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Damascus

by Joshua Mohr
Two Dollar Radio, dist. by Consortium. Oct. 2011. c.216p. ISBN 9780982684894. pap. $16. F
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Mohr's new novel (after Termite Parade), set in San Francisco's Mission District, tells two related stories. One is of Owen, the 60-year-old owner of the Damascus bar, and the other is about No Eyebrows, named for his distinctive facial trait, who meets a woman named Shambles in Owen's bar. No Eyebrows, who has fled his wife and child to spare them the trauma of his impending death from lung cancer, escapes from his problems by drinking and paying Shambles for hand jobs. Unexpectedly, their relationship morphs into real understanding. Meanwhile, Owen fights the good fight for freedom of expression, is betrayed by a seeming friend, and loses the bar in a frightening way. Has this reviewer mentioned that Owen spends most of the story in a Santa suit?
VERDICT Improbable though it sounds, the novel has real impact. Reading like a cross between Harry Crews and Armistead Maupin, it has a wacky authenticity and demonstrates the preciousness of life. For immediate consumption by fans of gritty reality; an outstanding achievement.
Reviewed by Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos P.L., CA , Oct 01, 2011
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