Tales of the Young West: A Collection of 340+ Verses, Short Stories, Comic Strips and other Works from 1971 On

Will This Book Sell?

Steve West begins his entertaining journal by pondering this question aloud. His response is prototypical Ogden Nash: "A little voice inside my head says nothing will develop. But, I'll think positive instead, and tell it, 'Shut dehellup '" In this borrowed style of Nash, who inspired West's writing from his early childhood, he combines a unique blend of unlikely rhymes, witty puns, and sarcasm to deliver his message.

The works in this book are not listed in chronological order; instead, they are individually dated and span a period of forty-five years. This perspective illustrates which path West was traveling during his life's journey at any specific time. For example, his early days laboring in a supermarket, stocking shelves in order to subsidize his college education, inspired dreams of stardom in the lyrics of "Shakespeare Never Worked in ShopRite." Later pieces pertain to his spiritual awakening.

Inside you will discover the invented comic strip character-Steve Naive and his continuing saga of despair that embodies and parodies West, himself, during his early job hunt days in 1979. There are lyrics to the many songs he has penned over the years. Although an unpublished songwriter, one of his works, "In the Garden State," concerning the treasures of New Jersey, received airtime on a local station in the Trenton area.

Finally, there are short stories complementing the verses-some lighthearted and others of a more serious nature. Two of the stories, "Run, Westy, Run " and "Thanksgiving Day," have garnered West second and third place finishes, respectively, in district-level, public-speaking contests. There is something for every reader to enjoy between the covers of this candid glimpse into the lifetime journey of Steve West.