Joe Burke's Last Stand

About the Book

What is life after 50 for? After two marriages and raising children, Joe Burke doesn´t know what to do next. He decides to travel, to start over, hoping that along the way he will find an answer.

This is the story of that trip. It is a story about maturing, about art, and about finding one´s teachers. First novels are often autobiographical. I am not Joe Burke, but we were in a lot of the same places. I´m close to this book. I found my voice in it, and Joe found his answer. Nothing would make me happier than to have you ride along.

The second novella, "Every Story is a Love Story," takes place during the sixties in Woodstock, New York. Joe Burke is there, but the story is told from the points of view of Patrick and Willow, two young seekers who drift into town independently and discover themselves as adults. If you were there, you will recognize some of the scenes and characters (Bob Dylan, et al.). If you weren´t, this story will take you to a vibrant time and place.

Together, the stories make a whole that is, for me, full of light. A first novel can only be written once, after all. I hope that the reading is as enjoyable for you as the writing was for me.

About the Author

John Wetterau grew up in Woodstock, N.Y. He served four years in the Air Force and has a B.S. degree from the University of Hawaii. He has married twice, raised children, and worked as a cabbie, house painter, tennis club manager, and computer programmer. He writes full time in Portland, Maine.