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Plant High sophomore with Tourette's will share his books at the Times Festival of Reading
Divya Kumar, King High
Asher Edelson and his Adventureland series.
[COLLEEN CAMBIER | Berkeley Prep]

Asher Edelson has written two books so far. He also is a high school band percussionist.

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Asher Edelson laughs at writer's block. He can; he already is the author of two books.

"I have a pretty easy time writing," he says.

With the same confidence he uses against that common enemy of creativity, the H.B. Plant High sophomore overcomes another challenge: Tourette's syndrome. Sometimes the condition, which is characterized by tics, interferes with his craft, causing him to press the backspace or other keys repeatedly.

"At times, I would have the perfect words," he says. "It was very frustrating." At one point Edelson resorted to using a voice-recognition typing program.

The challenge of Tourette's has not slowed him down. By age 13, Edelson had completed the first book in his planned five-title series. He will have a booth at the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading on Saturday featuring Adventureland: The Strike of Lightning as well as the second in the series, Adventureland: The Stone of Eons.

"It's nice to get my imagination out there in the world," says Edelson. "It's part of who I am."

That imagination is responsible for the story of Earthly teenagers who enter the realm of Adventureland, where mythology and magic frame their observations of human virtues and vices. In the next installments of the series, Edelson plans to incorporate more mythology including Norse, East Asian and Hindu cultures and figures from history and religion ranging from Irish and Celtic heroes to Achilles. Future books, Edelson says, could include historical fiction and Jewish history.

Edelson balances his writing with the demands of a rigorous high school schedule; he also is a percussionist in the Plant High band and is a member of several school clubs.

"I write whenever inspiration comes," he says.

Adventureland series

BookSurge Publishing

Asher Edelson will have a booth at the Times Festival of Reading at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg on Saturday.