Matt, an old bartender with a lot of mileage and a taste for bourbon, reflects on his life in tales shared with friends and family in the twilight of his life. For the young, many of the stories are of a world now gone. For some older audiences, Matt is reflecting times they lived through without noticing the changes. His tales may take place in a few towns, but Matt is distinctly non-Metro-centric in his world view. Depending on your point of view, Matt may be either one of the last honest chronicler of his era or the personification of the unreliable narrator. His tales are, by turns, eclectic, esoteric, exotic, enigmatic, chimeric, almost erotic and mystical, with slanted glances to a fickle view of karma. Detectives, dancers and doves share pages with con men, warriors, and mud wrestlers. What could go wrong? As with most stories told by bartenders, they are To Go With A Drink.
About the Author: Bill Black is a North Carolinian. He has written and edited scripts, newsletters, educational programs and technical articles for both limited circulation use and general audiences. He has lectured on aspects of public presentations for performers and fundraisers. Bill has performed as a magician, poet / storyteller and MC for shows throughout this country and over a dozen around the world. Since 2011, his works have appeared in two anthologies and prior book length collections of his own work. Black did the illustrations with the stories. He usually does marker and colored pencil illustration but those methods were not suitable for the black and white nature of this printing. He reverted to some of his pen and pencil type training for these. Black received training in mechanical drawing and drafting as a portion of his engineering studies. Within this training was an odd section called "freehand drafting," mainly as a note taking method. He later gained training in computer aided drafting. Training in photography was received through the U.S. Army and other government instruction. He also received instruction through camera and film manufacturers in use of their products. He has previously illustrated lecture texts and some of the articles for limited circulation publications. His drawings and photographs have also appeared in his prior books. For the insatiably curious, Bill graduated from North Carolina State University. He was then commissioned as a 2nd LT in the U. S. Army and received an Honorable Discharge as a 1st Lt. He was licensed as a Professional Engineer through the state of California. He was employed continuously enough to pay his bar bills and related research costs. During that period, he developed a wicked bend to humor and self-description. Bill credits the internet and current social media for his ability to move from a locally ignored poet to one who is internationally ignored. His books are available through Amazon and other booksellers. Bill's own website is www.billblackaz.com.