Author Archives: Al

Book Review: Playground

Richard Powers’ latest novel, Playground, has a choose-your-own-genre feel to it. Want a straight-forward romantic comedy? He offers two meant for-each-other leads who suffer through an insurmountable split, then re-unite. Or maybe tragic rom-com…another pair, best friends from youth, suffer a falling … Continue reading

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Palmares

Over the past 25 years, I’ve been saving my event and race bibs. I put them up on my door after the event, and remove them at the end of the year. Then I’ve been stuffing them on a shelf … Continue reading

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Montana OF Gravel Trek, Day 3: Harlowton to Big Timber

“Do you think I’ll need this anymore?” Tom held up a mud-encrusted tongue depressor. He leaned down and scrapped a few clumps of the brown muck clogging his derailleur. “It’s not that bad, just those few puddles back there.” “I … Continue reading

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Montana OF Gravel Trek, Day 3 – ii

Down at the junction, Michele waited with the Ram. “I’m going to drive up a bit, see how the road is, if I can see them,” I told her. As soon as I left Tony Creek, and started up Red … Continue reading

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Montana OF Gravel Trek, Day 3:

“Do you think I’ll need this anymore?” Tom held up a mud-encrusted tongue depressor. He leaned down and scrapped a few clumps of the brown muck clogging his derailleur. “It’s not that bad, just those few puddles back there.” “I … Continue reading

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Montana OF Gravel Trek, Day 2

Roundup to Harlowton “Maybe they have rain pants here,” Satish said. He’d already struck out at the Roundup Hardware and Ranch store. Despite the forecast of two inches of rain, 25 to 40 mile per hour headwinds, and wind chills … Continue reading

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Roundup to Harlowton — iii

Four miles up the road, we stopped at the unsigned intersection of 9-Mile “Road” and US 12. I pointed up the hill. “That’s the best-looking part of this road.” A double track fit for a jeep snaked up towards the … Continue reading

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Roundup to Harlowton – ii

At 9:30, Robin returned, his grin undiminished. “You came back!” I exclaimed. “Did you find the peanut-butter mud those guys promised?” “The surface was OK. Wet and rutty after the pavement ended, but we didn’t sink in or get stuck.” … Continue reading

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Roundup to Harlowton – i

“Maybe they have rain pants here,” Satish said. He’d already struck out at the Roundup Hardware and Ranch store. Despite the forecast of two inches of rain, 25 to 40 mile per hour headwinds, and wind chills in the upper … Continue reading

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Who Will Run The Frog Hospital?

Lorrie Moore, a short story specialist, packs a lot into her 148-page novella, Who Will Run The Frog Hospital? Sils and Berie, 15-year-olds in the upstate New York town of Horsehearts, start the summer of 1972 working in the local amusement … Continue reading

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