The Violin Diary

The Violin Diary is a tragic romance novel by American author Eric M. Norcross. The novel chronicles the story of Ezzie, his obsession with a woman and the city in which he lives. The novel is told in the first person with a prose-like narrative and a seemingly honest attention to detail.

Summary
The story begins on New Years Eve, in Times Square, New York City. Ezzie introduces himself as a New York City transplant and talks a bit his feelings towards the city. The story quickly progresses when Ezzie meets Carmen, a Colombian national working in New York as she researches her options for attending art school. The two quickly forge an awkward and often intriguing relationship. The tension thickens when Carmen ultimately decides to attend a school in Europe and possibly leave Ezzie in the city, alone once again.

The publisher's description is actually an excerpt from a previously published review by Shane Pitkin Barden. The excerpt of the review & description reads:

"The Violin Diary relates two love affairs - one with a woman, one with New York. Both seem to mirror the author’s perception of The City, that “Life in New York always seemed to be moving back and forth, up and down - up and down, back and forth like violin notes; notes that are impressively changing and always dramatic.” Perhaps what is most memorable about this story are the thoughts Norcross poses and then ponders. And there are myriad statements that gave me pause when I read them; some because they are concise gems, others because they document simple gestures that hint of epic proportion when I tilted my perception ever so slightly. While The Violin Diary, on the surface, is a compilation of memories, it is really about one’s heart: where it starts, where it ends, and everything in between. It’s the journey - the everything in between - that matters most because it is what truly defines us."

The Full Review reads as follows:

''"The Violin Diary relates a love affair; two love affairs, actually - one with a woman, one with New York. Both seem to mirror the author's perception of The City, that "Life in New York always seemed to be moving back and forth, up and down - up and down, back and forth like violin notes; notes that are impressively changing and always dramatic."

The Violin Diary is a symphony, with a multitude of movements - composed with logic and delivered with emotion. Music has mathematical patterns so it is logical. But music is also emotional, so it defies logic. Music has holes into which we tend to slip memories. Hearing the music starts the playback of those memories - back and forth, up and down... up and down, back and forth... The Violin Diary is a soundtrack of memories, and a marker for the first time a young man felt comfortable in his own skin.

Perhaps what is most memorable about this story are the thoughts Norcross poses and then ponders. And there are myriad statements that gave me pause when I read them; some because they are concise gems, others because they document simple gestures that hint of epic proportion when I tilted my perception ever so slightly.

While The Violin Diary, on the surface, is a compilation of memories, it is really about one's heart: where it starts, where it ends, and everything in between. It's the journey - the everything in between - that matters most because it is what truly defines us."'' -SPB

Major characters

 * Ezzie - A young, mid-twenties artist and the narrator of the story. Ezzie fancies himself a New England native and a true New Yorker.
 * Carmen - A young, mid-twenties artist from Colombia whom is in New York City as she looks into different schools to attend.

Minor characters

 * Carmen's Brother - A character that never gets an actual name in the story, Ezzie discusses him with very little detail.
 * Jao - A Spain|Spanish native attending school in Munich, Germany and one of Carmen's closest allies.
 * Max - A German native attending school in Munich, whom has an obsession with Carmen. Ezzie jokingly marks him as his archenemy in the narrative of the story.
 * Everton - An African American Security Guard at the "Crossroads" establishment that coaches Ezzie on what to do about his love life. Everton is also considered the comic relief character and manages to see the world from "outside the box."

Setting & Locations
The Violin Diary includes many well known locations, including the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, which the author has renamed the Crossroads Megastore. This aspect of the novel is the primary driver that has created the book's "retail following", making it popular among personnel in the retail industry. Other famous locations include:

New York City Locations

 * Battery Park
 * St. George, Staten Island|St. George Terminal
 * Bedford-Stuyvesant
 * Central Park
 * Lincoln Center

Munich, Germany Locations

 * Berchtesgadener
 * Marienplatz
 * Isar
 * BavariaFilmPlatz
 * Bavaria Film Studios
 * Wettersteinplatz

Artwork & Imagery
The center of the publication includes photographs taken by the author during the period when many of the experiences he wrote about actually occurred. The photographs depict New York City New York Scenery and images taken of Munich.

The cover is a compilation of two images: a watercolor painting the author created while in Munich in July, 2006 and a black and white photograph he took of Manhattan from the George Washington Bridge. The rear cover is also two separate images: a photograph of Munich taken from Peterskirche in Munich, and a picture of the sun rising over the Atlantic, which the author took from an airplane on his way to Europe.