
Climbing Lessons
Climbing Lessons is a collection of inter-linked stories about the bond between fathers and sons, a bond often nurtured through out-of-door adventures. Like modern-day parables, each of these playful, sometimes poignant stories illustrates the special bond between fathers and sons–and how that relationship must change with time.

Running to the Fire
“The bus is swaying along 7,000 feet above sea level, covered with fine red dust, when we come upon an incredibly deep ravine and a narrow bridge and two sentries lounging behind a half-circle of sandbags with a mounted machine gun perched next to them like a praying mantis. The brakes squeal. The sentries straighten….”

Chameleon Days
“As we left the Addis Ababa airport and started across the city, my brother Johnathan and I stared out the windows of the Volkswagen van like dazed astronauts. He was six and I was only three, but we were both old enough to sense that life might never be the same. A torrent of brown-skinned aliens streamed by, treating the road like a giant sidewalk, their white shawls and bright head wraps bobbing ….

Law and Disorder
Tim Bascom’s story “Final Fantasy” is part of this larger anthology, Law and Disorder, which explores themes related to police, victims, criminals, lawyers, and court proceedings. The stories often concern the disorder before or after charges have been filed and criminals sentenced. They explore laws of family, community, religion, social class, race, gender, sex, identity, and even human nature.