An American odyssey that reveals the fascinating complexities of one of history's most brilliant, eccentric, and daring families The James family, one of America's most memorable dynasties, gave the world three famous children: a novelist of genius (Henry), an influential philosopher (William), and an invalid (Alice) who became a feminist icon, despite her sheltered life and struggles with mental illness. Although much has been written on them, many truths about the Jameses have long been camouflaged. The conflicts that defined one of American's greatest families- homosexuality, depression, alcoholism, female oppression-can only now be thoroughly investigated and discussed with candor and understanding. Paul Fisher's grand family saga, House of Wits, rediscovers a family traumatized by the restrictive standards of their times but reaching out for new ideas and ways to live. He follows the five James offspring (`hotel children,` Henry called them) and their parents through their privileged travels across the Atlantic; interludes in Newport and Cambridge; the younger boys` engagement in the Civil War; and William and Henry's later adventures in London, Paris, and Italy. He captures the splendor of their era and all the members of the clan-beginning with their mercurial father, who nurtured, inspired, and damaged them, setting the stage for lives of colorful passions, intense rivalries, and extraordinary achievements. House of Wits is a revealing cultural history that revises and completes our understanding of its remarkable protagonists and the changing world where they came of age.

Paul Fisher is a former radio announcer, media executive, and now author. Recently retired from the industry, Paul worked for several major Canadian media companies including Rogers Media, CHUM Radio, and Bell Media. When Paul was twenty, his father died at the young age of forty-seven. Paul was with his father during the last few days of his father’s life, and in fact was with him in the Intensive Care Unit as his father’s heart failed on several occasions, resulting in a series of near-death experiences. His father, upon resuscitation from these events, told Paul that there was a world that existed beyond this life, and he did his best to describe the feelings and philosophies that he had been exposed to during his brief sojourns into the “other side.” Currently living near Toronto, Canada, with his two German Shepherd dogs, Paul enjoys listening to jazz music as well as writing. Entertaining with friends, family, and other interesting guests at dinner parties and gatherings are a regular feature of the Fisher household. At these events, discussions relating to what happens to us in this life, and beyond, are always close at hand, and readily called into play.

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