Author’s Note

 The novel, A Victorious Life, is semi-autobiographical, with the main character, Ted Arundson, loosely based on my own life, work, and experiences.

There are some distinct differences. I am not at this time 80 years old. I have two daughters and two stepsons, but none are adopted or of African-American descent. I do, however, have two step grandsons who are black. 

All of the artwork attributed to Ted Arundson has been of my creation.

My wife, Barbara, does not have Alzheimer’s disease, and I predict she will not have an early death. One of my two daughters does live in Penn Run, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Chuck, a son, Wyatt, and a daughter, Lilly. And Chuck has purchased land near their home as an investment for the future.

At this point I have written 11 books, but none are titled Predictions. Many of the characters in this novel are based on people I know, including Dave Lawson, Midge McClosky, Leo and Martha Kob and Drew Saunders. 

Steve Martin, Gwynith Paltrow and Michael Abels are celebrated people for whom I’ve given a speculative and imaginary future.

The play Hart, Broken is one I wrote a draft for prior to penning this novel, and which I entered into a contest at the Shawnee Playhouse, the theater for which Midge McClosky is, in fact, the artistic director. The adapted play, Hart and Soul, has not been written.

I did, however, compose the lyrics to the song “The Hanging Tree” and the poem, written for Helen, “Victorious Youth Discovered”.  I also wrote the novel It’s a Wonderful Life - 2060  in which my character, Juniper Blakely, builds a robotic train layout for the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

I have not written, and most likely will never write, a novel that will win the National Book Award for Fiction, be asked to consult for NASA, have any of my novels adapted for film or become the inspiration for a Netflix or any other series.

Those are my fantasies. 

Although the reader need not know the information provided above, it may offer insights into the origins of this novel, and the ideas I’ve formulated about life, success, family, creativity and my hopes and fears for the years ahead.

– George Rothacker, 2025