Let me introduce you to my all time favorite read.  Meet Stephen Carter’s The Emperor of Ocean Park.
The man can write. I mean write. His sentence structure and unique choice of words are fascinating. During my second read I started tagging my favorite parts and this is what I ended up with—-
Snippets of Carter’s velvety smooth writing style:
- “Does any of this diatribe actually represent what I believe? I scratch at the fading outline of a glower sticker in the corner of the window, wondering why these teachers, with their cult like grins of welcome to every dark face, bring out the worst in me.”
- “I munch morosely on the rapidly cooling pizza and sip the rapidly warming Diet Coke and wonder when I should call back.”
- “Once a semblance of family stability was re-established, my parents used to take evening walks along Shepard Street, holding hands.”
- “Perhaps it is the oracular side of Rob Saltpeter that keeps us from becoming closer friends. Or perhaps it is simply that I am not a friendly fellow. To cover an unexpected surge of pain, I asked him for advice.”
- As a child I read over and over the story of the prodigal son, and was invariably incensed by it. I argued the lost sheep, I told my teachers I thought most people would keep the ninety-nine sheep rather than go searching for the missing one.”
Happy Summer Reading!
