Cleveland Orchestra and Old Arcade Featured in New Novel

Cleveland, Ohio Sep 28, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Horne Fisher Press, publisher of new and soon-to-be-classic literary fiction, is thrilled to announce the release of Symphony in Blood and Rust, a novel by G. H. Karshner set in Cleveland and featuring The Cleveland Orchestra and several iconic locations including Severance Hall, The Old Arcade, and an abandoned steel mill.

Solidly positioned in the genre of classical literary fiction, Symphony in Blood and Rust flows with the artistic, social, and sometimes life-threatening adventures of a young composer Jonathan Brendel and his friend group of avant-garde artists and scientists.

Early readers have described G. H. Karshner's novel as "A work of art" with "zen-like style--lucid and deep with a fantastic sense of humor." "Karshner's depictions of the art scene make post-industrial Cleveland look like Paris in the 1920s."

G. H. Karshner's Symphony in Blood and Rust was semi-finalist in the 2024 Royal Palm Literary Awards of Florida Writers Association.

The Story
When the rising, young composer Jonathan Brendel agrees to collaborate with Marga--an unpredictable performance artist and former college friend--his life begins to unravel in strangely beautiful ways. Driven by his pursuit of artistic greatness and haunted by a motherless upbringing on a Wyoming ranch, Jonathan ventures far from the safety of symphonies and conservatories. What begins as a musical commission spirals into a globe-spanning, genre-defying odyssey through the industrial underbelly of Cleveland, the Toronto underground, and the spectral corners of Jakarta's wet markets. Along the way, he finds himself pursued by mercenaries, elusive flying objects, and a dingo with a vendetta--all while confronting the aching contradictions between meaning and madness, brilliance and destruction, love and loyalty.

Blending dark wit with lyrical intensity, Symphony in Blood and Rust is a mind-bending exploration of identity, obsession, and the limits of art in a disintegrating world. G. H. Karshner's surreal novel is a daring literary fugue--equal parts satire and symphony--for readers who crave stories that unsettle, inspire, and refuse to fade quietly.

Symphony in Blood and Rust is published by Horne Fisher Press and is available worldwide wherever fine books are sold, including IngramSpark, Amazon, and B&N.

About G. H. Karshner

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, G. H. Karshner studied communications and fine art at Cleveland State University, and creative writing at The New School and Writers Studio in Manhattan. His literary fiction blends lyrical prose, dark wit, and philosophical inquiry. G. H. Karshner writes for readers who appreciate character-driven stories, art, music, and the complexities of the human experience.
His contributions to the literary world span genres and disciplines from journalism, public relations, theater, and film to corporate intelligence and global humanitarian infrastructure plans. In addition to writing, Karshner tutors English language writing and grammar. He now lives in Orlando. https://www.facebook.com/ghkarshner

About Horne Fisher Press
Horne Fisher Press is an Orlando-based publisher of new and soon-to-be-classic literary fiction.

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