Ivan Prashker's “Feel Want, Taste Grief, Need Friends” will be presented as part of The Maple Staple's nonfiction selection at Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, taking place October 7 to 11 at Messe Frankfurt. Copies of the book will be distributed throughout the five-day event at Hall 5.1, Stand D86.
Structured as a collection of standalone stories, the book is arranged across five sections: The Seminal Fifties, Home, Sweet Home, Men Of Letters, The Last Hundred Yards, and One More, On The House. Together, they all draw from experiences, memories, and different stages of Prashker's life, revisiting childhood, family, friendships, military experiences, writing, marriage, aging, and loss. Set largely in twentieth-century New York, the collection also considers Jewish identity, prejudice, memory, and the ways historical events can remain part of personal lives.
The stories range from recollections of old friendships and family relationships to memories preserved in letters, photographs, books, military records, and other personal keepsakes. Everyday experiences, including a beloved dog, a birthday celebration, a telephone call, or an encounter with an old acquaintance, become opportunities for Prashker to revisit people and moments that have remained significant over the years.
IndieReader reviewer Megan Parker describes the collection as a depiction of friendship and aging shaped by humor, moral complexity, and remembrance. That combination becomes increasingly personal as the book progresses, particularly in stories involving Prashker's sister Arlene, longtime friends, and his wife Elaine.
In “Fail Better,” Prashker writes from the perspective of himself at eighty-nine, establishing three priorities for his remaining years: helping Elaine, writing better stories, and sustaining friendships with trusted old friends. The collection concludes with “The Eulogy,” his reflection on Elaine and their fifty-year marriage, bringing the book's recurring themes of love, memory, and mortality into its final pages.
At Frankfurt, “Feel Want, Taste Grief, Need Friends” will be available at The Maple Staple's Stand D86, where visitors can encounter Prashker's personal collection alongside books spanning numerous genres and subjects.
Further information is available through TMS' Frankfurt Connect Profile and its dedicated Frankfurt Book Fair 2026 showcase. The book is also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other leading global book retailers.
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At The Maple Staple, books come alive beyond mere pages. It's more than a bookstore—it's a community hub for book enthusiasts and budding authors. Celebrating diversity, they curate books from up-and-coming independent writers, and offer a platform to underrepresented voices. With captivating events and book clubs in the heart of Toronto, they foster a vibrant literary community, igniting inspiration and transformation through the enchanting power of words.
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