Authorpreneur Dashboard – Mike Miller
WORTHY OF THIS GREAT CITY
Literature & Fiction
Ruth Askew, a Philadelphia celebrity, is spouting an unusual philosophy. Maybe she can actually think something different. Con Manos, a journalist, is attempting to uncover a political scandal or two, but just the usual boring kind. Add in some undistinguished members of City Council, a popular radio station, a disorganized charity, a prestigious newspaper, plus any number of lawyers and other professional criminals. Worthy Of This Great City is a snarky satire that incidentally invites you to question everything you think you think about populism and Liberal elitism, the possibility of truth, the power of profound stupidity, and the limits of personal responsibility in our post-truth, morally-uncertain times. Check out the book club discussion questions and cheat sheet at asmikemiller.com.
Book Bubbles from WORTHY OF THIS GREAT CITY
Folk Festival
This chapter marks Ruth Askew’s debut as a radical and confusing prophet. The setting is the famous Philadelphia Folk Festival, a venue I’ve long wished to use in fiction. The festival is remarkable for its legacy of protest and the approving character of its audience as much as for its music and the excellence of its performances. Once I developed Ruth as a character I realized the Folk Fest would provide the perfect stage for this local celebrity to rail against righteousness. The scene is narrated by Con Manos, a City Hall reporter, for whom the event is a sort of religious ritual, but he’s no more enamored of his fellow spectators than Ruth herself. Take especial note of the circumstances leading to their meeting; it underscores an important secret about the novel.
