Surface Tension

In the passing moments of every life come points where critical decisions are made, or enlightened realizations are achieved. None of us know when these moments will come, and sometimes we don't know when they have passed. So amorphous and fluid are these critical points in time that they often remain unseen even when their impact radically alters the path of a life. Surface Tension is a collection of flash fiction that catches characters in these moments, or approaching the brink of them. Alan Zemel captures characters in the midst of experiencing tensions strong enough to penetrate their surface of ego revealing the depths over which they swim.

In the passing moments of every life come points where critical decisions are made, or enlightened realizations are achieved. None of us know when these moments will come, and sometimes we don't know when they have passed. So amorphous and fluid are these critical points in time that they often remain unseen even when their impact radically alters the path of a life. Surface Tension is a collection of flash fiction that catches characters in these moments, or approaching the brink of them. Alan Zemel captures characters in the midst of experiencing tensions strong enough to penetrate their surface of ego revealing the depths over which they swim. The collection deals with characters in a variety of situations from fratricide, facing the loss of a parent, matricide, the revelation of sexuality, or other decisions made in the face of potential risks. If these critical decisions are viewed as doors, then the book Surface Tension takes us to the threshold that invites the characters to cross. What lies beyond the threshold for these characters is a matter for longer works by the author.

Author Alan B. Zemel has been writing both fiction and expository writing for over 30 years. Mr. Zemel was awarded a scholarship for writing excellence and attended Seminole State College and the University of Central Florida graduating with degrees in English and Technical Writing. Throughout his career he studied fiction writing with C. Bruce Aufhammer, former English Department Chair of Seminole State College and Creative Writing Professor at Rollins College; he also studied with author Wyatt Wyatt, and writing coach Jamie Morris. Mr. Zemel writes literature-based fiction and is influenced by John Irving, Benjamin Alire Saenz, and David James Poissant. Mr. Zemel currently works as a writing consultant from his home overlooking Lake Concord in downtown Orlando, blocks from the Jack Kerouac House and minutes from Zora Neal Hurston's Eatonville.