From the Book - First edition.
The story of Isaac : between St. Columbanus and the wrought-iron gate of Oak Woods Cemetery
"Tell your tire troubles to Nelson Abraham"
Stoic. Academic. Ink-stained wretch
The past receded like a wave just spent
"What is a carpenter without his tools?"
Trotskyists, Council Communists, and Mattickites
Exploring the neon wilderness
"Ok, kid, you beat Dostoyevsky"
"How long does this sort of thing go on?"
"Riding day-coaches to nowhere"
"They don't exactly give me any medals for caution"
A lightless cave off a loveless hall
A character named Nelson Algren
"On the Ho Chi Minh Trail"
"The sanest man I ever met"
"The end is nothing, the road is all".
I: Becoming someone is a solitary process. The story of Isaac ; Between St. Columbanus and the wrought-iron gate of Oak Woods Cemetery ; "Tell your tire troubles to Nelson Abraham" ; Stoic. Academic. Ink-stained wretch ; The past receded like a wave just spent ; "So help me" ; "What is a carpenter without his tools?" ; Somebody in boots ; The crack up
II: The Chicago School. Two forlorn children ; Trotskyists, Council Communists, and Mattickites ; At home in Rat Alley ; Morning ; "Do it the hard way" ; The anonymous man
III: Every day is D-Day under the El. Exploring the neon wilderness ; A boy from the provinces ; Exile? ; "Ok, kid, you beat Dostoyevsky" ; "How long does this sort of thing go on?" ; Nonconformity ; "Riding day-coaches to nowhere" ; "They don't exactly give me any medals for caution" ; A walk on the wild side ; A lightless cave off a loveless hall
IV: Wander years. "No, no novel" ; A character named Nelson Algren ; Sea diary ; "On the Ho Chi Minh Trail" ; The last carousel ; "The sanest man I've ever met"
V: Exile. Paterson, New Jersey ; The devil's stocking ; "The end is nothing, the road is all".
