"This story begins as these stories often do, from the middle. I am twenty-three years old and on the wrong end of an M-16 rifle. It's March and the year is 1988..." And BAM! We begin the journey of a twenty-three year old, American born L.A. musician who finds himself in the West Bank of Israel, otherwise known as the Middle East. He's bringing a dead cousin back for burial at the request of his father who cannot make the trip. What he finds is the age old battle of perception and reality, of heritage and rebirth...A battle for truth and re-invention...his and everyone else's. It's a story that is at once surreal and all too real. While he entertains the flights of a young man's fancy, violence and treachery are always nearby. It's a story that is at once an exhilarating journey, and also a sobering call to humanity. He discovers what it is to be finite and infinite at the same time. In Jerusalem, at the intersection of the Big Three Religions, he finds that the best solution maybe a little humility. That to stand in one spot and look up may find man's truest answer and that answer may be no one else's business. Will he survive to enjoy these truths, if they are indeed real? We shall see...
About the Author: Abe Abdelhadi is from Los Angeles, CA. He played in several rock bands in the late 80s and early 90s and has had his music featured on television and has published several short stories and poems. He worked in various capacities in the music and film businesses before becoming an essayist and author. He is in the process of converting his essay website, "This is the Deal," into a book containing previously published short stories, poems and new short stories. He also performs standup comedy and currently lives in Austin, TX. After college, he moved to Pasadena, CA where there was a thriving music scene and his band was based. Mayan Tango played the L.A. circuit with abandon. They played with such groups as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Primus. His mixed Arab and Brazilian heritage gives him a unique perspective as he was raised in South L.A. when it was still called South Central Los Angeles. He grew up in a factory region, where General Motors, Firestone and Bethlehem Steel were based. This was a far cry from the stereotypical West Los Angeles/Hollywood, show business image most associate with being "from L.A." Nevertheless, the arts and the desire to connect have been paramount in his life, culminating into this latest work, "All Together Now."