BOOK DESCRIPTION
After enduring a panic attack which left the author attached to breathing machines around foreign doctors, the bisexual-themed Panorama—The Missing Chapter of Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son, expands on the author’s experiences working and living abroad in Seoul, South Korea.
After a friendship ignites and morphs into a curious tale of parallel souls with a Brazilian-American soldier serving in the U.S. military, Panorama reflects on the author’s contemplations to return to a crumbling family life in Los Angeles or to endure his life in Seoul for an end-of-contract cash payout, until things take an unexpected turn.
In Panorama, the author broadens his stance on the importance of moments spotlighting isolation and exposing the perks and ailments of escapism. With precise prose and a thought-provoking storyline that covers eating live octopus, philosophical debates about the gender of God, and pregnancy—Panorama stands tall as a connected yet separate story. Panorama puts biphobia under a microscope exposing multifaceted discrimination bi identifying people face, with consideration to the author's cultural intersections of race, sexuality, and gender.
Using the death of his father and brother as the linchpin to personal development, the author reframes pain and loss into resilience and personal achievement. He provides a template for readers to harness their story regardless of the intersections they hold, and to use their story as a source of self-empowerment.
The author reminds readers that as daunting as the vicissitudes of life, and no matter the view from the cockpit of life, the human spirit cannot, and should not, be restrained in loss or passion, and while truth may be the bitterest pill of them all, the effects of truth can bring us closer to an unbroken life.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
African American Literature Book Club, Robert Fleming
"With unadorned, bold language, and unafraid to show emotional damage to his heart and life, Ross moves from one shattering episode to the next. Urgent, courageous words from a Black man confronting sexual orientation, guilt, cultural prejudice, and gender bias. It takes a lot to stand up."
William E. Burleson, Author of Bi America - Myths, Truths, and Struggles of an Invisible Community
"From South Korea to L.A. to São Paulo by way of New York, Ross Victory’s genre-busting novella challenges all assumptions about culture, race, and bisexuality. Complicated, and not at all conventional—Victory presents us with no easy answers."
Literary Titans, Awarded Silver (star reviewed - 4 stars)
“Remarkable. The stunning writing is what sets this book apart! Victory has a talent for taking life events and turning them into a page-turning work of art. A true story of love, loss, and finding one’s true self, Victory touches on sensitive topics with truth and grace; male bisexuality, toxic masculinity, and trauma. Victory discusses in-depth topics on a social-political level, while still captivating you with his writing. Quick but informative, there is personal growth to be found among the pages. Thought-provoking and engaging.”
Indiereader.com
"Panorama: The Missing Chapter catches the reader up in a whirlwind of sensual sensations and situations. Victory doesn’t downplay his experiences, writing in a way that invites readers to voyeuristically participate in his musings of sexual identity, race, and hypocrisy."
Manhattan Book Review, Kristi Elizabeth
"Panorama is an exquisite autobiographical account of the author’s bisexual experience that starts on a trip to Korea. This, followed by a deep analysis covering sexuality, relationships, and prejudices, exhibits the author’s self-awareness of the world around him and how we are all connected to one another. A spiritual book that will spark topics of conversation one after another, Panorama: The Missing Chapter is an eye-opening look into the world we live in."
Dr. Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Ph.D., Cornell University, Author of “Mostly Straight: Sexual Fluidity among Men”
"In this small book are two masterpieces, a riveting remembrance of several life-altering experiences and relationships the author began in Seoul, South Korea, and an essay, let's call it part tirade, part profound reflection on our view of men, masculinity, sexuality, and romance. You cannot stop until finished because there is no midway, no stopping point as you become a part of his world. After nearly every sentence you scream with or at his observations either with critical reflections or ecstasy. Ross has his pulse on his generation and the most precarious issues confronting sexuality and romance." Read the full expert review
Dr. Kristie Overstreet Ph.D., LPCC, CST, Host of Fix Yourself First Podcast
"Ross's exploration of sexuality and spirituality is a breath of fresh air in a world full of oppression and discrimination. His writing will have you on the edge of your seat anticipating what comes next. His courage and vulnerability come across on every page, which challenges you to explore your own."
"Panorama is a soul-baring look at how one man reckons with identity and healing past wounds...Victory’s positioning of his bisexuality within the larger story arc is a needed reminder that hypermasculinity and biphobia do more than just oppress people who are on the receiving end of it; they develop a form of spiritual death. I often found myself wanting to shake the author back to reality. The fundamental question the book wants us to answer: “where do we find love?” and its companion, “what do we do with it once we’ve found it?”
Jodie Shea, LMFT , Relationship, Sex & IFS Therapist, Pillow Talk Therapy
"Ross provides an enlightened new view of sexuality that transcends the physical body. He shares his personal experiences with the struggles of being a Black bisexual male, dating across cultural lines personally and geographically, and the biases within the LGBT community as a whole. Ross' voice is one that is gravely needed to normalize these experiences and push the newer generations into a more progressive future."
