Morris County Native And Professor To Sign Copies Of His New Book, 'American Impasse'

NORTH JERSEY — Dr. Michael Walters, a professor and author who lives in Jersey City and grew up in Rockaway, will sign his new novel, "American Impasse" at a book store in Rockaway this weekend.

He will appear at Ray and Judy's Book Stop, 40 Main St., at 10 a.m. this Saturday.

Walters, a Morris Hills High School graduate, former Hudson County newspaper reporter, and writing professor at New Jersey City University, said his studies in history led him to write the book.

Since graduating from Morris Hills High School in 1989, he attained a B.A. in Spanish from Rutgers, an M.A. in Journalism from NYU, and completed his Doctor of Letters from Drew University in 2017.

In 2006, Michael co-wrote "Starting and Finishing the Paper," to help college students write their compositions.

Since completing his doctorate, the Queens native has written "On Overcoming Colonialism -- a Dual Case Study," and "On Slavery, Historical Continuity, and Justice," both in the humanist journal The Human Prospect.

Walters' postcolonial studies background, and the political climate of 2016-2020, collectively inspired Michael to write American Impasse, he said.

"I was inspired to write the novel by my postcolonial studies background at Drew University," he said, "for my dissertation comparing and contrasting the histories of Ireland and Hispañiola, and Donald Trump's first electoral victory in 2016. These factors inspired me to ask questions we all should ask about our individual relationships to issues bedeviling our nation, nearly 250 years after foundation."

The book's summary: "American Impasse is the story of race in the United States through the lens of two families, beginning in post Civil-War Reconstruction, and ending in an alternate reality after the 2032 election. In this reality, Donald Trump only served one term, and Shari Kim Garcia
ran to become the second woman president, only to lose to Lawrence Pride, running on the slogan 'Vote Pride, like your ancestors did.' The culmination of the nation's unwillingness to address hard truths impedes our three aspiring heroes, who seek to transcend the dilemma of the United States' national founding. A major obstacle to their quest is evident from the beginning of this trek over time.

"Stanley Jones is the last coal CEO in the United States, possibly the world. Keith Lane is a former Congressman who has reversed the effects of climate change, in nearly all the world. Jacqueline St. Marc is Keith Lane's wife, but more importantly, she is the doctor who helped rid the world of Covid. These three, whose families are linked by history, will collaborate in an attempt to usher in a transformed United States, in which all are willing to acknowledge that the history told to the majority in the first American nation is at best -- flawed."

"...The American Impasse is omnipresent, and it can be combated. Their goal is conquest. Is it possible for them? Is it possible for US?"

The book can be purchased at the store or here: https://michaelwaltersbooks.com/

Those with questions can email drmwaltersauthor@gmail.com.