Regardless of where you stand on the removal of monuments to Confederate slavery and racism, one thing is clear: the decades-long struggle of non-smokers everywhere goes entirely forgotten, with nary a statue.* In the 1970s the restaurants my family frequented offered non-smokers three tables at best. We might wait half an hour just to get … Continue reading Monuments, Torches, & Ketchup
cigarettes
Joe Camel, Still Cool
Yesterday a friend of mine posted our first-through-fourth grade photos online. Got me thinking about this old story in the hopper 20 years. I dragged it out and dusted it off and submit it now for your entertainment. It's all about that first cigarette. This is to the memory of those no longer with us, Trevor and … Continue reading Joe Camel, Still Cool
Guy Walks Into a Bar
Guy walks into a bar. Orders a Preston Lang. Barkeep asks, “What’s a Preston Lang?” “Rye. With a hint of the barrel.” “Neat?” “Yeah. That too.” Anyone who missed Lang’s first two crime paperbacks, The Carrier and The Blind Rooster, ought to jump right in and read The Sin Tax. Hard, straight writing. Contemporary plot. … Continue reading Guy Walks Into a Bar
The Patron Saint of Juvenile Delinquents
Everyone who's grown up Catholic has a few stories to share, long or short. The good folks at The Citron Review were good enough to publish one of my really short ones: CONFIRMATION Mrs. Dever sees their faces but can’t remember what to call them. They all look alike. They all look bored. They all look … Continue reading The Patron Saint of Juvenile Delinquents
Ben East Books 