Poems from 1984 to 1994. Samples follow -- Sample One: Glasses Two panes, fattened to correct my focus: a plastic truss across my eyes, bridged at my nose to make me see the world the way it really is; one day I may find a pair that work. Sample Two: The Breath of New Jersey I still know the breath of New Jersey, the tin-pan howl of Conrail freights that slash the air with warning strobes like machetes at the stalks of dark, then burst onto the Madison Street grade, each locomotive larger than the Foodtown and blacker than a spade in ink-lets of dust. Night sinks quickly in New Jersey, atop...

My first friend was a tree. And so begins this highly original volume of comedic essays about a boy who didn't realize that the reason he didn't have an imaginary friend was because he hadn't imagined one. Told through the eyes of a child and then teenager who really needed a handbook on how life works, these stories about life's foibles are sure to roil up everyone's own memories of their childhoods and the awkward days when life was just a big mystery.

This version of Southern California Locals: A Railroad Enthusiast's Field Guide to Local Trains in Southern California was updated in mid 2015. With sections on locals from the past, model railroad shops, and other interesting items. Like the previous editions, this book contains information, including start times when known, on over 500 locals, haulers, road switchers, switchers, and industrial jobs in the Southern California area. It is a terrific guide for those who wish to photograph and fan merchandise freight trains. A sample from the book: R-CAL0141I - Corona Local, Mon-Fri, (On duty...