The Dreams of Teddy Schreck focuses on a retired salesman, who obsesses
about retaining his mental acuity. Dreading the loss of memories of the
people, events and milestones of his life, he augments his specialized
diet with herbal supplements and specific vitamins designed to postpone,
perhaps even eliminate, the chance of developing dementia. One website
advises writing a long-hand journal to keep the brain elastic and
active. The possible subject of this journal eludes Teddy until one
night, when he dreams of cataloging his dreams. The following day he
makes his first of many entries in his dream journal. He mentions the
project to his neighbor, Bill, a retired historian, who suggests
expanding the scope to include Teddy's aspirations from his early life.
Teddy agrees.
Bill and his wife, Margaret, have been life-long friends of the
Schrecks. Margaret anonymously authors an atheist blog, which attracts
the anger of a religious zealot, who in his threatening comments on the
blog indicates he not only knows Margaret's identity, but where she
lives. Teddy interjects himself into the conflict, for a variety of
reasons, but mostly to fulfill his aspiration to be a hero...for once in
his life. His wife and daughters caution him, but he ignores their
advice. Events unfold with tragic consequences for both families.
About the Author
John M. McNamara's short fiction has been published in Crosscurrents,
Old Hickory Review, The Piedmont Literary Review, Minotaur, Snapdragon,
Four Quarters, FlashFiction, Quick Fiction, Bear River Review, Inside
Running and Chicago Literati.
In the summer of 1999, he was awarded a professional artist residency at
the OxBow Summer Arts Program for the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago in Saugatuck, Michigan. He lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, a
suburb of Chicago, with his wife.
He is the author of the novels Madonna, The Dreams of Teddy Schreck,
Harmony House, A Final Reflection, A Life Without Grace, and Hunter's
War, A Novella, and Selected Short Stories. All available from Amazon.com.