In The Key of Silence

They mocked Eli. His peers called him 'Zipper Lips'. His own father called him a 'faggy, wussy excuse of a son'. His mother cultivated the musical side of Eli but she didn't protect him from the onslaughts of abuse from the world around him. Then a brutal tragedy robbed Eli of his voice. But in a filthy alley, with prodigy-like skill, Eli learned to speak with his clarinet. From there he learned to busk for money in the streets. When this talented street musician is discovered by a classically-trained orchestra, Eli turns it into his own symphony of madness. In order to find love and purpose in that madness, Eli must overcome his greatest enemy: Silence

Having experienced the silence that accompanies abuse, I wanted to write a story that would provide hope and healing to the many silent wound-bearers out there. While my experiences were not from within my family, many peoples’ are and the home is not a safe place. I did not want to write a dark novel, so I laced the story with humor and humor is a wonderful coping mechanism as long as it is not a disguise. Because abuse, in it’s many forms, is ugly, I wove threads of beauty throughout the fabric of the story. I wanted to make the story real, so my main character, Eli, makes a number of illogical and immature choices in the midst of his journey. I wanted this to be a story of redemption. Because the answers don’t come easily, the path isn’t always straight, the memories don’t completely go away, I wanted to depict the story as a journey of growth where the obstacles actually become tools of rebuilding and not destroying. Finally, I want wound-bearers to feel safe so that they can learn to talk about their injuries and find healing and not have their identities wrapped up in their hurts. Eli had to learn to accept his weaknesses as well as his strengths. He needed to learn to need others. As a man, I understand how difficult it is talk about these things, but I’ve found that many of the escape routes in life lead to dead ends. I hope that you enjoy the story at whatever level you find meaningful. I hope that if you have been injured, that this story provides a little laughter, hope and healing, and that you can know, you are not alone. Steve has a B.A. in theology with additional studies in art and psychology. He loves woodworking, teaching in his church, and discussing the big questions of life in various coffee shops. Besides writing, Steve is a private home inspector. Steve lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two sons.