“Joseph Peterson’s whirling, twirling prose winds us deeper into the comical and often dark nature of fame, obsession, art; what it means to be truthful to yourself, and if that’s even something worthy of pursuing anymore. This intoxicating two-way conversation will hit upon themes familiar to Gen-Xers who came of age carrying the weight of Slacker culture. But rather than writing another generational celebration of familiar tropes, Peterson peels them back to reveal their absurdist underbelly. This is gripping psychological stuff for readers interested in the dark corners of how art gets made and remade and remade again.”—Mark Guarino, author, Country and Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival
“With his signature wit and wisdom, Joseph Peterson’s latest offering is a bittersweet exploration of the highs and lows encountered along the border of art and commerce. The Perturbation of O deftly lays bare the heavy toll that fame exacts from the creative soul.”—Giano Cromley, author, American Mythology
“The Perturbation of O paints a profoundly real picture of the way artists and writers live inside their heads. Much like antiheroes Gideon and Regina, we creative types are a tribe unto ourselves: outsiders, outlanders, misunderstood misfits. Products of American romanticism, we imagine someday somewhere someone will swoop down and lift us up to art heaven, saving our souls and sanctifying our tortured artwork. Then, along comes Joseph Peterson with his latest twisted parable.”—Ed Rath, artist