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New book focuses on magic, love, healing on Seneca Lake

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Cover of book "That Old Lake Magic"

The trilogy about the American-Giroux family is complete with the publication of “That Old Lake Magic: A Search for Love and Healing on Seneca Lake” by G.A. Brandt.

Here’s the plot: “JOA Giroux has devoted nearly a decade to helping unwed mothers and children in Ottawa, Canada, at the Giroux family’s charitable foundation. She is near burnout when she is given a one-year sabbatical from the foundation. JOA wants to travel but first decides to spend a few weeks with her cousins at their winery on Seneca Lake in New York. There she meets the winemaker Thomas Burton, a U.S. Marine and veteran of Vietnam, who carries baggage from his war-time service. Can JOA help Thomas rid himself of his demons from the war? Will the relationship survive if Thomas agrees to help his Marine buddies on a dangerous mission to Rhodesia? Will the Haudenosaunee God of the Lake, Manitou, bring a magical and spiritual peace to them both? Set in the late 1970s, That Old Lake Magic spins a tale of romance, conflict, danger, and surprises for JOA and Thomas.”

Brandt’s previous books about the Giroux family are It That Pleases Them: The Awakening and Redemption of Chaucer Giroux and As Beautiful As This: A Novel of the Reconciliation of War and Peace in an American Family.

Each book focuses on a different member of the Giroux family, and you don’t have to read the previous books to enjoy That Old Lake Magic. All of the books can be purchased by clicking here.

New release by G.A. Brandt

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I’m excited to announce that author G.A. Brandt has a new novel out: It That Pleases Them: The Awakening and Redemption of Chaucer Giroux. Here’s the summary:

Chaucer Giroux’s life in Ottawa, Canada, is ripped apart when he’s 14 and his parents get divorced. Chaucer’s self-centered mother, an aspiring novelist, forces Chaucer and his sister to move with her to Vancouver, separating the children from their loving father. As his resentment of his emotionally distant mother grows over the years, Chaucer’s earnest attempts  to find the right woman to love result in unintended consequences. With his life in a tailspin, Chaucer traverses Europe seeking answers. Can he learn to embrace the forgiveness of God to redeem his life with his new love interest? Can Chaucer forgive his mother and become a loving parent like his father?  Follow the life of Chaucer Giroux as he struggles with his inner self while seeking reconciliation with his past. This is the second novel about the Canadian-American Giroux family set in the 1960s and beyond.

The book is now available on Amazon, but we encourage Rochester, New York, readers to stay tuned for an upcoming book signing and reception where books will be available for purchase. Or if you live outside of Rochester, and you want a signed copy, please shoot me an email at suttercommunications@gmail.com and we can make that happen!

To read more about G.A. Brandt and his first novel, As Beautiful as This, click here.

In This Moment chapbooks coming soon to libraries

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Kate Mariner is one of 10 Black leaders being featured in the In This Moment project. She’s the Wilmot Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester. Photo by Christopher Caldwell.

There was a lot of laughter and joy emanating over Zoom recently when I joined an eclectic group of individuals involved in “In This Moment,” a ground-breaking storytelling project in Rochester.

 “In This Moment: revolution, reckoning, reparation” pairs 10 Black writers and 10 Black photographers to capture the extraordinary work of 10 Black leaders in Rochester, N.Y. The profiles are being published as chapbooks (small books).

I wrote about the In This Moment project in September, and you can read that post here. Much has happened since then, and I got an update on a Happy Hour over Zoom, along with more details from Jeanne Strazzabasco, who is coordinating the project. Amanda Chestnut is the curator and Tate Shaw of Visual Studies Workshop is overseeing the production of each chapbook. VSW is acting as fiscal partner for ITM, too.

At the In This Moment Happy Hour, I got to meet a variety of the artists, essayists and leaders, along with a few other supporters. It was fun to put a name with a face and see a few friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I learned that three of the In This Moment chapbooks were being printed this month and will start to be distributed. What’s especially gratifying is many public libraries will have copies available in the coming weeks. In the city, look for them at Arnett, Central, Lincoln, Maplewood and Monroe. In the suburbs, chapbooks will be available at Fairport, Gates, Hamlin, Henrietta and Pittsford.   

Artist Shawn Dunwoody featured in In This Moment
Artist Shawn Dunwoody is well known for his public art projects in Rochester. Photo by Arturo Hoyt.

I’m looking forward to reading the first three chapbooks, which will feature artist Shawn Dunwoody, mother-son activists Dorothy and Dorian Hall, and trumpeter Herb Smith. A full list of leaders, writers and artists involved are listed in my previous blog post.

The In This Moment group is collaborating with a variety of other organizations, too. The photographers have an opportunity to display their art at New City Café and Roastery in the Beechwood Neighborhood of Rochester.  

The Henrietta Public Library is running a series of five virtual presentations between January and May that will highlight the work of the leaders featured in In This Moment. You can register starting in early January through the HPL website. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28, Luticha Doucette and Amanda Chestnut will kick off the series with a talk centered around Equity, Intersectionality and Representation.  

The other themes in the queue are: Power and Impact of Public Art; How to Begin an Appreciation of Classical Music; LGBTQIA issues; Human Trafficking and Placemaking in Rochester. If you belong to a group that would be interested in a presentation, please email Jeanne Strazzabosco at jeannestrazzabosco@gmail.com.

In This Moment logo

Jeanne also told me that the In This Moment leaders had been looking for a way to connect with students from the city, suburban and rural school districts. PiRi (Partners in Restorative Initiatives) is creating a Social Emotional Learning curriculum and will be using the chapbooks. I love that the students will be learning about people who live right here in the Rochester area. I’m sure it will make it so much more real for them.

To read more about the In This Moment project, click here to read a good article by Patti Singer that appeared in The Minority Reporter.

The group still needs funds to continue to print the chapbooks and reach the $40,000 goal. Recently the group received a grant for $3,500 from Drs. Dawn and Jacques Lipson through the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Tate Shaw continues to apply for grants. But most  donations so far are from individuals. For just $10, you will receive one chapbook. For $25, you’ll get three, and so on.

There’s really no excuse not to get on board with this project. We get a lot of “asks” this time of year, but I think this grassroots effort to celebrate passion and artistry in our community deserves to be at the top of your list. To donate, click here.