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Gwen Banta was born in Binghamton, New York, and educated in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she received B.A. and M.S. degrees from Butler University. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honorary Society in Education. She also received a language certification from The Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.
The author has received numerous awards for her fiction, including Opus Magnum Discovery Award (Honorable Mention); Winner-Unpublished Stories: Great Northwest Book Festival, Los Angeles Book Festival, Pacific Rim Book Festival, San Francisco Book Festival, and Great Southeast Book Festival.
Gwen has also written several screenplays. Her screenplay, Skies A’ Fallin’, is currently under option to an independent producer. Awards for her screenplays include Writer’s Project Semi-Finalist, Columbine International Screenwriting Competition Finalist, Ohio Film Festival Semi-Finalist, and People’s Pilot Semi-Finalist.
The stage play, The Fly Strip, based on The Remarkable Journey of Weed Clapper and co-written by Richard Kuhlman, is currently scheduled for publication.
An award-winning actress of stage, screen, and television, Gwen is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association. She is a supporter of Global Green International, Project Angel Food, The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Gwen lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Buddy, who is a major fan of her books as long as there are treats involved.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
The Unconventional Path of Thelonious Aubrey by Gwen Banta is a coming-of-age tale that follows the journey of two friends finding their place in the world in post-World War II America. Having grown up as an orphan in the French Quarter of New Orleans, seventeen-year-old Thelonious Aubrey finally found his calling as an aspiring singer in Lulu's Hideaway, a bluesy gin joint. With his best friend, Bo Robertson, a trumpet player, and a young exotic dancer named Callie Thibaud, Theo entangles himself in a petty scam that turns sinister, leading Theo and Bo to leave New Orleans. Now in Harlem, New York, Theo and Bo find themselves in the company of famous jazz musicians and utilize their own talents. But soon, the past rears its ugly head, and the two friends must now return home.
Gwen Banta's heartwarming coming-of-age tale celebrates the power of friendship and the human will to chase one's dreams against all odds. The Unconventional Path of Thelonious Aubrey will make you laugh, break your heart, and, in the end, leave you with hope for the future. This is the second book I've read by Banta, and one thing I've noticed is her ability to craft relatable and fleshed-out characters who you feel as if you've met in real life. Banta's descriptive prose and narrative brilliantly capture the colorful atmosphere and the jazz music scene of New Orleans and Harlem in the late 1940s. Theo and Bo's friendship was the book's highlight for me, as their story arcs end with a satisfying climax. All in all, this is a must-read for readers who love coming-of-age stories.
