Shorts in a Bunch: Amusing Anecdotes, Tall Tales, Eclectic Essays, Heroic Histories, Playful Poems and Plays

Shorts in a Bunch is a collection of 62 short pieces of writing in six genres--memoir, fiction, essay, history, poetry, and drama--with the majority being humorous. The memoir pieces include funny and embarrassing experiences of the author, such as parachuting in bed and having a pearl removed from inside his ear. Fictional stories range from an FBI agent who loses his credentials, to finding love in a cafeteria and in outer space, to a Russian spy at a lake in Virginia. The essays deal with facts of the universe, writing, and the delights of living at Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake. The histories survey the military service of American presidents and provide insights to Veterans Day, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the experience of Bedford County, Virginia, in World War II, including D-Day when the community lost 20 men, more men per capita than any other American community. Many of the poems are humorous and focus on nature and writing. The four humorous plays deal with a visit to a writers group; a crusty older couple who live and bicker with each other at Smith Mountain Lake; two 21-year-old, male, large-mouth bass seeking action on a Saturday night; and the 2016 presidential debate between Hillary and Donald. The collection will provide laughs, leisurely entertainment, and perhaps a little learning.