Bruce Wayne Sullivan, Author
Reflections
from the Other Side
Up From the Ruins:
Based On a True Story
Vodka Tonics
For the Soul
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An eclectic collection of poetry written by Bruce, a "good listener" and former bartender. Sullivan's characters are primarily the downtrodden and poor, but anyone who has experienced failure or emotional suffering can relate. As a bartender, Sullivan was able to see underneath the surface of his customers. What he found was valuable insight into people's suffering that he translated into poetry. His favorite poem in the collection, "Broken Dreams," relates the common experience and universal theme of suffering experienced by all.
Up from the ruins is the harrowing tale of a despairing child who rises up out of the ash heap of ruin. Read the true and inspiring story of how the American dream can be born even from the depths of fathomless chaos.
Poetry written by Bruce, a former bartender. Inspired by his South
Louisiana roots and selected works taken from his first book,
"Reflections From The Other Side, the world through the eyes of a
bartender," Sullivan takes the reader on another sojourn through the
inner world of the human psyche, spanning the crossroads of human
experience that reflect turning points where most people have been. This
is a down in the trenches book and the reader should be prepared to take
a downward descent where the deafened echoes of impoverished America can
be heard.
Bruce Wayne Sullivan is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. He completed his undergraduate work at two private schools in Mississippi. His concen-
tration was in history and
social science. He attended the University of Memphis in 1993 and earned
his Master's degree. Now a licensed counselor, Sullivan credits
bartending for pre-paring
him for counseling.
Sullivan is also an accomplished musician.
Synopsis of Up From the Ruins: Based on a True Story
Up from the Ruins is the true and inspiring story of a family caught in the crossfire of an alcoholic father with a fiery temper and a love for alcohol who keeps the family on edge with a rootless life of transient living conditions. It is about courage, hope, faith, and the American dream. Faced with the head wind of damnation dealt out by all of the experts and predicted failure, Bruce hears only the beating of his own heart and marches to the beat of his drum. Academically, Bruce struggles in school. The family violence keeps him on edge. He has difficulty sustaining concentration in the class room and cannot complete homework assignments. This leads to the failure of many grades, requiring him to attend summer school. However, his dogs are his heroes and they save the family’s life and become his refuge and source of comfort in the midst of a family that churns with violence.
Ultimately, Bruce does what many believe to be the impossible. He reaches the pinnacle of success when he earns a Master of Science degree in counseling and becomes a Licensed Professional Counselor. He identifies with the down trodden and the poor and uses his tumultuous life experiences to help heal the broken hearted. Up from the Ruins is a poignant portrayal of one boy’s journey whose adult life is mirrored by his life as a child. The main character descends downward and spirals upward stretching the emotional elasticity of the human limits, decidedly proving, that there is value to human effort. The reader should be prepared to take a downward descent into the deafened echoes of American life.