Avaricious Publishers
by cryNthedark | 2026-02-02 17:54:57+00:00
Avaricious publishers have systematically wiped out serious, thought-provoking and exposé novels for short-term sales, be it Beach Bunny books, escapism books, or comic books. of a thought-provoking book; nothing worthy gets printed in mainstream publishing unless it goes through an agent.
So what is a serious writer with a monumental manuscript to do? He offers teasers to the public to generate enough interest to knock down the hurdles in contemporary publishing. So, I am publishing a few teasers from a dramatic rendering I entitle WHOSE PROMISED LAND.
MOST AGREEABLE
Sarah and David, holding hands in the backseat of Kaufman's Cadillac Sedan Deville, feel electrified as they witness the buzz of traffic entering the Bowl and the thousands of attendees buying tickets and rushing to their seats, as Kaufman’s luxury car turns off of Highland Boulevard into the Hollywood Bowl's patron parking. David cannot keep his eyes off Sarah's transformation into a woman. She flipped her long chestnut hair over her head and onto her shoulder, exposing her regal neck; a navy-blue jacket falls to her waist, and a matching skirt completes her outfit. David wears his favorite gray Herringbone sports jacket and dark blue slacks, freshly dry-cleaned. For the two youngsters, dressing for tonight's occasion presents a door to adulthood and its yet-to-be-explored liberties.
Joseph Kaufman waves off the parking attendant, who waits to open Leah's door. He turns on the interior light and holds an opera's binoculars before his daughter's companion.
"David, do you know what I hold?"
"Binoculars, sir."
Joseph’s playful smile appears as he enjoys the repartee he and the boy indulged in after their dinner exchange. "Do they speak to you, David?”
Yes sir. They say all the birds are hunkered down, so why am I here?”
“There is one bird I have in mind, a swan.”
“Yes, sir, the most beautiful swan in attendance tonight.”
“And what kind of bird joins our swan?”
“A canary, sir. A harmless canary.’
“What is to be done if a canary behaves badly?”
“We are too little to spank, sir.”
“That is so. Therefore, we put a cloth over the bird’s cage.”
"Your metaphor sounds loud and clear, sir." Sarah giggles, and her mother reacts with an incredulous shake of her head, commenting, “Joseph, enough Rooster crowing. We do not want to miss the opening.”
After noshing on coleslaw, white fish, and Kaiser rolls, Sarah takes David's arm and places it across her shoulders, her head nestling on his shoulders, as they watch a hundred-piece orchestra assemble on the stage, close enough to discern the musicians' faces. Next, Zubin Mehta enters and walks to the center stage to loud applause. The Bowl's lights go dark except for the stage; the audience goes silent. Mehta raises his baton, and Brahms's Symphony Number I begins.
By the second movement, Sarah sits on David's lap.
A WATCHFUL EYE
Leah Kaufman, sitting about twenty-five yards behind the box seats, presses her elbow into her husband's side and exclaims, "Sarah is sitting on his lap. Give me the binoculars."
"It is just puppy play, my dear."
"I must know where his hands are."
"Take a look. One hand is on Sarah's shoulder, and the other is holding the Cranberry juice you packed with their dinner. Be assured that David will never make an untoward advance. I am informed that Sarah calls the shots."
"If so, that authority is most worrisome."
Sarah wiggles her butt on David's lap to claim his attention, "David, I feel a Little Woody."
"What is a Little Woody?"
"All you need to know is that I like it."
During intermission, the Kaufmans join their daughter and David in the box.
Leah Kaufman inquires, "Are you enjoying Brahms, David?"
"I find it most agreeable, Ma'am." Flashing a smile, Sarah kisses David's cheek. Her father stifles his laugh.
"Determined to slow down the youngsters' romance, Leah asks, "Sarah Dear, is it necessary for you to sit on David's lap?"
"I find it most agreeable, Mother Dear."