Ivan Jenson is a published novelist and a widely published poet who is enjoying burgeoning critical, commercial, and literary success. His debut novel, Dead Artist, which "delves into the world of New York City and explores issues of art and soul," is published by Hen House Press New York as an eBook for the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook and as a paperback on Amazon. His second novel, Seeing Soriah, “a riveting story of thrills, revenge, obsession, and redemption” is a psychological thriller that is a fast-paced, "thoughtful novel about art, artists, and the world they occupy." Ivan Jenson's new book of poems, "Media Child and Other Poems" will be published by Hen House Press, New York in 2014. Go to the above links to learn more about Ivan Jenson: pop artist icon, published novelist, prolific and widely published poet and screenwriter. And enjoy!
Ivan Jenson's psychological thriller "Seeing Soriah" is the story of Jordan, an art dealer, who represents his eighty-year old father, a distinguished abstract painter with a violent past. The book begins when Jordan's father, on the cusp of his career spanning retrospective begins to see a beautiful young woman about town who has an uncanny resemblance to his late wife, a woman murdered over 50 years ago. The mystery unfolds as this stranger insinuates herself into Jordan's life, and slowly turns it upside down. Both a thriller and a story of individual redemptions, "Seeing Soriah" is sure to chill as well as fascinate those looking to get lost in a labyrinth of terror and intrigue.
Worthy of Kafka, November 21, 2012 By Mark MattisonThis review is from: Seeing Soriah (Paperback) Ivan Jenson's new psychosexual thriller, SeeingSoriah, is a delightfully suspenseful read -- I couldn't put it down (literally) until the shocking end. What begins as a curious mystery for art dealer Jordan (is his father's long-deceased ex-wife really being glimpsed around town?) quickly sucks him into a twisted tale of intrigue whose dark turns spiral out of control into a surreal but satisfying conclusion worthy of Kafka.
The lyrical prose of poet and artist Ivan Jenson's narrative is multi-layered and compelling. This is the kind of story one expects in a David Lynch film -- highly recommended!
Pop artist Milo Sonas was a New York City art world star in the 80s and 90s. After 9/11, a nervous breakdown and years of obscurity, Milo finds himself sheltered in a government subsidized motel room in the Midwest. In the afternoons, he wanders the streets, haunts coffee shops and frequents shopping malls. He also experiences frequent supernatural visits from famous dead artists. When Milo is suddenly rediscovered by a former collector, his fortunes shift and his reemergence from obscurity is underway. However, first he must deal with his highly eccentric family members, and plan both his dying mother’s funeral (that she intends to attend) and his own wedding to a University coed, all in the same afternoon. Will Milo escape the drone of suburbia, and stop fearing that art history would rather see him dead, before he is allowed to feel, touch and taste success? Ivan Jenson’s tour de force, written with a unique new voice, will also please those familiar with Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Philip José Farmer. Readers will be taken on a hilarious, sensual, heartfelt ride. Dead Artist features riotous stream-of-consciousness and time shifting literary riffs. In this high energy novel Pop art icon, poet and author Ivan Jenson creates a vivid portrait of an artist as a post-modern man.
The protagonist is Milo Sonas, a painter once successful in New York. Following the decline of his fortunes, 9/11, and a nervous breakdown, Milo now lives close to family in a small Midwestern town. His career may soon revive, his mother is dying, his family gathers, an old girlfriend turns up, and Milo is visited by the ghosts of Picasso and Van Gogh.
The portrayal of Milo's family is particularly strong: they are fully-formed, fully-believable characters, simultaneously infuriating, hilarious, loving and suffocating. Picasso and Van Gogh act as a sort of comic chorus, whose (real) deaths find their counterpart in Milo's cryogenic half-life. But Milo may be on the verge of resurrection. . . .
This wonderfully funny novel is about ambition, family, hope, love and loss. The author's prose is controlled, effective and engaging. Mr. Jenson deserves a wide readership, and I hope that we readers will see many more novels from this talented author.
Vonny and his friends were physically and emotionally scarred for life at the hands of a psychopath during a long, deranged weekend when they were teenagers. They never fully disclosed the details. Some things are too horrifying to share. It's now 30 years later and the psychopath is being released from prison, leaving the friends with an important decision to make. Do they carry out the act of revenge they have been planning all these years, or do they try an experimental drug that promises to replace their traumatic memories with harmless ones?
Some people you love to hate. Some people you hate to love. Alex fell in the second category. He was thirty-six years old and never had a job, and he didn't want one. He got by with his brother's financial support. He was a dreamer without a particular dream. He wanted money, fame, and power, and he wanted someone else to give it to him. Alex was a loser, but he had a sense of humor that made him quite irresistible to others. He spun his odd, misguided views of the world with such excitement and cunning wordplay that people couldn't help but root for him to find the success he did nothing to get. Maybe Alex was spoiled. Maybe he was mentally ill. Maybe he was a genius. One thing for sure was that he wasn't immune to the challenges of life. Out of pure desperation, Alex finally set out to accomplish something. He set out to market Mia, a beautiful, untalented Swedish blonde.
Take Stock in Marketing Mia by Maylan Jones on August 17, 2015 Verified Purchase Alex Glassman, the main character in Ivan Jenson's terrific novel, Marketing Mia, is a modern day idea's man. He long's for instant fame, success and money, but doesn't want to work hard for it. He would like all the good things to just fall in his lap. When he suddenly meets Mia, a beautiful girl from Sweden, Alex thinks he has found a way to make all his dreams come true. Centered in this age of reality TV, the Kardashians, you-tube videos, 24 hour news channels and celebrity worship, Marketing Mia, is a harsh critique of today's pop culture. It is also a modern day love story, with a secondary cast of funny, wild, and intriguing players. Mr. Jenson has written a book that's crazy, hilarious, touching and insightful. Take stock, Hollywood will soon be Marketing Mia. You should read this book before you see it on the big screen.
Worthy of Kafka, November 21, 2012 By 
