Writings
Michael is both a poet and a novelist, using both art and words for self-expression.
He's written a book of poetry, along with three novels. The book of poetry, Vindauga, along with the novel, Shadow to Light, are now part of Special Collections and Archives of both Kent State University and the University of Oregon.
Bus Boy is controversial. It uses humor and irony to surprise or shock the reader. A young man who suffered a brain injury in his youth commits the perfect crime: a murder. His harmless, naïve view of the world seduces the reader to pursue the intriguing and witty plot that leads to the most unlikely jaw-dropping murder.
Under Appalachian Skies is a stirring narrative about star-crossed lovers. An unlikely circumstance entangles an Appalachian high school dropout and a shy brilliant university student in an intense and forbidden love. Yet, this tenuous affair has a singular motivation that compels their ceaseless passion - each has a riveting desire the other can satisfy. He fulfills her need for intimacy. She enters his reclusive life and piques his intellectual curiosity. For their cultural difference to merge and their love to endure, she must accept the clandestine fallout of his dark secrets, and he must trust her to maintain these Appalachian secrets. The novel is a compelling journey into the Appalachian culture, the quest to sustain it, and the intriguing love between two rebellious lovers who appear to have little in common.
Shadow to Light is a compelling autobiographical novel that traces the author's life during the turbulent 70s. It is a poignant and intriguing account of his disheartening experiences employed as a psychiatric assistant in a mental hospital, the stark account of the massacre at Kent State University, the loss of life in the haze of M-1 bullets and tear gas, and his disturbing first-hand experience living under martial law after the massacre. He reveals the dispiriting effect of the violent protesting against the Vietnam War, enduring the insufferable draft exam, and watching young men handcuffed and ushered off to jail after turning in their draft cards. Eventually, the light overcomes the shadow with his enlightenment in Los Angeles. His epiphany from meditation, his ordeal in primal therapy, his awakening of the kundalini, and his paranormal experience on hash are compelling and clearly show a life regained. Kent State University selected this novel for its Special Collections and Archives. It was selected “for those interested in self-discovery and enlightenment while enduring hardships, such as the Kent State Shootings."
Vindagua: Secret Window is a well-written and thoughtful book of poetry - a mirror of the poet’s reflections put into verse for the serious-minded devoted to sophisticated lyrics. The poet is a beacon of destiny preoccupied with immortality and the existence of God, the journey into the vortex of love and death, of love and sensuality, the justification for death and resurrection, the pervasive problem of evil, the revelations of his visions and hallucinations and the Kundalini, and his Theory of Blood - the unhampered desire for violence and warfare. The University of Oregon and Kent State University have recognized the quality of this work. Both universities have selected it for inclusion in their Special Collections and Archives. Those "interested in poetry and word as an art form" will find this of great value.
