Howard Zoldessy

First Token: A Story of Life, Love, & Tennis

Hillard Abraham, an unmarried lawyer with a blue-collar upbringing and a quirky personality, becomes the second Jewish member at a Long Island tennis club. Hillard befriends Dexter Alexander, a Korean War veteran and the club’s first black employee. Dexter’s wife, Becky, works for the wealthy Cabot family. So begins an unforgettable story of relationships.

Hillard views the world through a prism of logic, even applying logic to the tyranny of segregation and the Holocaust. An unexpected relationship derails his sense of logic; a spiritual encounter distills his existence to its core. “Where do we fit in, Buster?” he asks his feline confidant, an orange tabby.

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About The Book

First Token is dedicated to the notion of a permanent American Comedy Hall of Fame. The public expression of comedy is emblematic of a free society, a celebration of its liberties and freedoms.

Comedy has the capacity to heal and unite, and yet, political correctness is snuffing out our comedic sensibilities. A Comedy Hall of Fame would memorialize more than just an art form; it would protect and sustain a piece of Americana that is now challenged and might well disappear, perhaps leaving behind various imposters.

Hundreds of funny and brilliant images shall sadly vanish from Western culture unless they are immortalized within a timeless and accessible public vault. Visualizing an American Comedy Hall of Fame is the first step.

Execution is another matter.

The project needs a catalyst, so let’s find a way to conserve this rich and flavorful slice of

the American pie.

Let’s find a way to preserve our comedic heritage. I propose the following:

The American Comedy Hall of Fame

“When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Funny.” ©

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About Me

Hey, I'm Howard Zoldessy

On the day First Token: A Story of Life, Love, & Tennis was published, the US geological service reported a seismic event in the northeast. I knew precisely the source of that disturbance; my English teachers were spinning wildly in their graves. There were twenty-five students in my public-school classes, and the order for groupings, functions, and presentations was alphabetical.

I was always last. If those teachers had been asked to compose a list of the students most likely to publish a novel, in order of probability, my position would not have changed. If the other twenty-four students had been asked that same question, I would have been last on all twenty-four submissions. If I had been asked to draft a list of the students most likely to publish a novel, I would have put myself first.

My perception of literature changed in my senior year of college. Reading assignments and term papers ceased being obligations. I fell in love with our exquisite and elegant language.

In 1972, while earning a Master of Arts degree at the State University of New York, publishing a novel became an aspiration. The setting and storyline to be determined later. I shared my ambition to publish a novel with no one. In 1997, when a catastrophic illness struck and I became a single parent, I had been told that a dad could not raise a daughter by himself. That is untrue, a dad can learn how to be a mom. The experience of raising an extraordinary child imprinted upon the writer living within. In 2016, another extraordinary lady, my wife Elizabeth, gently reminded me that my aspiration to write and publish a novel has an expiration date. First Token was born. Early in the process, I discovered the similarities between a flesh and blood child and a literary creation. They are both offspring.

First Token is a hybrid novel and true to its title. The story is told in the cadence and pace of the 1950s. As comedic expression is a cardinal position on my compass, Token is infused with thoughtful wit. The novel’s delivery could be construed as a contradiction in terms; a stream of consciousness narrative can be navigable; the tributaries can seamlessly flow back into the river. Enchantment, disguised as fate, elevates the tale. The characters, including an orange tabby are embraceable and endearing.

Token will resonate with readers who yearn for the positive attributes of the 1950s juxtaposed to the dysfunction of today. In 1956, faith was a guiding force, the US had two billion dollars in the bank, and baseball was unequivocally our national pastime.

My daily agenda includes applying my real estate skills on behalf of a brilliant casual dining concept, spending as much time with my family as my family can tolerate, winding up Lenny and Charlie, our two orange tabbies, planning my second novel, and watching tennis.

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