Joseph Libonati
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Joseph Libonati holds his Ph.D. and is an award-winning professor. He has published numerous manuscripts in the discipline of cardiovascular physiology. His Name Was Ellis is his debut novel.
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As sentient, rational beings, we humans are drawn towards understanding the world and our significance in it. Enlightenment thinking - emphasizing science and logic - has provided a fundamental framework in our conceptualization of the such. As a basic scientist (physiologist), I have subscribed to this mode of thought throughout my professional career. However, a few years ago, I found myself looking for 'personal truths' beyond the realm of pure fact. Hence, I became enthralled with the arts, particularly literary fiction. I believe that it is at that the intersection of where the arts meet the sciences that our 'humanness' can be realized.
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His Name Was Ellis by Joseph Libonati | Goodreads
His Name Was Ellis
When an irreverent, South Boston artist receives counseling from a renowned, Ivy League-trained psychotherapist, we are forced to ask: which of our characters is more mentally stable -- the doctor, or the patient?
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This story follows Zach Foster, who after painting a controversial exhibition on the Iraq War, undergoes therapy with the infamous Dr. Delano Pergo. While Dr. Pergo helps Zach step outside his tortured self and overcome his inner demons, Dr. Pergo's psychological health deteriorates -- a descent prompted by decades of guilt from encouraging his almost fiancé, Chiara, to rekindle a relationship with her estranged mother; a reunion that went tragically wrong and forever changed the lives of our characters.
In His Name Was Ellis (Release-February 2022; Atmosphere Press), we experience life's bitter moments in a highly personal and reflective tone. Influenced by eastern philosophical and existential thought, the characters are symbolic of the yin-yang activities of the psyche. The book is geared for introspective adults of all ages.
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