Foodie Lit
Michael Kirshtein. The C. Shephard
This is a novel that deals with justice and a fight for it, even when justice is absent. As Chris Shepard comes to know, life doesn’t always give us or him justice. His mother dies when he is a child and he feels her absence all his life. While defending his sister from an assault and probable rape, he accidently kills a man and is placed in juvie by a corrupt judge, who feeds his vendetta against Chris for many years. Chris feels he is cursed and will always have those he loves taken from him.
Yet Chris is blessed with Pop, not only a loving father, but a wise and strong man, filled with gentle humor. After his arrest, he was blessed with a coach who helped him through juvie, high school and a college baseball scholarship. He is blessed with Chloe, a stepsister, who becomes family.
Chris loves baseball but his enduring love is his hometown, Sullivan’s Island, a real place not far from where I live in South Carolina. Sullivan’s Island is both real and idealized. The author, Michael Kirshtein, lives there part of the year, his favorite part of the year. He, and his main character, are in love with the sandy beaches, the warm breezes and fierce storms, the turtles and the people who live there. The beaches are a sanctuary for him, from his mother’s death, his memories from juvie, from his lack of success. Swimming, surfing and walking all are part of Chris’ mental health regime.
Chris’ home and business on Sullivan’s Island become almost a character, its importance so central to the story. There are some stories in which settings are peripheral to the writing. This is not the case here. Chris looks for all he loved and lost in the sand and the sea, in the wind and the sun. He survives, without an inner stillness and peace, yet with strength and wisdom.
Michael writes the novel lyrically, including a poem which begins each chapter. These are a type of prose poems that require a leisurely and thoughtful reading. Rather than a straightforward chronology the story weaves through time, the chapters are linked by topic and memory.
Chris, Chloe, and Pop’s business is a bar/restaurant, The Library Bar. It is a cross section of Sullivan Island’s population, including tourists and summer residents. It is a place for eating, drinking, listening to music and socializing. It is a place for romance and for violence. It is a place for writing and art. It is a place they fight for, despite those who want to take it from them.
Ultimately our three main characters are artists. Chloe is a visual artist, painting, giving classes and sharing her view of life through color and form. Pop and Chris write stories, takes notes on daily activities and people. All three survive with and by their art.
Chris fights with his wits and not brute strength. He defends family and friends. He fights for justice for himself and others, although he understands that life is not fair. Thus, he is a philosopher, viewing life as a narrow bridge and recording his thoughts in poetry and prose. Yet, his love of place, of home is at the center. And with it comes his need to defend it, for those who live there and maintain a place of sanctuary and spirituality there. Chris is a survivor.
This Grilled Portobello and Tomato Sandwich is just the perfect bite for The Library Bar, where peple gather in the author's Sullivan's Island. Try it for your gatherings as well. Absolutely mouth watering!
