Lenny Beibel, a wannabe journalist, travels to an international environmental conference in rural Vermont, in search of a story that will put him in the big leagues. He sure needs one.
There he meets Rachel Seagrave, EarthKare visionary founder. Rachel and her team of bumbling colleagues still cling to the hope that Nobel winner Al Gore will appear in time to inspire the faithful. But time is running short.
Waiting in the wings is self-help guru Henry "On Your" Marks. Henry is the slick purveyor of JogThink, a self-help philosophy popular at business and sales conventions. How it could pertain to the environmental crisis is far from clear to Rachel and her comrades. But Henry is not one to give up easily. Renown for Creating Your Own Finish Line, he sprints onto the scene, determined to convince Rachel he is worthy of this gig, and worthy of her.
But what's that, up in the sky? An endangered species bird thought to be extinct is sighted flitting around where the conference will be held.
With a mad stampede of birders, a missing ex-Vice President, and a keynote speaker who may or may not be a fraud, Beibel's got his story. It's just not the story that anyone planned on.
Waiting for Al Gore is a fish-out-water drama that blends the urgencies of environmental activism with the folly of self-help bombast, featuring an ensemble cast worthy of a Wes Anderson film.
What people are saying:
"Waiting For Al Gore is an object lesson about the importance of trying, no matter how bumbling the attempt, to get something done to help turn the climate crisis around. The results might not be perfect, but there will be results, and every little thing, including some jogging, will help move the cause ahead."? EcoLit Books
"It's a rare bird of a novelist who can simultaneously satirize and celebrate a social movement. Bob Katz is offering precisely what we depressed environmentalists need: a send-up of our ridiculousness (we can be pretty ridiculous) and a reminder that what really matters is embracing life, in all its diverse forms, and all its wonderful absurdity."
?Aaron Sachs, author of Stay Cool: Why Dark Comedy Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change
"Will Al Gore actually appear at the no-frills summit of a fledgling, dysfunctional environmental group? Indeed, will anyone show up? These are two of the mysteries that sustain Bob Katz' entertaining tale of a band of wanna-be's and never-been's eager to change the world, and their lives."
?Sean B. Carroll, author of A Series of Fortunate Events and The Serengeti Rules
"A breezily entertaining and warm-hearted sendup of the inconvenient truths of green politics and participatory journalism. Lenny Beibel, Henry Marks, and the rest of Bob Katz's not-so-merry band of EarthKare activists make for delightful and delightfully infuriating company."
?Adam Langer, bestselling author of Crossing California, The Thieves of Manhattan, and Cyclorama
"You would think it'd be hard to weave the environmental movement, hucksterism, sex, media, jogging, and an extinct(?) bird into a compelling novel... and you would be right. But Bob Katz pulls it off with aplomb, and he delivers plenty of wry humor along the way. 'Waiting for Al Gore' is a fun (and funny) read that hums along, with twists and turns every step of the way."
?Mark Remy, author of The Runner's Rule Book and creator of DumbRunner.com
