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Searching for Alpha Centauri: A Boyhood Memoir
"Searching for Alpha Centauri in a '64 Chevy" is American Public Television artist Gary Spetz's absorbing tale of living a nomadic life with an impetuous mother, a discontent casino-security-guard step-father, a kid-indifferent French poodle, and two older, all-too-often unpleasant, siblings—during the turbulent early 1960s.
The artist/author paints his experience with both humor and sensitivity, adeptly portraying his ever moving landscape. Effectively blended into the story's backdrop is the author’s keen attention to the world events unfolding around him. These were the days of an impending nuclear war, an exciting new space race, an escalating conflict in Vietnam, a rising civil rights movement, the invasion of Beatlemania, and the shocking assassination of a President. To the the author, this mix of colorful and dark days was, indeed, "the best of times" and "the worst of times.”
Though often hilarious, "Searching for Alpha Centauri in a '64 Chevy" is a beautifully rendered story of innocence, edification, intrigue, adventure, and endurance.
The artist/author paints his experience with both humor and sensitivity, adeptly portraying his ever moving landscape. Effectively blended into the story's backdrop is the author’s keen attention to the world events unfolding around him. These were the days of an impending nuclear war, an exciting new space race, an escalating conflict in Vietnam, a rising civil rights movement, the invasion of Beatlemania, and the shocking assassination of a President. To the the author, this mix of colorful and dark days was, indeed, "the best of times" and "the worst of times.”
Though often hilarious, "Searching for Alpha Centauri in a '64 Chevy" is a beautifully rendered story of innocence, edification, intrigue, adventure, and endurance.
Audiobook
Published January 1, 2025
About the author
Gary Spetz
4 books20 followersAs a “signature member” of the National Watercolor Society, author/artist Gary Spetz has hosted, scripted, filmed, and co-produced—with his wife, Marlene—three painting/travel series (111 episodes) for Public Television (distributed via American Public Television): Painting Wild Places, Watercolor Quest, and Color World.
His artwork has also been depicted in various art publications, including Watercolor, Artists, Watercolor Magic, Searching For The Artist Within, and Art From The Parks. And his paintings have been included in the “Top 100” of the National Park Academy of the Arts.
Gary and his wife live in Northwest Montana, where—when not trying to outsmart a trout—he continues to write and paint.
His artwork has also been depicted in various art publications, including Watercolor, Artists, Watercolor Magic, Searching For The Artist Within, and Art From The Parks. And his paintings have been included in the “Top 100” of the National Park Academy of the Arts.
Gary and his wife live in Northwest Montana, where—when not trying to outsmart a trout—he continues to write and paint.
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