Charlotte author Alexander A. Anderson, standing next to cover art for his book, "A Caper in Fabel." (Photo courtesy of the author.)

At first glance, the cartoon-like characters on the cover of the book “A Caper in Fabel” could cause one to dismiss it as simply being a children’s story, but it’s so much more than that.

Author Alexander A. Anderson says that although the 153-page mystery tale is popular among young adults, he wrote it for all ages to enjoy.

“A Caper in Fabel” takes place in a Shrek-like world, in which Anderson manages to weave characters such as Little Miss Muffet, Old King Cole and the Ugly Duckling in with allegories mirroring the experiences of Hurricane Katrina victims and the exodus of Native Americans during the Trail of Tears.

He likens the book to “Animal Farm” — which mature readers recognize as a story about concepts such as socialism. And so it is with “A Caper in Fabel.” The book, chronicling Detective Nathaniel Spade's efforts to solve the mystery of Humpty Dumpty’s great fall, contains hidden themes and parallels to American society past and present.

When he’s not using his imagination to conjure up fictitious stories, Anderson spends much of his time telling his own real-life story and sharing the tale of how his novel came to be.

Along with the book’s illustrator, James Allan Ball (who is also Anderson’s cousin and owner of the Orlando-based graphics marketing firm JAB Graphics LLC), Anderson tours local schools and speaks with students about pursuing their dreams and the importance of education.

His message is simple.

“Do what you like,” he says. “Follow your dreams, but at the same time, remember you’ve got to pay bills. And if you’re going to have a family or anything like that, you are going to need to have some kind of steady work.”

It is a lesson he learned at an early age from his mother, who after noticing her son’s passion for music (he plays piano and guitar) and writing, issued him a stern warning.

“Growing up, my mom always told me ‘don’t be a starving artist,’” says Anderson. “All I wanted to do was write comic books and play music. My mom was like that’s good. Play your guitar and do your writing, but … don’t be on the street corner with your guitar case out asking for dollars.”

Following his mother’s advice, Anderson graduated nursing school and is now employed with Carolinas Healthcare System as a registered nurse. For him, education was a means to an end. It was a way for him to fund his true aspirations — expressing himself through art — without having to having to visit a soup kitchen.

“It’s so funny that there are so many starving artists out there when society is basically run by art,” he says. “Think about what you do for fun … If you are not working, you are enjoying some form of art … [Yet], it’s hard for artists to make a living doing their art … I went to nursing school so that I could fund my art, but some people can’t.”

For more information about the book or Anderson, visit www.ACaperInFabel.com.

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Editor's Note: This article was created as part of the Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance, a consortium of local media dedicated to writing about the arts scene.

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