a blackjack team financed by Pasquale, the big money restaurateur who took a group of misfits and turned them into high-stakes professional card players--though still misfits. Back then, Dolly came up with a plan for Val to write a best-seller about the team's adventure: Casinos, big money, danger and risk. He figured it was a can't-miss proposition.
"Somehow the speaker in Joseph Di Prisco's new poems manages to install himself in the kitchenware of contemporary culture without becoming a part of it. With a wit that questions as it embraces, Poems in Which provides us with a strong, original voice."
– Carl Dennis, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"This is a joyous book. Even addressing unquenchable longing and the shadows of death and failure, the lyric engines of these poems propel us with vital combustions. Operatic, in that suffering and sadness are sung with the same gusto and octave-expanse as triumph and discovery, this work is proof of the presence of a large, funny and indefatigable spirit."
– Dean Young
"Di Prisco mixes the immiscible: an authentic lyric voice and a sense of the self (and world) as dispersed and constructed. His poems are funny, smart, and moving; they quiz the options they exercise but are never coy."
– Guy Rotella
– Carl Dennis, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"This is a joyous book. Even addressing unquenchable longing and the shadows of death and failure, the lyric engines of these poems propel us with vital combustions. Operatic, in that suffering and sadness are sung with the same gusto and octave-expanse as triumph and discovery, this work is proof of the presence of a large, funny and indefatigable spirit."
– Dean Young
"Di Prisco mixes the immiscible: an authentic lyric voice and a sense of the self (and world) as dispersed and constructed. His poems are funny, smart, and moving; they quiz the options they exercise but are never coy."
– Guy Rotella