David Clark
The Lonely Dreamer is a collection of short stories and free verse on an assortment of themes ranging from puppies to aviation, themes drawn from the author’s imagination and life experience. The short story for which the book is named is about an older man who has invented a rich fantasy life to escape the bland reality of his own mediocrity, fantasies that lurch from romance to aviation to expertise in art to movie stardom. This is interwoven with glimpses of his very ordinary life with a wife he loves but can no longer draw close to because of a lack of personal confidence that has accumulated over his many years. At the end, his frustration about his own lack of fulfillment leads him to realize that those self-doubts can be cast side. Other selections include a fox and a toad who work in an office and bicker across the cubicle wall, a humorous parody about specialization in business, affection for a puppy, and a harrowing story about a pilot who gets in trouble during a night flight in bad weather. Included also is a personal account about overcoming performance anxiety, and there is more. Clark writes in a manner that is clear and concise in ways that can be either humorous or serious but is always entertaining. In other words, this book contains something of appeal for all readers.
