Pie in the Sky and Other Illusions We Live With

'The short stories, novella, poems, and play in this book deal with the human struggle to survive within the confines of our culture. It touches upon illusions we have about such things as what living meaningfully actually means; what it means to love self, others, and ideas/ideals; what we accept about others who are unlike ourselves-people sometimes living at the fringe of mainstream cultural expectations. It is also a book about disappointment: my disappointment in those who have chosen to hate, to impose upon others, to give little and take much, and to willfully create pain, hardship, and suffering for their fellow human beings in order to satisfy their own lust for power and wealth. In short, it is a book that challenges (whether directly or indirectly) the anti-humanitarian, anti-democratic, greed-driven characteristics of those currently holding positions at the highest levels of the US government in the age of MAGA Republicanism.' -The author. The collection serves readers on multiple levels: literary, political, philosophical, and personal, as well as providing--to a limited extent-- a biographical impression of the author as a human being living at the edge of time in the democratic experiment that has been the United States of America.