Keith’s Novel: Alex in ’63

Alex in ’63 – a novel

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Alex in ’63 is my first novel, and I am enjoying putting it in the hands of readers who have “ever been thirteen”. It is very much a Calgary-based story, so many people will recognize familiar landscapes and events in Alex’s world: The North Hill, Mewata Stadium, McMahon Stadium, Georges P. Vanier Junior High, Crescent Heights High School, and the surrounding communities.

If you are interested in ordering a copy ($23, soft-cover), please send an email or phone me. Free delivery in Calgary.

Sincerely,

Keith

languageartstudio@gmail.com

Phone: 403-249-8320

Cover design by Renate
Keith Worthington – author

About Alex in ’63:

If you’ve ever been thirteen…

    Alex Wheeler reminds us what it’s like to be a teenager on a collision course with self-doubt, intimidation, love, and mystery. At the start of grade 9—in his hometown Calgary, Alberta—Alex is trying to figure out how to deal with a football-star brother, a strict school principal, and a vindictive high school girl. There’s another girl, too, recently arrived from England, who emboldens him by sharing glimpses of a pop culture revolution evolving back home. Meanwhile, local incidents and international events impact Alex and his family in deeply personal ways.

Alex in ‘63 is a bumpy-road tribute to home and school and neighbourhood.

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Alex in ’63 – an excerpt

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Feeling hard-done-by after my chat with Loretta, I turned on the TV and sprawled on the couch. Instead of the usual afternoon movie, there was a special broadcast from Washington D.C. A huge crowd was standing in front of a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

I didn’t usually take notice of politics or news except when the Current Events magazines arrived at school, and our social studies teacher made us read articles and answer questions. Although, I have to say, last year the Cuban Missile Crisis grabbed everybody’s attention. We watched President Kennedy on TV when he told the Russians they had to dismantle their missile bases or else. No one was sure what was going to happen, except my schoolmate Kenny Street, who told us we didn’t need to do homework anymore. We were all gonna be dead in a few days.


The event I was watching now had to do with black people demonstrating for jobs and equal rights in America—their own country. I knew slavery ended a hundred years earlier, but what I couldn’t understand was why it was taking so long for them to be treated like regular people.