Lemont Resident Self-Publishes Second Novel

LEMONT, IL — Lemont resident Jesse Severson recently self-published his second novel, exploring the "dramatics of every day life."

Severson's new book, "The Estate Sale," is about a man's life told through items at his estate sale.

"This isn't a spy thriller or an intergalactic quest in which the fate of humanity hangs in the balance," Severson told Patch. "It's a look at ordinary life and how beautiful and brutal it can be. Joyful celebrations and painful heartbreak. Laughter from mundane conversations and the grief of sudden loss."

Severson said he got the idea when he was looking up estate sales, "because I heard you can get stuff for a good price and then I realized how morbid that was. Estate sales are full of items that tell a story about a person's life, and I was rubbing my hands together looking for a good deal."

Severson self-published his first book, "Cody," last year.

"The writing process was a little different for the first one, because it was set in rural Texas and each chapter comes from the perspective of a different person, so it required writing in distinct voices to make each character feel different," he told Patch. "'The Estate Sale' is more traditional, but since it's set on Chicago's South Side from the 1930s to now, it required much more research into the history and evolution of a specific neighborhood."

While the book is available on Amazon, Severson said he prefers people to check it out from the Lemont Public Library.

"...I wrote 'The Estate Sale' to show the dramatics of everyday life. If you asked people who believe they are just normal, everyday people, you'd find compelling stories of the ups and downs in their life," he said.