Persons of Interest by Mark Fleisher

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MWSA Review

Mark Fleisher's Persons of Interest offers appealing autobiographical stories interspersed with poems that provide thoughtful moments of reflection on the author's past experiences growing up in Brooklyn, going to college in the Midwest, and working as a combat journalist in Vietnam. There are a number of memorable characters in the stories ("persons of interest"), including Mrs. Narinsky, a neighbor who yelled at young Fleisher and his friends to "Stop making such noise, you nogoodnicks. If you don't I'll pour hot water on you", and Baby Blue, the author's second car bought on his return from Vietnam, a 1968 Pontiac LeMans which soon began spilling pools of rust-colored liquid then spewing flames reminiscent of Puff the Magic Dragon, the Air Force AC-47 that bombed enemy forces in South Vietnam.

But the most interesting and appealing character is the author himself, the narrator with his wry humor, evident even in troubled times. For example, when Fleisher is struggling with PTSD and is offered hypnosis, he gamely thinks, "Why not?" and is then able to laugh at his first conversation with his comrade Rick, later killed in action in front of Fleisher (and perhaps the most crucial reason for Fleisher's PTSD): after Rick had mentioned that he was Mormon and had never met a Jewish person before, Fleisher counters with, "Well, Rick, I've never met a Mormon."

Of the 13 stories and 13 poems in the collection, most—according to the author—are autobiographical, but others are fictional. The protagonist and his experiences seem to be the same throughout, but the other characters are fictionalized, and it is difficult sometimes to tell who is a real-life character and who is fictional. But on the whole, the collection presents a companionable glimpse into the mind and heart of a fellow traveler on this up-and-down road of life.

Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (March 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

Persons of Interest is a law enforcement term to describe someone who is involved in an incident, not yet a suspect but may become one. In Mark Fleisher’s work entitled Persons of Interest, he investigates, follows up clues and names names. Fleisher, who enjoys dabbling in the kitchen of his Albuquerque homecooks up a Baker’s Dozen each of poems and stories, fiction and nonfiction alike. The menu ranges from tales of his childhood, through college days and Air Force experiences to more contemporary times.

From a misbehaving car to a scary plane ride to his first paying job Fleisher weaves his way through wistful and humorous tales as well as portrayals of loss and grief, all reflecting the author’s ability to give readers a buffet of emotions. The poems found in Persons of Interest often relate directly or indirectly to the stories told.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Other—Anthology/Collection

Number of Pages: 115

Word Count: 22,000