It's Like This
Delivery estimate
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Delivery estimate
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It's Like This
Description
At 18, Jack O'Brien fought in the 45th Infantry from Sicily to the Nazi border. He was shot stabbed, blown up by a hand grenade and was with his two best friends when they were killed. Returning stateside, he attended the Arts Student League of NYC where he met his soulmate Susan Barberian O'Brien. As an ecclesiastical muralist, he painted the ceilings and walls of churches, cathedrals and one State House throughout the east and northeast U.S. He drank heavily, fought often and loved one woman. For a while, John and Susan were NYC powerhouse of artistic talent, as she became a fashion illustrator for Anne Klein and others. In the early 1960s a coke bottle shattered and severed the nerves in his hand making climbing scaffolds impossible. He worked the Macy's Day parade, the World Expo and other events in his art as a supervisor. In 1970, he and Susan had moved to Toronto, Canada with their young family and he rented a tiny Spartan studio in Markham Village near Bloor Street and began a torrent of writing that would last more than three years. In the office was a single bed, a hook for his coat and an overturned wooden fruit basket he used as a desk. he wrote for catharsis to try to exorcize the demons of the war that tormented him. He brought a unique artists pallet of colors, compositions and textures to make readers 'feel' like they were with him in the battle, in the bedroom or in his mind. Soon he was elected President of the Canadian Writer's Guild, though American, and often could be found in small packed venues reading his poetry and stories to to hushed and awed crowds. He never published though he was offered contract. Slowly, the burden of the memories of the war lifted and he stopped writing. In all he wrote Dog Star, about the war, It's Like This, a book of poetry about life, love and death, the Golden Gumball on growing up in depression in a tight knit family in NYC and Terminal Assassins, his only fictional work which features veteran cancer patients, terminal, who form a group of assassins who target the heads of organized crime, corporate criminals and other untouchables. Years later in Florida he penned Valhalla Lost. John Joseph O'Brien (Jack O'Brien) was the center of attention in any room he entered. He could be bombastic, powerful, brilliant, outrageously funny and abrasive. He was, above all things, a consummate artist and life-long mate of Susan. THIS book, It's Like This, is written directly to you, the reader, as if you are sitting there in his tiny Spartan studio hearing his first draft.
Shipping & Processing
This item is in stock with our supplier and usually ships within 3–5 business days.
Processing times
- In stock: Items marked “In Stock” are on our shelves. We pick, pack and ship them within 1–2 business days.
- In stock with our supplier: Items not marked “In Stock” are held by one of our Australian or overseas suppliers. We order them in for you and they usually dispatch within 2–5 business days (3–5 for some suppliers). The estimate next to the price is for this item.
- Special orders: Some supplier items, such as specialist and imported items, titles awaiting reprint and print-on-demand titles, take longer to arrive. If your order includes one, we’ll update you as soon as we hear from our supplier.
- Supplier delays: Occasionally a supplier is delayed, or their stock information turns out to be inaccurate. We’ll keep your order open for up to 60 days. If an item hasn’t shipped or isn’t on its way to us by then, we’ll cancel that item and refund it.
How accurate is availability?
Availability is based on the stock levels our suppliers tell us they hold, and we update it regularly. If a supplier issue affects your order, we’ll let you know with an updated estimate.
Delivery
- As soon as your order ships you’ll get an email with tracking.
- Australia Post usually delivers within 2–10 business days of shipping (around 4 in metro areas and around 6 in regional areas).
- If your order has more than one item, we hold the in-stock items until everything is ready, so we can ship your whole order together in one parcel.
- Shipping cost: Free on orders over $100 within Australia, otherwise $9.95 flat rate per order however many items you buy. Free shipping applies to Australian addresses only; delivery to New Zealand is $14.95 per order.
- Check your address: If an order goes to an incorrect address you gave us, or isn’t collected and Australia Post returns it to us, you’ll need to pay the postage to send it again.
Cancellations
Need to change or cancel an order? Contact us as soon as possible at contact@bookloop.com.au or through our contact page.
- Within 30 minutes: You can change or cancel your order for a full refund within 30 minutes of placing it.
- After 30 minutes: Your order is already being processed, so it can no longer be changed or cancelled. If we can accept a late cancellation, we may offer store credit instead of a refund.
- Items in transit: Once an item is on its way, either from our supplier to us or from us to you, it can’t be cancelled. If you no longer want it once it arrives, you can return it as a change of mind, with return postage at your cost. See Returns.
- Separate orders can’t be combined once they’ve been placed, and adding or swapping items can change the delivery estimate.
- Supplier delays: Occasionally a supplier is delayed, or their stock information turns out to be inaccurate. We’ll keep your order open for up to 60 days. If an item hasn’t shipped or isn’t on its way to us by then, we’ll cancel that item and refund it.
Faulty or damaged items are always covered. See Returns.
Returns
Damaged or incorrect items (within 30 days)
If an item arrives damaged or isn’t what you ordered, contact us within 30 days of delivery. We may ask for a photo, and if we need the item back we’ll send a prepaid return label, so it costs you nothing. You’ll receive a replacement or refund, as guaranteed under the Australian Consumer Law.
Change of mind (within 30 days)
We offer a refund or store credit for change of mind within 30 days of purchase when:
- you have your proof of purchase;
- the item is unused and in its original condition and packaging;
- it isn’t a sale item, special order, custom item or gift voucher.
You pay the postage to return change-of-mind items. Change-of-mind returns aren’t available for print-on-demand titles or bulk orders with special pricing.
Returned to sender
If an order is sent to an incorrect address you gave us, or isn’t collected and Australia Post returns it to us, you’ll need to pay the postage to send it again.