THE SECOND KINGDOM | Ron Singer
Now I shall sing the second kingdom,
there where the soul of man is cleansed,
made worthy of the ascent to Heaven.
—Dante, Purgatorio, I, 4-6
(Hollander translation, 2003)
In “The Key”, American tourists in Turkey are enmeshed in a security investigation; in “The Changing Woman Health Conference” a middle-aged Navajo woman navigates the rough waters of American education and medicine; in “The Parents We Deserve” the parents of a rich young couple die, so they hire new ones. Thus begins an odyssey that will carry the foursome from New York City to Heaven, Purgatory, and Florida.
From 2007-09, writing by Ron Singer has appeared in, or is forthcoming from, these publications: 3711 Atlantic, 55 Words, Alba, The Avatar Review, Big Bridge, The Brooklyn Rail, Contemporary Rhyme, Defenestration, Elimae, Friends of Nigeria Newsletter, Gander Press Review, Georgia Review, Ghoti, Great Works,Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Nth Position, New Works Review, Paper Street, Pilgrimage, Poetry Midwest, Right Hand Pointing, Sage of Consciousness Literary E-zine, Starry Night Review, Waterways, and Word Riot.
His essay-review, “O Ti Lo Wa Ju (’You Have Gone Past All’) The Caine Prize for African Writing,” is in the Summer 2007 issue of The Georgia Review. Three poems are included in the 2009 anthology, Poetic Voices Without Borders-2 (Gival Press). His chapbook, A Voice for My Grandmother, was published in November 2006 by Ten Penny Players, which issued a second printing in October 2007. To date, A Voice has garnered ten reviews. Uhuru Revisited, his book of interviews with pro-democracy leaders in Africa, is in preparation by Africa World Press.
Ron lives in New York City. In January 2008, he retired from Friends Seminary, a K-12 Quaker school where he had taught for thirty-two years. His wife, Elizabeth Yamin, is a visual artist and teacher; their daughter, Zoe Singer, is a food writer. His website is ronsinger.net.
PDF | 102 Pages | 8.5 x 11 | US$4.95
ISBN 9781933688138
LEAVE A WORD ABOUT RON AND THE SECOND KINGDOM.
Loopy and highly intelligent, Ron Singer has carved his name in the stone ruins of literature. Far too esoteric for a misleading marketing campaign, far too uncompromising and exceptional to be ignored, he is an author perpetually on the fringes of the New York establishment. With The Second Kingdom, incarnated in e-form with Cantarabooks, Singer’s irony and wit informs a selection of tightly-wrought stories.
Cantara, with a mission of “international literature,” is a fitting affiliation for Singer’s group of multi-culti stories, and one wonders if Singer’s blend of sharp prose and smarts wouldn’t be better appreciated by Americans if he weren’t American. Singer, meanwhile, ponders literature (Dante’s Inferno), politics (Homeland Security, 9/11, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization), and divine beings (the Devil and a Navajo deity), with his hallmark wit and wisdom. In “The Parents We Deserve,” for example, Singer examines a spoiled couple who face their own mortality. The wealthy pair hire surrogate parents, which is, at turns, heavenly and hellish.
Always surprising and clever, Singer’s prose is well worth a look in any incarnation. The Second Kingdom is Singer at his finest—deft, funny, and screwball. Oh, and puns. Let’s not forget that, or we’ll find ourselves committed to plugatory.
— Dan Fall, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, May 2009
Dan Fall
By Ron Singer
ISBN 9781933688138
104 pages at 4.95 e-book download
www.cantarabooks.com
Ron Singer’s stories, essays, and interviews have appeared in literary journals, anthologies, and reviews too numerous to list in a review. His work here is often humorous, laced with irony, focusing on a diversity of human frailties. I found most interesting and intriguing the fact that his voice as a wordsmith changes effectively in each story.
“The Changing Woman Health Conference” is a delightful tale featuring a middle-aged Navajo woman braving college for the first time. Her life has been hard, but tough times have not dimmed her zeal for living and learning. The notice of a diabetes health conference posted on the college bulletin board grabs her interest. How will the conference presenters tie in diabetes information with the Navajo deity akin to Mother Nature, Changing Woman? The humorous heroine shares her thoughts on health, religion, and life with panache.
“The Key” introduces readers to the perils of international travel post 9/11. Dave and Judy are American tourists who inadvertently bring their Turkish hotel room key card home with them to the States. They loved their time in Turkey, embraced the people and customs, and established a friendly relationship with the hotel manager. Being responsible and considerate opens a huge can of worms for Dave, Judy, and the friendly manager. Soon, the Dept. of Homeland Security pays a call to the American couple, and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization investigates the hotel manager. The investigations and interrogations are frightening at first, but have humorous results when Dave, Judy, and their Turkish friends resolve the issue to their benefit. There’s more than one way to foil a baseless investigation!
“The Parents We Deserve” is a modern parable, a cautionary tale in several parts based on Dante’s Inferno. Ron Singer has fun with this one, and takes readers along for a wild ride. Paul and Paula are spoiled yuppies accustomed to living well, wallowing in materialism, and spending beyond their means. When both sets of parents die, they hunt for replacements who will continue to spoil them rotten and indulge their every whim. They hire Myron and Myra, providing perks and benefits to make such service worth the elder couple’s time and effort. When their parental surrogates die, Paul and Paula are lost. The economic downturn has taken their jobs and preferred lifestyle. They decide to end it all and join all sets of parents in Heaven. Heaven isn’t ready for this manipulative couple or their surrogate parents as both couples try to modify the new environment to suit their needs. Paul, Paula, Myron and Myra get sent to Purgatory to regroup and refocus their attitudes. Purgatory is not what they expected, either, so they make a deal with the Devil to reclaim their life on Earth. They end up in a scruffy, cramped, airless condo in Florida, driving a cheap car, poor and in failing health. I guess nobody warned them to read the fine print in any contract with the Devil.
Ron Singer’s imaginative story telling is a joy. His stories are unique, so be prepared to be surprised and enchanted by his characters and unusual plots.
Review by Laurel Johnson for MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Laurel Johnson
Delicious.
David Bevington, Professor Emeritus, University of
RON SINGER
--Harold Bowes, Editor, Alba"