NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Blue Cypress Books presents an evening with author Danny Cherry Jr. in celebration of his debut book “Pike Boys” on Monday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. Mr. Cherry’s presentation will be followed by an audience q&a and a book signing.
Copies of Mr. Cherry’s book “Pike Boys” can be purchased in-person during the event. This event will take place at Blue Cypress Books located at 8123 Oak St. This event is free and open to the public. More information about the event can be found here.
By day, Danny Cherry Jr. is a Customer Service Representative and caffeine-addled office-drone with an MBA. But by night, he writes political and personal essays; novels; narrative nonfiction; and short stories. He has written for Buzzfeed News, Politico, The Daily Beast, and more; and fiction for Apex Magazine, Fiyah Lit Mag, amongst others. His story “Brief Life Story of Lila” (published originally by Fiyah Lit Mag and reprinted by Apex Magazine) was added to the Locus Magazine recommended reading list for 2022, as well as the BEST AMERICAN SCI-FI & FANTASY 2023 notable stories list.
The Pike Boys: It’s 1920 New Orleans and Jesse Pike is slowly ascending the New Orleans upper-class social scene. He’s the owner of the most popular brothel in the entire city, and rubs shoulders with businessmen, corrupt politicians, and stage stars alike. He’s also the leader of a violent street gang that pulled off the biggest heist of liquor since the beginning of prohibition. Jesse sets up a scheme to sell the booze, and use the profits to help him start a legitimate business. However, several obstacles get in his way: Clyde, the mentally disturbed oldest Pike sibling, is released from prison and takes issue with how Jesse runs things; Jesse’s aging mentor refuses to let him leave behind crime; and an overzealous young DA decides to reopen an investigation into liquor heist to increase his chances of being elected mayor. Jesse is forced to make a decision: does he walk away from a life of crime and his family forever? Or will he continue down the road of violence that has begun to erode his psyche, much as it has Clyde’s?
“The Pike Boys” has all the thrills, plot twists, and quick pace of conventional gangster fiction, with the heart, depth, and nuance of a literary novel. In between the shootouts, violence, and debauchery, there is the overarching question of “can people actually change?” The reader will see that the answer is not so simple–especially when you live in a place like New Orleans.
