A Bitch for God

Tyler St. John hears a familiar name that disproves the maxim that “time heals all wounds.” In 1989, Tyler was living in Los Angeles as a struggling screenwriter. He made ends meet by reading scripts for producers along with tending bar at various venues. The AIDS epidemic had been claiming victims for over a decade, and Tyler has seen the wasting away of too many good people. He always felt he could do more. Volunteer work provided Tyler with purpose, and he took to it with enthusiasm. Soon, he finds work at an organization called “Manna from Heaven,” which provides meals to the AIDS-afflicted.

Tyler becomes a driver and cook for the group where he meets a diverse group of people. While some of the men and women of the group are there to help the helpless, others are there out of a religious, if not spiritual, devotion. “Manna from Heaven” is overseen by a woman named Lakshmi Steinmetz. Lakshmi will often appear at the organization’s center and lead a group prayer. She has the reputation of a spiritual guru, yet Tyler gets hints of something less than divine about Lakshmi.

As Tyler’s volunteer role consumes more of his days, he catches more than a bird’s eye view of the behind-the-scenes intrigue of Lakshmi’s organization. Many of the people Tyler works with are devoted to Lakshmi despite deficiencies in the organization and less than pious behavior from Lakshmi. The drama that ensues at Manna parallels Tyler’s tumultuous relationship with boyfriend Kyle along with the elusive stardom that Hollywood continues to lure his way, everything threatening to blow his world apart.

A Bitch for God is a book that, once picked up, will be near impossible to put down. Tyler is a man looking to fulfill his dream, yet fortune doesn’t seem to smile upon him. His tenacious work ethic defines him in his work as a writer as well as a volunteer. He is passionate about work, along with his convictions. Lakshmi is an icon to many yet is painfully fragile, the slightest insult resulting in tantrums or breakdowns. The book illustrates how the illusions provided by false idols can lead to being incarcerated in a prison of belief. Tyler is the free-thinking iconoclast who may alter a few hearts and minds. Author Clark Carlton has written a marvelous work that explores the lingering disaster of the AIDS crisis, the power of human kindness, and how both could be exploited by the worst type of humanity. A great piece of work from beginning to end.