Author and Physician, Dr. Scott Zuckerman, on The Sunbury Press Books Show

12/17/23 • 29 min

The life (or perhaps lives) of a man who made a career change in mid-stride of life to serve his nation, and the struggle for validation and vindication are brought to life by Dr. Scott Zuckerman, in his second book for Sunbury Press. Nothing Left to Prove, Nothing Left to Hide: The Long and Winding Road to Redemption of Major Sebastian Thomas Tosto, Zuckerman tells the story of a man who grew up in the shadow of his father and other relatives, and his quest to get out from under it. The son of a World War II veteran, Tom Tosto was a successful physician, who at age 50 gave that up in the wake of September 11th, 2001. He joined the Army and served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper and brigade surgeon. He saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Tosto earned the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medals. His story, however, leads Tosto to become a patient of Dr. Zuckerman's, and he tells of what has haunted him. A Brooklyn, New York native, Scott Zuckerman's four-decade career as a physician brought him back to the advice given him by his high school English teacher, Frank McCourt, who encouraged him to "cultivate" his gift as a writer. Dreams of My Comrades was released by Sunbury Press in 2017, and earned First Place in the Non-Fiction category of the 2015 Utah Original Writing Competition. Zuckerman also contributed two pieces to the Sunbury Press anthology, After the Pandemic: Visions of Life, Post COVID-19.

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"Neighborhood Girl" Author Linda Schifino on the Sunbury Press Books Show

Linda Schifino's memoir, Neighborhood Girl: A Memoir of Loss, Longing, and Letting Go takes the reader back to her Italian-American roots, in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. On this episode of the Sunbury Press Books Show, Schifino discusses a time when neighbors looked out for each other, trust was paramount, and the values of another place and time made their home in America. Most of what Schifino recalls is no longer there, but she brings the customs, traditions and memories back to life. Recollections of her confirmation, the neighborhood grocery, and her brief career as a numbers runner(!) collide with the now. When her son asks if it's all right to bring a ham to the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, there is a fear of dismantling these traditions further, but also there's the letting go. Linda Schifino holds a Ph.D in Rhetoric from Duquesne University, and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Carlow University. She writes with Madwomen in the Attic, and her essays have been published in Adelaide Magazine, Avalon Literary Journal, Northern Appalachia Review, and Brevity Blog. You can find more about her at her website.

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"The Red Mutation" Author Barry Libin, on the Sunbury Press Books Show!

Bioterror, geopolitics, detective work and a virus with no cure collide in The Red Mutation, the latest work by Barry Libin. A Chinese-inspired virus could bring about world domination--Dr. Jeffrey Moss is assigned by the NYPD to find an antidote and destroy the virus, before it's too late. Barry Libin has brought to life writings that combine his experiences with a sense of history. A periodontist and medical researcher, Dr. Libin is a graduate of the University of Rochester, where he majored in History and Biochemistry. He studied writing ot Hofstra University and the University of Iowa. His work includes The Mystery of the Milton Manuscript, released on Urim Publications in 2014. Sunbury Press Books also has released the acclaimed The Vatican's Vault in 2018. In addition, Libin is a playwright, lyricist and composer. His play THE TRIANGLE tells the story of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory disaster. He lives in New York City.