Home Front is a collection of short fiction. Each piece is steeped in the lore of 20th century New York City street life that, while harsh if not downright dangerous, is fondly remembered by older and ex-pat NY’ers — and virtually unknown to legions of newcomers. Kleinman takes us on occasional side trips to Belgium, the Hudson Valley, Lithuania, Mississippi and New England. But no matter what the setting, the characters’ roots are indelibly New York City bound. Order direct from SMP below or Amazon/Amazon Kindle. (Retail $15.00, pp 204, ISBN: 978-0-9825041-1-6, paperback, JUNE 2013)
In Home Front, we find stories as diverse, irreverent and grittily lyrical as the metropolis they all ultimately celebrate. It is a striking debut, filled with narratives at once familiar and strange, and characters both tough-as-nails and yet tender. Martin Kleinman has written New York City a love song no New Yorker will likely soon forget.
-Jennifer Cody Epstein
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment (WW Norton March 2013)
Martin Kleinman is a New York City story teller. He has captivated audiences with his tales of real New Yorkers in New York venues from KGB Bar to Union Hall. He lives in the northwest Bronx, from where he can survey the full length and breadth of the world’s greatest metropolis.