Diamonds of Affection and Other Stories

About the Book

DIAMONDS OF AFFECTION is a collection of short stories filled with a wild and eccentric cast of characters who are all, in some way, struggling to survive in the chaotic and disturbing world created by John David Wells. The reader will find a rock drummer, Todd Benjamin, who is schizophrenic, and thinks the images on MTV videos are originating from the Book of Revelation in the Bible; Donna Robinson, a former dancer on American Bandstand, who thinks she’s a character in a song and when she’s alone talks to Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks; David Dickinson, a brilliant young man, who believes he is the “real Catcher in the Rye”; Byron, a wasted junkie, who would leave town if only he had some shoes to wear, and three college students who take a drug-filled, hallucinating road trip to Florida, turning their Range Rover into an Ecstasy orgy with shocking results. These are just a few of the lost “beautiful losers” who inhabit the pages of Dr. Wells’ fascinating collection of stories. In the end, readers will find surprising emotional attachments to these flawed, but likable, characters who struggle to maintain their sanity and dignity in the face of an absurd and often unforgiving world.

About the Author

JOHN DAVID WELLS was born in the heart of the coal mining region of the Appalachian mountains before moving, traveling , and experiencing many notable adventures throughout the United States and remote parts of Mexico, Western Europe, Russia, Nepal, Africa, China, and South America. His assortment of varied experiences included managing a record store in San Francisco, playing collegiate basketball in Mexico, driving a forklift in Russia, living in an opium den in Nepal, and repairing pretzel machines in New Jersey. Dr. Wells settled down to a teaching career at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia after receiving his doctorate in sociology at Virginia Tech University. He has written numerous articles on popular culture, two books in American Studies, and three previous novels. More information about Dr. Wells can be found on his website: drjwpopnovels.com