Sticky Karma: Meditations on Meaning and Madness in the Time of COVID

by Lee Shainen

Overview

Just before Lee's wife joins him in retirement, their plans for their golden years are dashed. COVID-19 has thrust the world into lockdown, and nothing will ever be the same.

A near-death experience lands him in the hospital at the peak of the pandemic. Then, he must grapple with his new limitations amidst a world seemingly coming unhinged. As COVID grinds on, month after month, the truth of his identity bubbles irrepressibly to the surface, forcing him to confront his demons and finally share what he has long buried.

Witty and insightful, Shainen shares a series of anecdotes from the COVID era and meditations on what it all might mean. In a double-helix style of prose and poetry, this avant-garde memoir dives deep into the malaise and madness, ultimately reminding us that there is always much to be grateful for if only we lean in and take a closer look.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781957607115
Publisher:	Latah Books
Publication date:	01/31/2023
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Lee Shainen is a retired writing instructor and author of the memoir Sticky Karma.

Editorial Reviews

"Sticky Karma is a wild yet nuanced ride through our complex dance with COVID and into the mind of one very interesting man. Uncomfortable as it is to be taken back through the challenges of the virus, the re-grieving induced becomes healing as a result of Shainen's deep understanding and gentle ways.... It's like sitting next to an old pal in a pub and ordering another round because you don't want the night nor the stories to end."

-Earl Hipp, 2022 NYC Big Book Award-winning author of Fighting Invisible Tigers

"If you are thirsting for musings and observations that will resonate with you, that will leave you reassured that you aren't losing your mind in this age of cascading catastrophes, Lee's delicious writing will sate your soul. Sticky Karma is on my nightstand like a lighthouse on a rock, a beacon that I reach for when the waters of turmoil rise and I am in need of provocative comfort, profound humor, and an excellent read by a gifted author."

-David Fitzsimmons, nationally syndicated cartoonist

"No doubt, COVID-19 changed the way many people think and act. For Lee Shainen, add a near death event during the pandemic. Together, they changed his interest from writing what he once called 'fast food fiction' to looking inward. The result is Sticky Karma, a gentle ramble into streams of both past and present consciousness.... Shainen's self-deprecating humor, mixed with his new age spiritualism and midwestern roots, provide both chuckles and insight."

-John Hudak, publisher, Tucson Lifestyle

"Sticky Karma reminds us of the anxiety and uncertainty experienced with COVID's arrival. Like a jazz musician, in each chapter, Lee presents progressions on remembrance, introspection, and wonder. Always returning to themes of our evolving COVID fears, he takes us through riffs of reflection, inspiring readers to do the same, but without having to almost die!"

-Elliot Glicksman, comedian and founder of the Tucson Jazz Festival

"Weaving together current events, dazzling observations, and wondrous insights with his often tumultuous life events, Lee Shainen is the deeply affecting narrator of his own life story.... Witty and searing, Shainen invites us to explore his life's learning journey and-in ways that will astonish and move the reader-inspires us to do the same with our own."

-Lois Bridges, Executive Director, Bring Me a Book Foundation

"Profound and beautiful, Sticky Karma is a book worth savoring slowly. Written as a series of anecdotes and reflections interspersed with poetry, Shainen offers insights into creativity, aging, human interconnectedness, teaching, solitude, and the art of loving another human (and two cats). When reading Shainen's book, the pleasure lies in the witty, wise, and wonder-filled journey. As he reaches for meaning, we gain understanding into our own search, and discover the inconceivable gift we all share: the gift of a life lived interconnected with others who help us see what we cannot see on our own."

-Rodney Vance, international award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter

"I was among the legion of those who were entertained and uplifted by Lee Shainen's social media musings throughout the COVID crisis. Sticky Karma, the book that sprang from those posts, whips those musings into a disciplined, literate, funny, and heartwarming account of everyday life in the plague years."

-Tom Beal, former editor and columnist, Arizona Daily Star

From the Publisher