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Sisyphus #1
Sisyphus Wins
Can you be who you authentically are and still be accepted by those most important to you?
Jonathan Slovanco finds comfort and safety both in his large family that has been traumatized due to a devastating tragedy and in the Catholic Church. But as he matures, he realizes that a fundamental difference between him and other boys may alienate him from everything and everyone he holds dear.
When he is confronted with the cold truth that he is on his own, Jonathan is faced with the decision whether to leave his family and friends and his church to uncover the truth of his being. During that struggle, he realizes that his journey is his to walk and that only he can resolve the conflicts he faces: with himself, his family, society, and his church. It is only in the realm of nature that he finds himself at peace.
As a teacher of American literature, Jonathan teaches his students that great works of fiction are "more true" than non-fiction because they deal with universal truths. It is in them, particularly in the story of the "unconquering whale," Moby Dick, he is able to sort out and make sense of the conflicting aspects of his life.
It is, thus, in those works and in nature that Jonathan begins to find his truth and to discover his innate courage.
For Jonathan, coming to self-acceptance is difficult enough. Coupling that with the courage needed to reveal his genuine self to his family feels like a Sisyphean effort.
What you don't talk about can hold you back . . . and what you come to accept can set you free.
Jonathan Slovanco finds comfort and safety both in his large family that has been traumatized due to a devastating tragedy and in the Catholic Church. But as he matures, he realizes that a fundamental difference between him and other boys may alienate him from everything and everyone he holds dear.
When he is confronted with the cold truth that he is on his own, Jonathan is faced with the decision whether to leave his family and friends and his church to uncover the truth of his being. During that struggle, he realizes that his journey is his to walk and that only he can resolve the conflicts he faces: with himself, his family, society, and his church. It is only in the realm of nature that he finds himself at peace.
As a teacher of American literature, Jonathan teaches his students that great works of fiction are "more true" than non-fiction because they deal with universal truths. It is in them, particularly in the story of the "unconquering whale," Moby Dick, he is able to sort out and make sense of the conflicting aspects of his life.
It is, thus, in those works and in nature that Jonathan begins to find his truth and to discover his innate courage.
For Jonathan, coming to self-acceptance is difficult enough. Coupling that with the courage needed to reveal his genuine self to his family feels like a Sisyphean effort.
What you don't talk about can hold you back . . . and what you come to accept can set you free.
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 25, 2016
8 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Fabyanic
4 books10 followersStanding atop a snowfield at 12,000 feet in 1975, Jerry Fabyanic scanned the expanse and said, "Holy, shit! This is it." He quit his job, packed his truck, and headed west without looking in the rearview mirror. Deciding that the only thing he ever wanted to be was a teacher, Jerry began his literal journey into world of public education and into the symbolic world of myth and story. He counts Herman Melville, John Steinbeck, and Joseph Campbell among his most influential thinkers and greatest heroes.
Over the years, his love affair with the Colorado Rocky Mountains has grown deeper. Jerry has learned the importance of paying attention to guideposts, junctures that at first seem coincidental but prove to be path-altering experiences. Whether running at 8,500 feet, skiing moguls at Mary Jane at Winter Park, or reaching for an outcropping at 13,000 feet, Jerry reminds himself of his place and role as a denizen of Mother Earth.
Jerry Fabyanic is a 2016 award-winning author, having been recognized with an EVVY by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association in the literary fiction genre.
He is the featured columnist of the Clear Creek Courant and hosts the Rabbit Hole on KYGT-FM in Idaho Springs, Colorado. As part of the Rabbit Hole, Jerry has created a special feature called "Writers Talk" during which writers and other pros who make the publishing world tick discuss their work(s). The shows can heard live via streaming on the KYGT website, kygt.org, and available on his website, jerryfabyanic.com
Jerry is a retired teacher of English and social studies living in the historical mining town of Georgetown in Clear Creek County, Colorado. He has run six marathons, has climbed thirty-four of Colorado's 14'ers, and still loves carving the bumps through the powder and timber of Mary Jane's Eagle Wind territory.
Over the years, his love affair with the Colorado Rocky Mountains has grown deeper. Jerry has learned the importance of paying attention to guideposts, junctures that at first seem coincidental but prove to be path-altering experiences. Whether running at 8,500 feet, skiing moguls at Mary Jane at Winter Park, or reaching for an outcropping at 13,000 feet, Jerry reminds himself of his place and role as a denizen of Mother Earth.
Jerry Fabyanic is a 2016 award-winning author, having been recognized with an EVVY by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association in the literary fiction genre.
He is the featured columnist of the Clear Creek Courant and hosts the Rabbit Hole on KYGT-FM in Idaho Springs, Colorado. As part of the Rabbit Hole, Jerry has created a special feature called "Writers Talk" during which writers and other pros who make the publishing world tick discuss their work(s). The shows can heard live via streaming on the KYGT website, kygt.org, and available on his website, jerryfabyanic.com
Jerry is a retired teacher of English and social studies living in the historical mining town of Georgetown in Clear Creek County, Colorado. He has run six marathons, has climbed thirty-four of Colorado's 14'ers, and still loves carving the bumps through the powder and timber of Mary Jane's Eagle Wind territory.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 3, 2024
I'm so pleased to say I've had the opportunity to be touched by this book. Its a beautifully told story about a man just trying to live his truth despite the religious chains he was raised in. I know Sisyphus Wins deals with the Roman Catholic strain of Christianity, but I could relate in many ways to how Jonathan was treated as I grew up a Southern Baptist myself. After all, they're "different rules and different practices, but same stuff repackaged."
*I did receive my Kindle edition from a Goodreads Giveaway
*I did receive my Kindle edition from a Goodreads Giveaway
August 26, 2017
Wonderful read about self-discovery in any capacity!
This book was really out of my wheelhouse; first, in not understanding the title right away, as well as the level at which the author speaks. He is extremely educated and well-spoken. At first, the religious references were hard to understand, as I am not religious in any way, yet as I made my way through each chapter, I realize exactly why the author was so detailed in his religious references. It becomes obvious just how much one's mind can be constricted to other possibilities, when we only know one way of thinking. Well worth reading for anyone struggling with a "mountain" (not just for LGBTQ readers). Well written, eye-opening, sad, and triumphant.
This book was really out of my wheelhouse; first, in not understanding the title right away, as well as the level at which the author speaks. He is extremely educated and well-spoken. At first, the religious references were hard to understand, as I am not religious in any way, yet as I made my way through each chapter, I realize exactly why the author was so detailed in his religious references. It becomes obvious just how much one's mind can be constricted to other possibilities, when we only know one way of thinking. Well worth reading for anyone struggling with a "mountain" (not just for LGBTQ readers). Well written, eye-opening, sad, and triumphant.
December 13, 2018
Well written with excellent character development. I gave it to my uncle for his 68th birthday and he and his partner both read it and loved the book. The book reminded me of when my uncle came out during the late 1970s and all the suffering and criticism he endured from his immediate family, particularly with his father.
February 20, 2017
While not my usual reading fare, Sisyphus Wins took me along Jonathan's very personal spiritual journey of discovering and accepting his true identity. I am honored to have joined Jonathan on his travels.
Well done, Jerry, well done.
Well done, Jerry, well done.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews