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In this irresistible collection of short stories, plays
& ramblings … lifted from the virtual pages of
NakedSunFish.com … Rick Brown draws his readers
into his world, filled with human chia pets, air guitar
playing dentists, and an assortment of characters
shared from his own life experiences.
I have known Rick for well over ½ my life … and he
has always been a writer. In the early years, there
were songs (“Silver Lady”, “Round and Round”, “Song
for a Friend”, “Cowboys are Assholes”) and his
ubiquitous journals … large black bound volumes
always nearby ... filled with what I assumed was the
happenings to and around him.
Then, in the early years of the internet, his... More > friend
Ted Kane asked Rick contribute to his web‐zine,
CrapShoot!. Rick’s writing began to shift in purpose
and style … no longer written for just his own
pleasure … but for a broader audience.
Since 2002, Rick has edited and written for his
own web‐zine, Naked Sunfish. In the almost 9 years
that have transpired since Issue #1, Rick has found
his voice … a voice that is reflected in the stories here
… filled with insight, wit and humor.
So regardless if you nibble on these stories from
time to time, or devour them in big bites, be prepared
to be drawn into Rick’s unique world.
Enjoy…
Dan Eley ~ 2010
Webmaster
www.nakedsunfish.com < Less

Best Bites is a surprising first book of essays from Rick Brown. My appetite has been whetted and there needs to be more bites; we need more to make a complete meal. Rick has a unique view of current life and of the foibles we humans engage in. Not from a mean or misanthropic perspective, but from the vantage point of a sharply observant witness watching a ballgame through a knothole in left field. He sees the things in the game that the commentators in a skybox behind home plate can’t see. He sees where the player missed and spit on his uniform knee, he sees the shortstop adjusting his jock strap, the tick of nervousness on the third base man’s face. But it boils down to this; Rick... More > sees the players as people, doing a job, living their life with all the opportunities we are presented with to fail or succeed. He gives us a human account of the real world we live in and makes us all more human by helping us see how we are active players in the game.

There are several themes that run throughout his book. One is the concept of the mundane. Mundane is often thought to be a fancy way of saying boring. In our current society anything that does not feature a light show, two back-up bands, surgically augmented breasts, a fleet of limos and a celebrity commentator to remind us what a scintillating time the participants are having, is considered boring. The mundane are the events that all of us share, the core of our human existence and just as each of us live a life that is uniquely ours, it is built of a number of common building blocks we all know. Rich has a scholarly understanding of what these common building blocks are and crafts rich observation into events we can all recognize and appreciate.

One of the more touching essays is one called “Sunday Solitude” which is nothing more than a terse list of what a married man with a dog does on a quiet Sunday at home alone. The terse list hints at a very connected, rich life. There was another essay called “Coming of Age” that brought a lump to my throat as it involved the complex relationship between a father and son, my father and I, all fathers and sons. “Mistah Wick” made me laugh about the way the human spirit sometimes chafes at the harnesses we all wear. A seldom seen truth was displayed with humanity and humor. Using a baseball metaphor I would say, “Good eye Rick, good eye”. For wry humor the essay “When to Buy a New Lawnmower”, made me laugh and recognize myself in this peek at a younger Rich.

“Best Bites” is an easy read but I have already gone back to a few essays to read again and I admit a few are disturbing and I can’t get out of my mind. It is more layered than a casual reading can reveal. If you do yourself a favor and read “Best Bites’ by Rick Brown you will be going back to it to reread some parts. It is a great book to own and would make a inspired gift for the right person.

Finally, Rick, I also regret …”tube tops ever went out of style”. < Less