Never shy, Chip meets an outcast butcher named Deacon O’Dell, seemingly the embodiment of all Chip's lousy luck, rolled into one person. Nonetheless, sparks set off an unlikely bond and an adventure of stunning hardships, but with a remote chance for rejuvenation. CHIP ROCK and the FAT OLD FART tells the story of the comic and poignant friendship between 23 year old Chip and 55 year old Deacon, and explores the glue which bind together imperfect families and flawed friendships.
Author Michael Daswick is the winner of the two greatest literary awards from Columbia University. His inspiring work tackles epic themes of guilt, redemption, loss, struggle, friendship and fatherhood. Rich yet quirky, always mixing humor with drama, Michael writes at the crossroads of sophistication and the idiosyncratic.
Fat Old Fart constantly mixes striking settings, and noble decisions that lead to unexpected results. It’s a coming-of-age saga about Chip -- and a coming-of-old-age awakening for Deacon, who strives to learn the true meaning of fatherhood. A spree of events teaches the orphan Chip how families are born not only by blood, but also through friendship, workplace, and neighborhoods. Families beget entire communities. From No Palms to Mexico, their adventure and struggle brings together a vastly different collection of people, building into a desperate and very emotional ending which none of them expect.
Fat Old Fart grew out of several linked short stories, always portraying the Underdog, from which author Michael Daswick won both of Columbia's prestigious literary awards: The Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction and The Cornell Woolrich Fellowship for Creative Writing. He lives in Scottsdale with his wife Kim and family.
Fat Old Fart is the first in the Chip Rock Series. The sequel is CHIP ROCK and the CATALINA KID. Chip’s early years at Boys Hall are chronicled in the award-winning short story collection, HALLBOYS.
Michael Daswick is a multi-award-winning novelist living in Arizona. His work is diverse, funny, tear-pulling, wildly creative and many times, inspirational. Michael is the winner of both of Columbia's venerable literary awards: The Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction and The Cornell Woolrich Fellowship for Creative Writing. The original stories that led to those awards grew into his acclaimed novel about a clever orphan: Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart. Also, these stories may be found in his collection, Hallboys.
Michael fearlessly hikes and horse-rides some of the wildest territories in the West and Mexico. He's a gourmet cook capable of world-class carnitas and beanie-weenie. He grew up in Pasadena, California working in a much-maligned meat market, and on the beaches from Avalon to Zuma. That seedy meat shop and those beaches provide the setting for his epic novels about Chip Rock, as well as his ZIN MIGNON series.
Michael and his wife Kim have three children and two happy dogs. Everyone in the family offers a bounty of suggestions as to what direction his plot and characters should take next, and as any honest writer would tell you, this input is always invaluable. These novels would be much less than they are if not for this assistance.
Professionally, Michael has worked in the international golf industry and owned the leading dog shop in Scottsdale. He now writes full time.
Michael says, "My fondness for food comes through my family and, especially, our daughter with special needs. From her wheelchair, she's great at 'helping' me cook in the kitchen. Nobody is as excited about food as she is, and this passion is contagious. She loves the Food Network and it's her dream to become a chef." The Zin Mignon series is the written manifestation of her dream and the family's passion.