The Art of Impossibility
Author Biography
Bill Wahl is a Registered Counseling Psychologist and Certified School Psychologist. He practices psychotherapy with adults for the NHS and lectures at Exeter University. Bill has been performing stand-up comedy since 2008 in numerous venues in England and his off-beat and absurdist humor takes a side-swipe at the ridiculousness of human existence. Comedic influences include Mitch Hedberg, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, George Carlin, and Steven Wright. Bill’s fiction writing style was deeply influenced by the American southern writer Larry Brown. Born in Rochester, NY, he moved to England in 1995 and lives in lives in Westward Ho! Devon with his wife, Dixie, an artist, and their two sons. The Art of Impossibility is his first novel.
The Art of Impossibility
“A fascinating exploration of identity, alienation, and relationship. Challenging, entertaining, and deeply moving.”
Sophie Duffy, author of The Generation Game
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?
For many years Michael Wilson had managed to disregard the emptiness of his life, until one day every piece of his identification is stolen. His farcical attempts to renew his identity expose him to a world of relationships he can no longer avoid – a world where Mary Magellan, an unpredictable conceptual artist, becomes important in ways Michael could not have imagined. A world where Michael must rely on Larry, a disgraced professor of logic, Sam, a lonely metal head living in his basement, and Julie, a manager of the Vital Records Department who takes a VERY personal interest in Michael’s problems. Hilarious, sad, and relevant. Here is a story of psychological collapse and the possibilities that exist at the boundaries of human experience.
“Wahl’s novel holds up a mirror to society, a place where alienation wins out over human connection and love all too often. This is one of those rare literary combinations – a novel which is profound and serious, and yet great fun to read”.
Margaret James, author of The Silver Locket
“Shakes and illuminates at one and the same time. Absorbing, thought-provoking, and wonderfully written.”
Professor Ernesto Spinelli, author of Tales of Un-knowing