Local Novelist's New Book Samples His Dark Side

A bustling line of people competed for seats to see Syosset native Gabe Rotter introduce his latest novel, The Human Bobby, at Book Revue last Wednesday. The reading did not disappoint as fans and curious Huntington residents who made it out to the event got a sneak peek into the book. A graduate of Syosset High School, Rotter delivered a lively yet earnest reading that allowed the audience to feel at home as well.

Rotter penned another novel, Duck Duck Wally, as well as a comic book and some assistant writing to TV's The X-Files. As he began to speak about his latest success, Rotter explained that The Human Bobby takes a different turn than his usual writing.

"I tried to get a little more serious with this one … It's a lot darker," Rotter warned.  

Rotter began by thanking his mother, an almost precautionary measure to prepare family and community members for the reading. The beginning of the book, which uniquely begins with Chapter 31, made use of various colloquialisms that startled some of the more old-fashioned listeners.

The novel, however, is told from the perspective of a homeless man, a protagonist who has surely faced enough hardship to be granted use of a few "bad words." However, cleanliness is not a problem for Dr. Bobby Flopkowski (a name, Rotter presumes, may have been inspired by The Big Lebowski, a film by the Coen brothers, whom Rotter said he tries to emulate). This homeless man is equipped with wardrobe and toiletries, and all the comforts of a regular Joe (or Bobby), save for an official home.

This unusual perspective did not stem from a way of life Rotter experienced personally, but it did, in a sense, come from personal experience.

"I live in Santa Monica, [Calif.,] where the homeless laws are very liberal," Rotter explained. "There are homeless people everywhere. I can't help but look at them and wonder how they got there. I wanted to give [them] a back story."

Rotter not only succeeded in giving a fictional back story, but his own as well. Though he is young, he did not arrive at this juncture as a novelist without some trial and error.

"I went to film school and originally wanted to write screen plays, but wasn't too good at that," admitted Rotter about his time at the University of Southern California. He then worked as a writers' assistant for the popular alien-invaded television show, The X-Files, which proved to be a good experience for him.

"It was really like being in the trenches," Rotter reminisced.

Although Rotter even had a few characters named after him in television shows, and still works for X-Files creator Chris Carter at Ten Thirteen Productions as director of development, he still remains modest.

"I still have a day job […] so I'm forced to write at night, when I get home," Rotter said.

Despite the heavy subject matter of The Human Bobby, Rotter remained light hearted during the reading, often hearing a chorus of laughter from the audience. Many inquired about the difficulties of creating a character for a novel, to which Rotter replied in facetious honesty.

"My last book was written from the perspective of a short, chubby Jewish guy … I can't say I didn't relate to that," Rotter joked.

Readers present may have thought him unique for finishing The Human Bobby in just a year, but Rotter admitted to having "off-days," and sometimes, even months during the writing process. Yet, he offered inspiring words to his reassure his listeners.

"You never know if it's going to happen until it happens," Rotter concluded.