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Elba Kramer: The True Autobiography of a Pathological Liar
Elba Kramer tells the story of his first seventeen years the only way he knows through a mask. From a childhood spent dodging the heavy truths of small-town America to the pivotal moment he dropped out, became a father, and sought refuge in the military—this is a life lived in the blur between memory and invention.
Written as an autobiographical novel, this story reaches for an emotional honesty that only a pseudonym could provide. It is a memoir built on a that sometimes, we have to lie about our names to tell the truth about our lives.
Told in a voice that’s by turns funny, furious, and disarmingly tender, Elba Kramer invites you to wander the landscape of a jagged youth. It is a story where every exaggeration hides a secret, and every truth has teeth.
A Note from the Author: I wrote this book under the name Elba Kramer because I found it impossible to tell the story as myself. While the name on the cover is a fabrication, the experiences within—from birth to my seventeenth year—are 97% true. This is the story of how I became a man, a father, an airman, an officer, and a writer... told through the only lens that allowed me to be completely honest. It is a confession disguised as a lie.
Written as an autobiographical novel, this story reaches for an emotional honesty that only a pseudonym could provide. It is a memoir built on a that sometimes, we have to lie about our names to tell the truth about our lives.
Told in a voice that’s by turns funny, furious, and disarmingly tender, Elba Kramer invites you to wander the landscape of a jagged youth. It is a story where every exaggeration hides a secret, and every truth has teeth.
A Note from the Author: I wrote this book under the name Elba Kramer because I found it impossible to tell the story as myself. While the name on the cover is a fabrication, the experiences within—from birth to my seventeenth year—are 97% true. This is the story of how I became a man, a father, an airman, an officer, and a writer... told through the only lens that allowed me to be completely honest. It is a confession disguised as a lie.
179 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2025
About the author
Steve Goldsmith
11 books7 followersSteveG has lived several lives: military brat, high school dropout, Air Force tech, Silicon Valley start up survivor, math teacher, art gallery owner, flower shop co conspirator, and now caretaker of a botanical garden, butterfly sanctuary, and animal rescue center in Costa Rica.
Somewhere along the way, he started writing—and never stopped.
His fiction blends myth, theology, memory, and mischief, moving across genres with the enthusiasm of someone who never learned the rules.
He is the author of Elba Kramer, The Last Heretic, Dear Dairy, Forty Two Flash Fever Dreams, The Infernal Twins Cycle, and The Old One and The Hunger.
He writes during his endless procession of seven day weekends, accompanied by a happy dog, unreliable Wi Fi, and the occasional tropical absurdity.
It’s working so far.
Somewhere along the way, he started writing—and never stopped.
His fiction blends myth, theology, memory, and mischief, moving across genres with the enthusiasm of someone who never learned the rules.
He is the author of Elba Kramer, The Last Heretic, Dear Dairy, Forty Two Flash Fever Dreams, The Infernal Twins Cycle, and The Old One and The Hunger.
He writes during his endless procession of seven day weekends, accompanied by a happy dog, unreliable Wi Fi, and the occasional tropical absurdity.
It’s working so far.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 18, 2026
Elba Kramer: The true autobiography of a pathological liar by Steve Goldsmith is an unconventional read that ignores the established rules of storytelling. I started off thinking it was nothing more than a collection of crazy rantings. A little into the book, I burst into uncontrollable laughter. It was then that I realised that the author is gifted with an extraordinary dry wit. He uses this gift effectively in what he freely admits is his own biography. For one who claims to be a pathological liar, the author tells his story with raw honesty. But this is not a mere satirical story. It is actually a story about how brain power and tenacity can overcome obstacles. By the finish, I judged the autobiography to be a highly original work written by a writer with a fertile imagination. If you want a good laugh, try this.
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January 19, 2026I can hear my Mom right now, 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.'... Yet, she also emphasized that I 'tell the truth.'... Although my Mom's words may seem a contradiction, "Elba Kramer" reminds me of that Kris Kristofferson tune about Johnny Cash, "He's a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction."... How much of "Elba Kramer" is truth, how much is fiction, only the author may truly knows. Regardless, it's a light-hearted, witty tale of a "Holden Caulfield" type character (and what a character he is), juiced. Yet, it has those underpinnings of depth and sadness too. With the very title, "Elba Kramer: The True Autobiography of a Pathological Liar", the reader knows they're in for a ride. And, what an adventure it is. The Elder Elba keeps the younger Elba in check, sort of, by fact-checking many of the younger Elba's claims... Very creative, this Elder Kramer creation... I don't rate books, as that implies a judgement (in my opinion), but with my Mom's ringing voice in my ears, I would strongly recommend this work to anyone, although it's probably more suited to the male audience... "Elba Kramer" should be a New York Times best-seller. It's that well crafted.
December 16, 2025
unlike anything I’ve read before
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and that uncertainty ended up being part of the experience. The book moves in a way that feels loose but intentional, letting moments unfold without forcing them into neat conclusions. I found myself reading slowly, not because it dragged, but because it invited you to sit with what was being said.
What stayed with me most was how imperfect and unsettled everything felt—in a very human way. It doesn’t try to win you over or explain itself, and that restraint works in its favor. By the end, I felt like I’d been given pieces rather than answers, and somehow that made the story feel more honest and memorable.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and that uncertainty ended up being part of the experience. The book moves in a way that feels loose but intentional, letting moments unfold without forcing them into neat conclusions. I found myself reading slowly, not because it dragged, but because it invited you to sit with what was being said.
What stayed with me most was how imperfect and unsettled everything felt—in a very human way. It doesn’t try to win you over or explain itself, and that restraint works in its favor. By the end, I felt like I’d been given pieces rather than answers, and somehow that made the story feel more honest and memorable.
December 29, 2025
A crazy, unconventional, soul-laid-bare collection of memories, though some may be imagined. There's humor and downright shock in this satirical book. Elba seems somewhat akin to Forest Gump, and the events of the sixties and seventies, along with the mentions of the historical figures of that time, make this book interesting. If you want to have a good laugh and still be made to think, this is your book. I enjoyed it overall, despite absurdities.
December 12, 2025
A darkly funny and sharply compelling memoir that blurs truth and fiction, it pulls you into Elba Kramer’s unreliable world—where every confession cuts deep and every lie reveals something real. A brilliant, unsettling journey through memory, myth, and the secrets we tell ourselves.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews