Behind the Footlights: A Novel

"What happens to a dream deferred?"

D. W. Singer is part problem child, part prodigy — a troubled youth who escapes his unhappy home life through fantasy and make-believe. Nurtured by a loving teacher, he grows into a talented actor. Everyone in his small town figures he is destined for stardom. However, fate, in the form of the Vietnam War and an unplanned pregnancy, intervenes. Battle-scarred and discouraged, D. W. returns to the rural Midwest and settles into a life he never wanted. As middle age approaches, he doubts he will ever realize his dream, but fate has more surprises in store for him...

Behind the Footlights asks, as did Langston Hughes, "What happens to a dream deferred?" The novel is also a tribute to community theater and all the unsung heroes whose talent, dedication, and hard work have made it such an important and beloved part of our national arts scene.

Testimonials

"A searing novel of primal needs, the damage of denial, and the miracles of nurturing and self-discovery. Behind the Footlights, in which a small community theater serves as an alternative family model, is a powerful anodyne for anyone who ever felt lost, disaffected, or unloved." — Alanna Nash, award-winning author of Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch and The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley

About the Author

Fred Schloemer, ED.D., is a career psychotherapist, author, and educator based in Louisville, Kentucky. While he has published widely, this is his first novel. His last book, Parenting Adult Children: Real Stories of Families Turning Challenges into Successes, won a 2012 Nautilus Book Award Silver Medal, an honor given to books that promote positive social change. He lives with his life partner, Ernie Schnell, on their small horse farm in southern Indiana. For more information, visit his website at www.schloemerservices.com.