Tentative Book Cover for "A Forgotten Man in a Forgotten Land" by Jason Medina.
A Forgotten Man In A Forgotten Land
I was inspired to write this story, after visiting the abandoned Kings Park Psychiatric Center (KPPC) in 2007 and seeing the abandoned buildings in person. Something came over me and an intense fascination grew into a small obsession. I had to learn more about the buildings. I had to see as many as possible. I eventually wanted to make a story that would take place at the hospital and this story was born on October 10, 2009.
The story is basically about a man with no memory of his identity or his past. He awakens on the shore of the Long Island Sound and walks until he finds himself at the abandoned KPPC. As the story, gradually progresses his memories begin to return taking him and the reader on a journey through his life, which will include remembering the romance of his first love and his experiences during the Vietnam War. In the process of sorting out his past, he ultimately realizes that he was a patient at the hospital.
The main character's personality is loosely based on my own. Some of his experiences were taken from my own and altered to the point, where they became completely new experiences. I suppose one could say he is who I would be in his position, after living his life.
I've included two additional characters that he will encounter, who were based on former patients. Both characters are female and derive from ghost stories I've heard. The first is Amanda, a young girl, who was committed to the hospital for attempting suicide. The other female is based on the urban legend of Mary Hatchet, who was rumored to have been a patient in at least one version of her ever-changing tale.
As a result I ultimately created two separate stories that explore the backgrounds of these two extra characters. These bonus stories are fictional, as I have no way of verifying if these women ever actually existed. The stories were just my way of giving them some character and making them believable. I decided to put those stories before this one in my first book, "No Hope for the Hopeless at Kings Park," because this story actually provides you with a better conclusion for all three stories. It was also suggested by my mother, after she read all three. I can't let my mother down, can I?
While writing this book, I felt the need to learn more about the KPPC, so that I could tell the tale properly and make it as believable as possible. It was due to my research for this book that I decided to write a documentary-style historical account of the hospital. Thus, "KPPC: A Journey Through History," which is probably the biggest project I've ever undergone was created. It was because of my research for this project that I was able to tell the three stories in my first book with precise accuracy and descriptive detail.
Below are images that can be used to help give the reader a better idea of what they are reading about in the story. Many of the images below are of exact locations described in the story. I used the younger images of a lovely actress named Andrea Joy Cook when I described the character of Judith, so in essence she is exactly what Judith looks like in the story. I hope she doesn't mind. It was meant as a compliment to her beauty.
In the story, I've also included the real life character of King Pedlar, who is based on an actual former hospital employee, as well as being a dear friend of mine. The reason for this was to add a unique touch of realism to the story, as well as giving me a way to pay a special tribute to one of the most knowledgeable and generous historians I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you, King.
The story is basically about a man with no memory of his identity or his past. He awakens on the shore of the Long Island Sound and walks until he finds himself at the abandoned KPPC. As the story, gradually progresses his memories begin to return taking him and the reader on a journey through his life, which will include remembering the romance of his first love and his experiences during the Vietnam War. In the process of sorting out his past, he ultimately realizes that he was a patient at the hospital.
The main character's personality is loosely based on my own. Some of his experiences were taken from my own and altered to the point, where they became completely new experiences. I suppose one could say he is who I would be in his position, after living his life.
I've included two additional characters that he will encounter, who were based on former patients. Both characters are female and derive from ghost stories I've heard. The first is Amanda, a young girl, who was committed to the hospital for attempting suicide. The other female is based on the urban legend of Mary Hatchet, who was rumored to have been a patient in at least one version of her ever-changing tale.
As a result I ultimately created two separate stories that explore the backgrounds of these two extra characters. These bonus stories are fictional, as I have no way of verifying if these women ever actually existed. The stories were just my way of giving them some character and making them believable. I decided to put those stories before this one in my first book, "No Hope for the Hopeless at Kings Park," because this story actually provides you with a better conclusion for all three stories. It was also suggested by my mother, after she read all three. I can't let my mother down, can I?
While writing this book, I felt the need to learn more about the KPPC, so that I could tell the tale properly and make it as believable as possible. It was due to my research for this book that I decided to write a documentary-style historical account of the hospital. Thus, "KPPC: A Journey Through History," which is probably the biggest project I've ever undergone was created. It was because of my research for this project that I was able to tell the three stories in my first book with precise accuracy and descriptive detail.
Below are images that can be used to help give the reader a better idea of what they are reading about in the story. Many of the images below are of exact locations described in the story. I used the younger images of a lovely actress named Andrea Joy Cook when I described the character of Judith, so in essence she is exactly what Judith looks like in the story. I hope she doesn't mind. It was meant as a compliment to her beauty.
In the story, I've also included the real life character of King Pedlar, who is based on an actual former hospital employee, as well as being a dear friend of mine. The reason for this was to add a unique touch of realism to the story, as well as giving me a way to pay a special tribute to one of the most knowledgeable and generous historians I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you, King.
AN EXCERPT FROM THE STORY...
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