Steven’s personal life has spanned a broad spectrum of experience and adventure. He has a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Hofstra University, worked in corporate America as a systems analyst, and was a vice-president of Salomon Brothers, He has driven a taxi, written seven books (FREE to read on his website: stevenrosner.com.), and a dozen scholarly papers on topics as diverse as the taxi industry in Raleigh, NC, the Tenant-Landlord Court in NYC, Multiple Sclerosis, and Introduction to Condominiums, produced, directed, and acted in his father’s plays, published short stories, and a lot more.
But it his deeds that define him to friends and acquaintances and place him in a unique category—for example, Steven goes out of his way to help others when he sees they are a victim of injustice. He is not afraid to get involved. His desire is to inspire people to have a bit more integrity and compassion. He took responsibility for his parents care for almost 10 years so they were able to remain in their apartment, and didn’t ship them off to a nursing home, like most people do these days., (Steven’s parents were married for 77 years; both his mother and father died quietly at home in their sleep: His mother: 97; his father: 106.)
Behind the scenes, Steven is a kind and caring person. He is a loving husband, father, and grandfather. And while some people, at first, find his direct manner a bit intimidating, his kindness is real. If you go deeper, you’ll discover his intention is always for the best and his heart is full of compassion. He has a strong sense of integrity and honesty. He will not tell you what you want to hear, but will tell you the truth. His soul abhors deceit, so he is heartsick observing the lack of integrity in our culture.
IAN: Please tell us about your latest book.
Steven Rosner: In The Vulnerability of God (2024) we assert very, very few people truly understand Him. And thus for the almost six thousand years, according to Scripture, that this universe has been in existence,[1] the vast majority of His creatures have treated Him hardly in accordance with His Eminence. Not realizing or caring that He is the Source of their life, God has been abused, disparaged, mocked, ridiculed, derided, defied, disregarded, defamed, scorned—pick a verb—in short, treated with contempt! Or arguably, even worse, God has been totally ignored!
As a result, God has suffered throughout the Millenia—exponentially greater and far longer than any human being—despite billions of people of various religions, sects, and modalities who pray to Him—some on a daily basis—without truly understanding what they are doing—not to mention why they are doing so. As a result, it is fair to state God is basically alone—although forlorn and isolated are better descriptors.
This book, therefore, is written first and foremost for God; to assure Him there are, at least, some who understand His nature, and appreciate His efforts in our behalf; that is, the food we receive, the shelter He provides, the ability to live a fairly long life with its pleasures and blessings, and His greatest gift of all: Free-Will.
The book assumes you, the reader, knows little if anything about God. Not that God is a new concept, but much of what you were taught as a child is pure fiction. Moreover, you almost never think of about Him, His inner emotional life, or care about His well-being. For if religious, you follow the rituals of your culture, but only repeat what was ingrained into you from a very early age, without considering alternatives, or whether, in fact, there is any truth to what you have been taught. Or perhaps you are part of about half-the-world that does not believe in a God as a separate Being; a God Who has emotions, feelings, an altruistic nature, suffers, and is enraged by injustice in the world He created. If so, this book is especially important to at least consider!
Finally, all monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, believe we are here to do God’s Will, while we have yet to meet anyone who conceives God wishes to do our Will! Nor have we met anyone who conceives and desires to make God’s life easier! Rather, we all want something from God, and it never occurs to us to do something for Him—to ease His suffering!
For is God truly unknowable? Quite the opposite! The number of times He reveals Himself in the Old Testament are too numerous to count.
In fact, we know more about God than we do about our own spouse, parents, children, and friends, because God hides nothing from us, but reveals everything about Himself throughout Scripture!
For
thus says the Lord—Who created the Heavens;
Who
formed the Earth and did not create it in vain,
But
Who formed it to be inhabited.
“I
am the Lord, and there is no other.
I
did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness.
I
did not say to the children of Jacob,
‘Seek
Me out in a wasteland’,
But
I, the Lord, Who foretell reliably,
Announced
beforehand what is to come.”[2]
Alas, there has never been a time in history when
the world is so topsy-turvy, that evil is considered good, and good
is considered evil—and that the need to know God has been as crucial.
However, we fully comprehend—as does God—it will take great courage to “break” with your inner “program,” even when our “souls” know that the assertions and speculations from others are totally misguided.
God stands in the gathering of the judiciary.
In their midst, He will pronounce judgment.
How much longer will you judge corruptly,
And decide in favor of the wicked?
Protect the downtrodden and fatherless!
Do justice to the poor and afflicted!
Exonerate the impoverished and the destitute!
Deliver them from the hand of their oppressors!
They do not apprehend; They fail to understand.
They walk about in darkness.
I had said, “You are godlike beings;”
But all of you are sons of the Most High.
You shall die like mortals; And fall as any other
prince.”
Arise, Oh God, and judge the Earth!
And reign over all the nations.[3]
IAN: Is The Vulnerability of God published in print, e-book or both?
Steven Rosner: All my books can be purchased on-line at Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, my publisher Outskirts Press, or ordered at your local book store. A Kindle version is available, as well, at Amazon for 99 cents.
IAN: Where can we go to buy The Vulnerability of God?
Steven Rosner: Outskirtspress.com Amazon.com
IAN: What inspired you to write The Vulnerability of God?
Steven Rosner: In my latter years, to make up for the folly of my youth, I wanted to use whatever time I had left, to try to help make this a better world—if one reader at a time—using the gifts God gave me to inspire others to have a bit more compassion and bit more integrity..
IAN: Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?
Steven Rosner: The Vulnerability of God would be impossible to write without a plan or outline. The concepts are so far removed from what 99 percent of the world assumes about God, it is like learning a new language. The early chapters take the reader step by step through basic ideas, so that he/she can comprehend the assertions and conclusions proclaimed in the last third of the book.
IAN: How long did it take to write The Vulnerability of God?
Steven Rosner: One Year--part time--despite a broken hip, and illness which prevented me from writing for several months.
IAN: Do you have a specific writing style?
Steven Rosner: No!!! Over the course of my life I have written in over 20 genres. Besides my books, I have written novels, short stories, poetry, plays, essays, business articles, user guides, legal briefs, song lyrics, exposés, mysteries, and four unpublished—as yet—Sherlock Holmes pastiches.
IAN: How did you come up with the title?
Steven Rosner: I was telling my cousin about the book and its purpose, but was stifled in finding an appropriate title that reflected both God’s power and sensitivity. Almost immediately, she suggested the title and I knew it was perfect!
IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading The Vulnerability of God?
Steven Rosner: A desire to have a bit more integrity and compassion in their life, and for believers, to feel empathy for God and not be afraid of Him! God is not a Control Freak! Talk to Him in the language you grew up with. He would love to help you achieve what you would like (as long as you do not take short-cuts and scheme against others who get in your way.)
IAN: How much of the The Vulnerability of God is realistic?
Steven Rosner: Every single page!!! Anything I assert does not come from the recesses and speculations of my own mind, but it backed up multiple times via my experience and Scripture.
IAN: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Steven Rosner: Much of what I assert is based upon my own life.
IAN: How is The Vulnerability of God different from others in your genre?
Steven Rosner: It is totally unique! No book asserts or even hits at many of the concepts of God I make explicit!
IAN: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Steven Rosner: God supported me and helped me write every single book. Unlike the vast majority of books which acknowledges anywhere from 2 or 3 to dozens of individuals who helped the author, every single one of my books I wrote alone without any human help!
IAN: Do you see writing as a career?
Steven Rosner: Not at my age, plus I do not make money from my books, but rather write them to inspire as many people as possible to consider their way of life.
IAN: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Steven Rosner: Not a word!
IAN: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Steven Rosner: A combination of guilt and arrogance. When the idea of a unique book project came to me, at first I resisted the tremendous effort it would take for me to write it. But I also thought no one in the world would or could—no matter how brilliant--write what I wished to say, So either I did it or the ideas would die with me.
IAN: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Steven Rosner: Forcing myself to write despite debilitating depression my whole life.
IAN: Do you have to travel much concerning your books?
Steven Rosner: No, but I would love to if anyone who read them wanted me to speak about my books before an audience.
IAN: Who designed the cover?
Steven Rosner: My wife, Audrey. She designed the cover for all my books.
IAN: What was the hardest part of writing The Vulnerability of God?
Steven Rosner: Humans—at least this human—tend to be lazy. The biggest challenge was getting to the computer and writing at 3 AM, even while half-asleep and/or in the throes of a depression. Also, painstaking research was always difficult for me as I tend to be impatient.
IAN: Did you learn anything from writing The Vulnerability of God and what was it?
Steven Rosner: I learned an enormous amount about God, and felt much closer to Him. Sometimes I cried when Scripture described His pain. I also learned my standards of behavior were higher than God’s! So now I am considerably more flexible in what I allow myself permission to do!
IAN: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Steven Rosner: I said this many times and I’ll say it again.
First: Follow the advice of David Westheimer, author of a number of novels, including Van Ryan's Express, which was made into a movie. He said, “You need only do two things to write a novel: put one word after another; do it one day at a time.” This is great advice not only for a novel, but for any book, short story, or essay.
Second: The most important thing in writing is the idea. They are so precious! Don’t lose them! When one or more ideas occur to you—day or night—stop what you are doing and jot it down on anything handy. (Best keep a small pad with you.) Later, when you get to your computer, put it on the last page of your document and write as much about it as you can. As you proceed with the book, you’ll know when and where to add it. At that point, cut it from the back of your manuscript, paste it where necessary, and get it in shape.
Third: When composing, if you are like me—-a bit obsessive—wanting to get the part you are working on perfect, fight that tendency! Every sentence/paragraph you put down does not have to be complete the very first—or second—draft. Trying to make it so, will waste unbelievable time. For example, if you cannot find the exact word or sentence to describe something, use a related word, adding “xx” at the end. Then your “spell check” will pick it “xx” out as many times as necessary, until the best word/description comes to you.
Fourth: Find a good copy editor to make your book literate. No matter how good you are as a writer, or editing works by others, you will miss any number of problems, incorrect usage, spelling, grammar, etc., in your manuscript. And a book that is poorly written, even if the author is brilliant, will turn off readers, reviewers, etc. Since it is very expensive changing a book, tell your editor:
Please do not be afraid of hurting my feelings. Any suggestion, however, trivial is not only welcome, it is your job! I have no ego invested in how I express myself! Even the suggested removal or addition of a comma will be greatly appreciated! If you don’t find 75-100 problems in my manuscript, I’d be shocked.
Fifth: Believe in yourself and your work! Literacy aside, writing is extremely subjective. No one has the right or wisdom to tell you, that overall, your book is of poor quality, or “you’ll never amount to much as a writer.” Any suggestions about improving your book should be specific and tactful, such as, “I believe there are inconsistencies in the plot,” or “You might want to double-check your sources for what you state on page 93.”
Anyone daring to criticize you personally is an imbecile. He/she could be the chair of the English Department at Harvard which, alas, is unfortunate for those majoring in that subject matter.
Sixth: The hardest task is to write from your heart! Do not try to figure out what your readers and/or the publisher expects. It is your work, not theirs! It is not only a waste of time, but readers will sense when you aren’t committed to what you are stating, and be turned off. Writing a book is to express oneself, not to make a million dollars. If you want to make money, get a job on Wall Street!
Seventh: So-called “Writers Block (WB)” is completely fiction! Don’t spend thousands for therapists who supposedly will help your overcome it. If you get to a point, where the ideas stop, your mind is muddled, and you can’t seem to write anything, don’t beat yourself up and spend hours trying to get through it. Play golf, go bowling or dancing, see a movie, or go to a Bach concert . . . get away from your book for a couple of days. Your creativity will return when you least expect it.
You see, Writer’s Block is actually a blessing—not a curse. It is an early-warning system; a safety valve; like the overflow tube in car radiators. It is your soul knowing and informing your ego that what you are planning to write is not worthwhile, and not part of who you are. WB prevents you from writing that which is not from your heart and which you will regret if it were published! If you try to force yourself to write, whatever you put down will be of little value. Again, get away from your book; a day or two; a week or even longer. When you return you will have clarity and the words will flow off your pen!
IAN: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Steven Rosner: Whatever your faith, culture or ethnicity, try to become a little more compassionate, look for opportunities to be kind, and resist selling out your integrity. Don’t use the excuse “everyone does it”—and consider that God knows everything you do and everything you think.
Always keep in mind all you do will come back to you. Whenever you go out of your way for another, God will go out of his way for you!
And if you find my books worthwhile, please tell your friends. I determine the list price which I make as inexpensive as possible. My royalty for each book averages less than 60 cents, so it is not about making money, but inspiring as many people as I can to be better humans.
IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?
Steven Rosner: I am taking a short respite. Having published 1 book and 2 papers in 2024, I am concentrating on marketing all my books, and perhaps even finding a literary agent to help me.
