Publisher's Synopsis
his collection of stories is an experiment. It's not particularly good writing or even good story-telling, but it is honest. I start with a memory or an idea or a first sentence. and then I start writing. I follow each word to the next not knowing where I'm going until the story is done, until it feels right. There is no revising. There is very little editing. It is naked and raw. It includes; 1. "The Apology: What happens in the men's room stays in the men's room" - This story is an apology to a man I have never met. It's not an excuse or a justification in any way. But, perhaps these thoughtful words will serve as a humble explanation of exactly what happened in the public men's room at the Loews movie theater in the winter of 1984. 2. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" - A young American tries to make sense of love and lust in the back seat of a vintage Mercedes-Benz. 3. "Up on a Roof: With shingles at your back, the sky is the limit" - Sometimes, a barbaric yawp is better with a good friend, a bottle of cheap wine, and a visit or two from the local police. 4. "On My Knees: Pausing on the path of righteousness" - A teen boy find his faith on the way to getting kicked out of summer bible camp. 5. "Playing Hooky: Childhood best friends go fishing for adventure" - Skipping school, bicycles, fishing and a bottle of Jim Beam. What more could a couple of 13-year-old boys in the country ask for? 6. "The Great Cover-up: Frustrated writer exposes the naked truth about looking normal" - The memoir of an unconventional dad who faced down the local Red Ribbon Week Committee without a towel. 7. "Karaoke Night: Sometimes, there's a fine line between courage and crazy" - A New York writer learns a few life lessons in a back-water, south-Florida bar. 8. "Up in Arms: Unusual friendship stirs up trouble in small town and small minds" - When the town's biggest trouble-maker befriended the local golden boy, people expected the worst. They weren't too far off. 9. "Naked at the YMCA; Joining the local "Y" is no laughing matter" - When I signed up for a trial membership at the local gym, it became clear that I was the one on trial. 10. "Einstein Rode Bitch" - A brilliant physicist finds the ultimate loop-hole in the equation for intimacy. He discovers a way to travel into the future so he can have sex with himself. Why not? After all, nobody knows him better. The idea is that this form of structured, free-flow writing is an unfiltered, original expression of who I am. There is no doubt about it. I have certainly learned a lot about myself in the process. The question is whether these stories will have any meaning for anyone other than me. Can we discover truths about ourselves and the world around us by exploring the truths of others? I hope so. If not, I hope it at least inspires a good laugh here and there. A NOTE FROM THE WRITER: This is a real life. It is my life. I like to think it is a life of hope and love, but it does contain some hard memories and hard words. If you are fragile with that kind of stuff, this book may not be for you.
