Mike Maccalupo, author of The Umbrella, will visit Dog Ears Bookstore & Café from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 22, for a book-signing and meet-the-author event. Dog Ears is located at 688 Abbott Road in South Buffalo.
The Umbrella follows the lives of about 16 people who have only one thing in common — a mysterious black umbrella. That, and a visit to a very unusual bar and restaurant called The Seventh Circle.
Two men, one the owner/bartender of the bar, and a mystical traveling umbrella salesman who frequents the bar every night, are our guides into the lives of these people. Much like Dante and Virgil in The Inferno, these two men take the visitors through the seven levels of Purgatory. These levels represent the seven deadly sins: Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. Each of these people arrive at the bar at a crossroad in their lives and must choose between good and evil. Coupled with a high stakes wager between our two guides, the futures of these people hang in the balance.
Maccalupo is the author of four other novels, a non-fiction novel, a collection of short stories, poems, essays and a full-length play, as well as a writing program for students and a book on leadership. He has been a guest on several radio and morning television programs in Buffalo, and Wilmington and Raleigh, N.C., including Winging It! Buffalo Style with Victoria Hong, Allie Hartwick, Joe Arena and Lauren Hall; A.M. Buffalo with Linda Pellegrino; and WNED with Mike Desmond in Buffalo; WHQR with Jemila Ericson in Wilmington, N.C.; and WPTF with Brian Freeman in Raleigh, N.C. His books have been reviewed in Encore Magazine, The Wilmington Star News and The Buffalo News. He currently lives along the southeastern North Carolina Coast with his wife and two dogs.
For more information on Dog Ears Bookstore, please visit dogearsbookstore.org or follow on Facebook for frequent updates.
