Description:

After twenty-five years living in central Illinois, this writer completed a degree in creative writing and moved to Southern California. This is a collection of some of the writer's early work, including thirteen short stories, eleven essays, and five poems. The short stories range from a quirky story about an American who travels to Tibet to fulfill his destiny in "The Golden Cucumber" to touching stories about family relations in "Growing Pains" and "Music." The essays span from politics to quantum theory, touching philosophy and religion on the way. The poetry is poignant, deliberate, and grounded in compelling imagery. Most of the pieces in the collection were revised in the course of undergraduate work, but some of the essays have been preserved in their original form to present a snapshot of the writer's history and development. Overall, the collection is insightful and meditative. You are certain to find this work thought-provoking, and you are likely to find it emotionally touching, as well.