The Midtown Scholar Bookstore is honored to welcome local Harrisburg author Joel Burcat for a conversation and signing on his new book, Whiz Kid. Burcat will be in conversation with book critic, Harvey Freedenberg. This event is free and open to the public. Book signing to follow discussion.
In Whiz Kid, a richly woven novel set in 1950 Philadelphia, Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat, son and father, deliver a poignant and compelling story of ambition, identity, love, and resilience. Ben Green, a young Jewish Navy veteran and aspiring novelist, finds himself at a crossroads as he navigates the tensions between postwar American optimism and the harsh realities of prejudice, family obligations, and his dreams.
After Joel’s dad, David Burcat, died in 1998, his mother gave him the papers from his University of Pennsylvania days in the early 1950s. Among them was a sixteen-page typewritten manuscript titled Match Point. “I read it, loved it, and tucked it away, knowing I’d return to it someday. A decade later, I built Whiz Kid around his story.” Match Point appears, imperfections and all and word-for-word as the first draft of Ben Green’s novel within Whiz Kid. “While writing, I often thought of Unforgettable, the posthumous duet by Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie. It echoed what I was doing—creating something with my late father, decades after he was gone. Think of it as Kevin Costner’s character playing catch with the ghost of his late father at the end of Field of Dreams.”
Whiz Kid is set against the electrifying backdrop of the 1950 Phillies’ legendary pennant race, The story explores life in the hardscrabble Jewish neighborhood of South Philly called the “Zibbiter”, the genteel suburbs of the Main Line, and the gritty streets of Camden. As Ben confronts moral dilemmas, a complex friendship with his privileged best friend and war buddy Stan, and the allure of a forbidden romance, he must ultimately decide who he is—and what kind of life he truly wants to lead.
Heartfelt, humorous, and historically grounded, Whiz Kid is a vivid portrait of mid-century America, changing attitudes toward Judaism and faith, a celebration of baseball, a reflection on brotherhood, and a deeply human tale about finding purpose, love, and courage in unexpected places. This is a story you won’t soon forget.
About the Authors:
Joel Burcat is an award-winning author of four environmental legal thrillers: Drink to Every Beast (about illegal dumping of toxic waste), Amid Rage (about a coal mine permit battle), Strange Fire (about a fracking dispute), and his latest, Reap the Wind (an action/adventure thriller). He has received a number of awards, including the Gold Medal for environmental fiction from Readers’ Favorite for Strange Fire, and as a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Amid Rage. He has written numerous short stories. He is an active member of the International Thriller Writers and PennWriters. Burcat lives in Harrisburg, Pa. with his wife, Gail.
Harvey Freedenberg is a retired attorney who has been writing about books since 2005, and in that time has written more than 1,200 reviews, essays and profiles for publication. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle, and writes for print publications and websites that include BookPage, Bookreporter.com, Shelf-Awareness.com, TheBurg and Kirkus Reviews, as well as various literary blogs. He has appeared as a panelist in programs on book reviewing and publishing at the Delaware Book Festival, Harrisburg Book Festival and several local libraries and has spoken on copyright and contract law for writers at the Pennwriters Conference and York Book Expo. Harvey served on the Board of the Dauphin County Library System for 17 years, including two years as its President, and, for several years, was a member of the Selection Committee for the “One Book, One Community” program.
