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Paperback:
Jun 2001, 324 pages
These extraordinary stories will please readers of short fiction, particularly if golf takes up a part of their lives.
From The Ryder Cup to the Bermuda Triangle. Fly with an RAF pilot as he buzzes a golf course that no one else can see, come across a magical golf club that can change one's entire life, have your bag carried by a clairvoyant caddie, play a round for the hand of a beautiful girl, find out what heaven's really like, ride the devil's own train, and get caught on a haunted links after dark. These are just a few of the adventures in this extraordinary collection of fifteen tales about golf, life, and the uncommon nature of both.
From The Girl With The Swing
The shimmering curtain of late summer heat maintained an uncertain distance
as I raced along the narrow ribbon of pavement. I had long since tired of the
mirage and its equally illusive accomplice, the maddeningly flat terrain that
stretched on forever in all directions. Together they poked and prodded at my
imagination until I began to wonder whether I was really moving at all or simply
frozen to the spot as the unchanging world rushed past.
So when the billboard loomed out of the haze inviting me to Grab a cold one at
Walt's General Store and Feed Emporium (just five easy miles east of the
highway) I took the exit without the slightest regret for the detour. There was
nowhere I needed to be, no one waiting anxiously for my return; just the end of
another long and mildly fruitful sales trip through the farm belt.
The wind swept through the open window as I sped past fields of corn and soy and
sunflower, leaving a long trail of dust to ...
Bob Spear, The Book Barn
I just finished On the Fringe, a book of short stories about
golf. I read
the first story and almost cried it was so touching. Every single tale was
exquisitely crafted. The quality of these stories reminded me of the 1950s - the hay day of magazine short stories. Each one was a work of art. It was
difficult to believe this author is a professional architect and not a creative writing instructor. Whether one is a golf aficionado or not, this
book is well worth the read. Wonderful!!!
If you liked On the Fringe, try these:
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