Largehearted Boy. Book Notes. 99 Problems. Sweetness.

Big thanks to David Gutowski and Largehearted Boy for not only their kind words about 99 Problems, but for inviting us to write a Book Notes essay for the collection as well. Quite sweet. Quite appreciated. And for your viewing pleasure, some excerpt.

Dear Lord - Joseph Arthur/ Don't Walk Alone - Tim Easton

I am not a very religious dude, despite my God-complex, nor have I had many experiences one might deem religious though I did once see the visage of Jesus in the window of a hotel across the street from my office. But, running can be a pretty awesomely religious experience, I think, and this song came on as I was running along the lake early one morning and the sun was just coming-up all crazy and swirling and purple and orange and I did feel something awesome. I should add, that I also felt something similar when I saw Karch Kiraly in the very same spot watching the AVP Tour guys setting-up beach volleyball courts for Chicago's AVP tour stop, but who's to say Karch isn't God? I coupled "Don't Walk Alone" with "Dear Lord," because for me it has the same vibe, and came off of the same mix CD. Tim Easton is a guy a friend of mine went to high school with, which also reminds me that regular people, well, people you know, sometimes bust out in some fashion, and as I write about in these essays, I'm down with busting out even if I don't know what that means.