Saenz at Library Saturday to Talk 'Thousand Natural Shocks'

Teen author Michael Saenz is in town Saturday to talk about his first recently published novel, "The Thousand Natural Shocks," and writing in general at the Peabody Institute Library.

Saenz is an actor, director, playwright and teaching artist in New York City and has also taught high school drama in Cambridge. He'll be reading from his novel and taking questions about writing or self-publishing.

Saturday's program is at the Main Branch Library in the Sutton Room from 2-3 p.m. Copies of the novel will be available at the library beforehand or can be purchased that day.

"The Thousand Natural Shocks" is about 13-year-old Charles Siskin, who, by most definitions, is kind of a nerd. He doesn't like sports, he reads all the time and by the time he's ready to enter high school, he doesn't have any friends. Cue the daily torment by his peers.

Charles ends up convincing his parents to let him attend St. Ignatius Loyola High School, an all boys, private military school. He quickly discovers, however, he's gone from one bad situation into an even worse one.