Description

Mikey is history. He’s got what he calls the Alzhammer. A once-powerful mob boss, he is seriously slipping losing control of his crew and of his mind. His business is sideways, his rivals are coming for him, he’s crazy forgetful, and it is a fact his parents suffered miserably with Alzheimer's. He refuses to ride diapered and drooling into the sunset. He is going to whack himself. Problem is, others are trying to whack him and rip off what’s left of the family’s business, which is different and which pisses him off when he remembers. Meanwhile, his ex, Zayana, slips back into his life. She’s been on the lam. Long ago, she hooked up with a rich, ruthless, and very married Senator who's concerned she might go public during election season, and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to eliminate her and save his image. Mikey decides to do the right thing for a change. They will hole up in the perfect hideaway a shady, unlicensed nursing home near Vegas until after the vote. Mikey's feelings for Z resurface, but even so, he figures once she and her son, who might be his, are safe, he will finally kill himself in peace. Until then, he must confront his would-be killers, the Senator, and the lunatic who cracks the whip at the three-ring-circus home called Over the Rainbow.

About the author(s)

Joseph Di Prisco is the acclaimed author of prize-winning poetry (Wit’s End, Poems in Which, and Sightlines from the Cheap Seats), bestselling memoirs (Subway to California and The Pope of Brooklyn), nonfiction, and novels (Confessions of Brother Eli, Sun City, All for Now, The Alzhammer, Sibella & Sibella, and The Good Family Fitzgerald). He taught for many years and has served as chair of not-for-profits dedicated to the arts, theater, children’s mental health, and schools. In 2015, he founded New Literary Project, a not-for-profit driving social change and unleashing artistic power, investing in writers across generations from neglected, overlooked communities. He also directs NewLit’s annual Joyce Carol Oates Prize, awarded to mid-career authors of fiction, and is Series Editor of the annual anthology Simpsonistas: Tales from New Literary Project. Born in Brooklyn, he grew up in Greenpoint and then in Berkeley. He and his family now live in Lafayette, California.