The Private and the General

The fiction and nonfiction in this eclectic collection explore the human condition with humor and compassion. The author's optimistic and uplifting outlook on life leaves the reader with a smile at the end of each story or article. A Confederate private, a famous Union general, a seventy-year-old man who thinks he was abducted by aliens, a reluctant bride, a widow whose behavior causes a scandal in her small town - these are some of the characters who inhabit the fictional stories. The nonfiction pieces take a humorous look at a variety of subjects: flying advice for cowards, women's fear of snakes, the problem of cholesterol, how to deal with a snoring spouse, the author's politics, family relationships. A few of the essays elicit tears as well as smiles.