Blackguard

"Blackguard" by Maxwell Bodenheim is a story unfolding in the early 1900s that follows Carl Felman, a young man burdened by a desire to be a poet while battling responsibilities to his family and the tough world of a midwestern city. The story asks questions about who we are, how we reject norms, and how we search for purpose. Carl feels very alone and disappointed as he tries to figure out his life. We first meet Carl at a train station looking tired and poor after a long trip. He remembers being a shy poet in high school, disliked by other students but liked by teachers, and how his Jewish parents wanted him to be practical and get a good job instead of chasing his dreams of being an artist. He feels stuck between wanting to be a poet and the pressure to fit in, leading him to join the army as a way to get away from it all. The first part of the book examines Carl's inner battles and hints at how his decisions and hopes will be challenged throughout the story.