Happy Throwback Thursday, Reader Friends!
Today’s book spotlight is Apocalypse TV by Thomas Allbaugh. Read below for more info!
About the Book
When a reality TV scout “discovers” Walter in a diner near the hospice where his father has been placed, his life has reached a low point. His father is dying, his college teaching career is under threat, and his life is adrift. The scout wants him for a reality show about religion. In a more self-assured period of his life, Walter would have rejected her questionable offer outright, but now he wavers and allows himself to be drawn in. Maybe this is the jolt of energy his life needs. Maybe, if the show succeeds, his university will be so impressed that they’ll finally treat him with respect. Maybe the show will even be what the producers promise it will be, a serious inquiry into faith. Maybe he’ll become famous.
The show brings Walter attention, but for all the wrong reasons. He gets misquoted, misinterpreted, misunderstood, and then shot after he has been dragged across the country in an increasingly frustrating and absurd series of challenges. Will his career and reputation survive the public protests? Will his marriage survive the hints of affairs on the road? Will any kind of “reality” emerge to restore his self-respect?
About the Author
Thomas Allbaugh’s stories, poems, and essays have appeared in a variety of journals, including Writing on the Edge, In Touch Magazine, Broken Skyline, an anthology from 67 Press, and Relief. He is an associate professor of English at Azusa Pacific University, where for the last 17 years, he has taught Advanced Composition and Creative Writing. He has published Pretexts for Writing, a textbook for first-year writing, and Apocalypse TV, his first novel, available from eLectio Publishers.
Toni Shiloh 