Bill Leonard writes of his childhood in a unique neighborhood that has disappeared, both time and place. Those readers who knew Goosetown will enjoy the virtual trip through the alleys and back yards, the playgrounds and schools, the marsh and the Fairgrounds. And though Goosetown is central to these childhood adventures, what happens to the author and the community around him as he becomes aware of this magic setting of 70 years ago will awaken memories of anyone who experienced life at that time, or perhaps heard about Goosetown on a grandparent's lap.

Bill Leonard was born under the hit and run sign, a zodiac marker first identified by W.P. Kinsella, author of "Shoeless Joe." He played sandlot, recreation department, high school, American Legion, college, and town team baseball. He coached the game and he umpired. His dad was a wonderful father, but they never played catch and he knows of only a single relative, Uncle Wayne, who ever played baseball, and that was before his time. Nonetheless, baseball is in the makeup of his genes. No one had to introduce him to the game or encourage him to play. It was as predetermined as the salmon...

Amid the ferment of dissent and the protests of heretics, the church developed most significantly. This guide introduces that history by looking at those periods, all with the trademark Homebrewed Christianity wit.