Square Squire and the Journey to Dreamstate

About the Book

Square Squire and the Journey to Dream State, my 394-page, 96,729-word novel is a semiautobiographical story of growing up geeky in the last innocent time when all the basketball players had hopes and none of the gangs had guns. Squire Brooks is a precocious nerd whose only awareness of the transitions in his neighborhood of Compton, California, in the ’60s is the opportunity to chuck stones at the increasing number of For Sale signs in the yards of his white neighbors. His father’s deepening involvement in civil rights creates increasing chaos in his home where Squire writes his short stories and daydreams. Adolescence brings peer-driven lessons about girls, puberty, girls, bullies, and girls as he navigates the temptations during his elementary, junior high, and high school years. Squire’s daydreaming has developed into an imaginative mechanism that frees his mind from all the chaos and allows him to escape to a dream state whenever he writes. After graduating from high school and on a road trip with his dog, Julius, Squire meets Octavia Steves, who teaches him that his dream state is actually a form of meditation that could help him become the writer of his dreams.

About the Author

“About the Author” My name is Duane Lance Filer. My dad Maxcy passed away on January 10, 2011, but my mom Blondell still lives in Compton in the same house we were raised in, and I got my artistic genes from her. Love you mom! I grew up in Compton, California and had one of the greatest, richest childhoods one could have growing up in an “inner” city. My dad was involved in the west coast civil rights movement, and during the 60’s and 70’s I got to witness and was involved in some wild and crazy events during this important time in American history. Since birth, I’ve possessed an extraordinary memory; an insatiable imagination; and a fascination with writing. I started writing in high school, through college, and during my work years. Now 59 years-old, with my kids having graduated college and their adult lives headed in successful directions, it is once again my time to revisit my writing aspirations and pursue my passion for the written word! I am and have been married to my beautiful wife Janice for 34 years. My son Lance and daughter Arinn (pictured here) are both bright, ambitious young adults who have made their parents very proud. I have 6 brothers and sisters (Maxine, Kelvin, Anthony, Stephanie, Dennis and Tracy); a goo gaggle of cousins, in-laws and friends. I hope to retire soon and start the writing phase of my life. Life has been a blast so far!