TORONTO, CANADA, 21st Sept 2024-– Susan Gee Rumsey’s novel, “Why You Must: A San Francisco Saga”, offers an exploration of artistic dreams and disillusionments set in the vibrant 80s San Francisco. This evocative urban tale addresses why so many talented individuals struggle to realize their creative ambitions, presenting an array of personal narratives and societal observations.
“Why You Must” delves into the lives of aspiring artists in the mid-1980s, capturing the essence of their dreams and challenges in a city on the cusp of the digital age. Through a series of interwoven narratives, Rumsey examines why many talented individuals fall short of their dreams in an era before the advent of digital media. The novel’s second-person narrative style allows readers to deeply empathize with the characters’ experiences and aspirations.
Susan Gee Rumsey, a San Francisco Bay Area native, began her writing career amidst the bustling creative scene of 1980s San Francisco. Her experiences as an editor and her deep connection to the city’s artistic community heavily influence her book. After relocating to Bellingham, Washington, Rumsey resumed her writing with renewed vigor, resulting in this debut novel. The book reflects her journey and the broader challenges faced by many aspiring artists of that era.
Rumsey’s novel will be prominently featured at The Maple Staple bookstore’s booth at the highlight of Toronto’s literary scene, The Word on the Street Toronto Books and Magazine Festival 2024, on September 28-29, 2024. Located at Zone B, near Stage B: Across the Universe, at Queen’s Park Crescent East, the booth will present “Why You Must” among other notable works.
Following the Toronto event, the book will also be showcased at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2024, from October 16 to 20, 2024. The Maple Staple booth, positioned in Hall 5.1, Stand C35 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, will offer an international audience the chance to explore Rumsey’s novel. This global book fair is renowned for its extensive reach and significance in the literary world, making it an ideal venue for Rumsey’s work to reach a broader audience.