"I started reading this book, taking it as a straight forward mystery with a little romance--but I soon discovered it was so much more. This is a witty, thoughtfully written satire. I found myself laughing out loud at the outrageousness of some of the characters. (Won't spoil the fun by saying who.) The story succeeds on multiple levels, entertaining while imparting a little wisdom now and again. Love the academic world setting. I'll be looking for more from this author."

--Kathryn Johnson, author of The Gentleman Poet

"Violations of Causality is a madcap romantic comedy masquerading as a mystery/suspense novel, with healthy doses of science fiction tossed in for good measure. Skip Gershwin is a complex figure, at times devious, at times haplessly naive, groping his way through academia. Along the way he encounters a bizarre cast of characters, becoming ever more deeply entangled in a web of synchronicity. The end is sweetly satisfying. You should read this book. You will be glad you did."

--Luther Jett, author of Not Quite: Poems Written in Search of My Father

"Causality is . . . a rollicking and sexy madcap adventure, clever and funny, and brilliantly written and paced."

--Terence Kuch, author of See/Saw, Try Try Again, and Everything Wants to Happen

"In this book, five different genres--science fiction, academic satire, historical novel (1980 in Washington, DC), Bildungsroman, and something damn near a love story--confront each other with guns drawn. As an academic satire, it ranks with those of Randall Jarrell and David Lodge. As sci-fi, it offers us a delightful alien artist, who may in fact be a product of his own work. The protagonist is recognizably the hapless earnest figure one loves in Herb Guggenheim's poetry, but here he is given greater range. The plot, apparently chaotic, holds neatly together. A delightful read."

--Frederick Pollack, author of The Adventure, Happiness, and A Poverty of Words

From the back cover: Herb Guggenheim is intimately acquainted with the sleazy back alleys of the poetry underworld. His two previous books [both poetry] are SUNSET AT THE HOTEL MIRA MAR and STRANGE ENCOUNTER AT THE SHAKESPEARE MOTEL. He wrote VIOLATIONS OF CAUSALITY at an all-night diner in Rockville, Maryland.

From the interior of the book: Herb Guggenheim was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. His work [poetry and fiction] has appeared in the BELOIT POETRY JOURNAL, POETRY QUARTERLY, THE FLORIDA REVIEW, and many other magazines both on- and offline. He is the author of two previous books [both poetry] SUNSET AT THE HOTEL MIRA MAR: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS (Infinity Publishing, 2011) and STRANGE ENCOUNTER AT THE SHAKESPEARE MOTEL (Finishing Line Press, 2015). Mr. Guggenheim has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a Best of the Net award. He and his wife make their home in Rockville, Maryland.

Additional fact: Herb studied poetry writing with Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Taylor and fiction writing with award-winning novelists John Barth (National Book Award) and Frederick Barthelme (PEN/Faulkner nominee).