About Pavane Ravel

“I grew up in conservative Catholic home. My father was a politician involved in the ‘moral majority,’ which sought to criminalize gays and destroy women’s reproductive rights. As a child, I didn’t know better. But eventually, I had my own revelation about what I believed. I found extreme conservatism to be narrow-minded and authoritarian. Its policies inflicted the worst kind of misery. I noted the hypocrisy and deceit. All of it changed me.

Growing up, I closely observed the viciousness of conservatives. I saw that they didn’t care about living children, so long as they could force a woman to have a child. And after that child was born, it was a ‘moocher’ if the mother needed government support in feeding that child.

I watched Ronald Reagan throw the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the streets. People who needed food stamps and supplemental family aid were called ‘welfare queens.’ The American way was to ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps.’

I have watched the decimation and underfunding of public education. As a result, much of America is no longer well educated.

I have lived through the Recession of 2008, where approximately half the country lost their homes and savings.

I have observed the current crisis of rising rents, resulting in a horrific increase in homelessness. All of this relates to the conservative fiscal policies of ‘trickle down economics’ which have never worked.

Then, in 2010, the Supreme Court ruled for Citizens United, essentially allowing corporations to become people. (The only dissenting opinion came from Associate Justice John Paul Stevens who argued this ruling represented ‘a rejection of the common sense of the American people who recognize the need to prevent corporations from undermining self-government.’) And of course, this ruling DID allow the billionaire donor class to buy the government through dark super-pac donations. As was feared, the Citizens United ruling boosted the electoral success of Republican candidates. But that was the sole purpose.

And as was feared, over time, conservative policies funneled the money upward from the middle class until a handful of billionaires own more than 60% of the world’s wealth. I feel this is awful and morally wrong.

I am neither an economist nor a political scientist – although I studied political science in University and ultimately became a commodities broker reporting on the technical nature of economics and the impact on the domestic markets. 

As a progressive, I have been frustrated over conservative policies that help the ultra-wealthy, but not the people. I have watched homelessness rise under Trump. And thus began the kernel of my idea for The Other Shoes of Larry Martin. I never dreamed it would turn into a series, but now, I am on Book Five. I do try to illuminate some things in these books — that kindness can change the world, toxic masculinity is not the answer, and governmental policies can be used for good or ill. And, of course, more.

Book One begins the contemporary story of a young man who faces his failings and must change and grow in order to succeed. I hope you will join me on his journey of learning, discovery and a transition to a better path.”