Back Roads: the Best of the Best

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John Weiss

the former Rochester Post Bulletin columnist’s best ever

$18.95 – Buy a print copy online.

John Weiss was the best-known name and face of the Post Bulletin outside the city limits of Rochester. Need to know someone in Plainview? If John didn’t know the person, he’d know the person who’d know the person you needed. Need to know which roads were in danger of flooding that spring? John knew—and could tell you which roads had flooded last and who lived on them.

John was also a one-man band: he could report a hard news story, do a feature, file away a possible story angle for weeks or months later, AND take pictures to go with all of it. And you’d get all of this with his statement “I’m heading to the river” as he walked to the exit. Whenever John left the building, it was always “to the river.” Which river, you could never be sure. And how close to a river he actually got was up for debate.

I was reluctant to assign John to Back Roads at first. Who in the world is interested in the run-of-the-mill junked-up shop? What makes that woman so special? Finally, I started to see things John’s way. That junked-up shop is a treasure trove of stories. That woman’s story is unique, all the while being so typical.

All right, I finally said. Let’s give it a try. BUT, no going out of the way. It has to be something you find on your way to a legit story assignment.

Soon enough, Back Roads columns and pictures started to fill our files. Stories with hopes and dreams, and joys and sorrows. John put the folks and places that we see every day but somehow overlook into focus. John broadened our definition of neighbor and friend. —Randi Kallas, former City Editor and Newspaper in Education Coordinator, Rochester Post-Bulletin.

Amazon Reviews—
Dave in Minnesota says: Wonderful Writings. John Weiss is one of those local reporters who truly loved his job and became one with the places he visited; it shows through in is writings. John travelled the back roads of southeast Minnesota and came to know the roads, the rivers, the hills and bluffs, and the people. He wrote about, and photographed, all that he encountered with an eye toward nature, history and the stories of the folks who made their lives there. Even if you know nothing about the southeast part of Minnesota and have never travelled through it John’s explorations into the region will draw you in and let you feel a part of his corner of the world.
Janet M.: Great local stories. Being from Wabasha, this is great read for me. Very well done.

Sailing Master, Book Two: The Long Passage

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Courage & Desire in the Age of Revolution

When Admiral Nelson defeats the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile Owen Harriet attains the rank of midshipman.
   Shortly thereafter his ship deploys to French Indochina, but at George Town he falls prey to a shameless trollop.
  Upon arriving in the Mekong his squadron proceeds to destroy the French depot at Long Vinh. But during the operation a French privateer takes Owen prisoner. He risks all to escape and, after two years in the East, finally embarks for home.
  In an ironic conclusion HMS Eleanor engages the frigate, Hommage, in unrestrained battle, only to learn the Treaty of Amiens was signed with the French on the very day they encountered Hommage.
  As a result, their sacrifice means nothing, and must remain classified in order to preserve the fragile peace.

Amazon Reviews—
Paul Bennett says: Fascinating seaworthy tale. Conflict. Love. Commitment & Betrayal . . . all abound in this intrepid novel of the sea set in the Golden Age of Sail. The looming shadow of the Napoleonic War dims the waning glow of the Enlightenment, yet Owen Harriet’s heartfelt narrative provides insight into the human condition. And an overarching question emerges . . . is this chronicle simply the story of a man, or of an entire age? From the opening broadside at the Battle of the Nile to the ironic conclusion off Ushant, Owen continues to come of age, maintaining a steadfast relationship with his beloved mentor, Ignatius Comet Lau, HMS Eleanor’s esteemed Sailing Master. Deep within French Indochina. Lost on the Mekong River. Owen befriends an inscrutable boy monk, only to fall prey to a demonic French privateer. A powerful enigma continues to haunt Owen and he begins to understand. A premonition of unknown origin? An Oracle? Or a remnant calling from his own childhood imagination.

The Long Passage continues the development of young Owen Harriet, now a Midshipman aboard HMS Eleanor. The author has delivered a seaworthy tale that not only entertains, but is also rather instructive about life in the British Navy, and especially instructive on navigating the vastness of an ocean. Another aspect of the narrative that I enjoyed was the descriptive talent of the author. From the reed beds of The Mekong to the inquisitiveness of a blue whale, the reader is immersed in the scenery, and flinching from the sound and fury of a cannon volley.  Owen grows up a lot on this journey through his innate intelligence and by his experiences, some of which are rather harrowing, and I look forward to reading more of his adventures. I highly recommend both books of The Sailing Master series.  5 stars

Shamu, Splash & Solemn – Carole Stoa Senn

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Emilio DeGrazia – Anne Gerber – Carole Stoa Senn

A riveting look of the creative writing and writing life of  Carole Stoa Senn

 

 

“Perhaps I have a need for much rougher prose or poetry than I had been anticipating. I’ve been wanting to write something jewel-like, but maybe what I want isn’t exactly the point.”  Carole Stoa Senn

“Carole’s story,” says Emilio DeGrazia in his introduction to this fascinating story, “is a necessarily fragmented account of how a talented and lovely young life was ravaged twice by violent attacks against which she had no way to defend herself.”

Amazon Reviews

Julia Schmitt writes: A story you need to read. Carole’s story is touching and inspirational. The structure of the book offers a multifaceted perspective on the incredible events of her life. An outstanding read.

Return to Backyard Canyon

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Peg Bauernfeind

$16.95 – Buy a print copy online

“I love to ride into Whitewater Park from Olmsted County Road 9. I love to feel the rush of oxygen into my lungs, and I love to sing a song like You are My Sunshine. In spring and summer, the green trees and brush climb up both sides of State Highway 74 to make canyon walls. As you descend the bluff, you catch glimpses of the bedrock, millions of years old. In the fall and winter, after the leaves disappear, the color changes to black. Only the bedrock is yellow.

“No matter the weather, I roll the car windows down and breathe deep before taking off. I give myself permission to speed a little. Fifty years ago I did it. Twenty years ago I did it. And I still do it. I hurry to return to Whitewater year after year because it’s my Backyard Canyon.

“As you level out on Route 74 into the Whitewater State Park, there’s a mile marker and an open field. Once this field was a golf course. Long ago it was a powwow site.

“Don, my ninety-five-year-old friend, recalled an Indian powwow.

“‘The Indians came dressed in war paint and feathers. Scared the hell out of me,’ he’d chuckled. ‘They came for days and danced, sang what I heard as war hoops, and howled while they pounded their drums. They were probably Sioux, Sioux the Snakes the French called them. There were plenty of snakes in Whitewater.’

“Today the Timber Snakes in the Whitewater Park are in trouble. Endangered.” —Peg Bauernfeind 2017

Publication of Return to Backyard Canyon was made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeast­ern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legisla­tive appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Glass Eater

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Dan Coffey

Playwright, director and actor, Dan Coffey known for his work with Duck’s Breath Mystery Theater and portraying memorable characters like Dr. Science. Dan lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

 

Glass Eater is a wild, satiric hybrid, a book Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Vonnegut might have collaborated on—set design by Graham Greene and Paul Theroux, special effects by Malcom Lowry.

Move over, Kurt Vonnegut! Dan Coffey’s wicked humor strikes again! The Glass Eater is about a burned-out con man knocking around the third world with some CIA types on his tail. Reduced to betting he can eat ashtrays for a living, our heart goes out to him when his Russian wife runs off with Dick Cheney. We discover Dick Nixon still lives—sort of—in a lab north of San Diego. Of course he’s still in touch with Henry Kissinger. And of course Condi Rice and Hillary have become pals in Coffey-world. In the end the Glass Eater uses his talents to save the world—maybe. Or will the world be saved by a man who builds glass towers? And whose side is Jesus on, anyway? You’ll find out reading The Glass Eater—sort of. —Terence A. Harkin, author of The Big Buddha Bicycle Race

Rumor has it that Dick Cheney has read the book and said:  Don’t buy this book.  And if you do, don’t read it!

Rejoyce says: The preeminent strength of Dan Coffey’s Glass Eater is voice. The main narrative is told in the baffled, idiomatic voice of the eponymous character who stumbles through Candide-like adventures, while plying his sideshow act to foot the bills. He is one of the MFA boat people, an economic refugee living outside the belly of the beast. Coffey, a graduate of the esteemed Iowa Writers Workshop, has a firm command of voice and much of this too-short, picaresque book is hilarious. Interspersed with the main story are secret memos by a cryogenically frozen Nixon, Bush Jr. and, you guessed it, The Donald. These are merely polemical. I wish the author had explored the deeper implications of the title, how it eats at the gut, how the price of the ticket may be too high. A short, fast, entertaining read, but might have been a minor classic.
Michael Morical: A Joyful Ride through Expat-dom. This book paints a hilarious portrait of a low-to-no-budget expat who eats glass for a living. Along the way, Coffey ties in bits by Richard Nixon (in an introduction written by Tricky Dick after his alleged death), Donald Trump, Henry Kissinger and other high-flying government flunkies. As funny as it is, Coffey makes serious points, so serious that Dick Cheney warns, in a blurb for the novel, “Don’t buy this book. If you do, don’t read it!” The author looks at expats who are scraping the bottom of the barrel, attracting as much attention to themselves as they can. The characters are rich. Through it all, Coffey maintains a uniquely entertaining perspective of life and politics. This is a joy to read and leaves me wanting more, a quality that I appreciate in a novel of any length. It is the perfect tonic for the times in which we live–laughter in the new dark age. Besides, you can learn how to eat glass, a valuable skill for digital nomads, expats or anyone who seeks to learn a trade in the world of brick and mortar.
From B.Leary: Move over, Kurt Vonnegut! Dan Coffey’s wicked humor strikes again! The Glass Eater is about a burned-out con man knocking around the third world with some CIA types on his tail. Reduced to betting he can eat ashtrays for a living, our heart goes out to him when his Russian wife runs off with Dick Cheney. We find out Nixon still lives—sort of—in a lab north of San Diego. Of course he’s still in touch with Henry Kissinger. And of course Condi Rice and Hillary have become pals in Coffey-world. In the end the Glass Eater uses his talents to save the world—maybe. Or will the world be saved by a man who builds glass towers? And whose side is Jesus on, anyway? You’ll find out reading The Glass Eater—sort of.