Barlow and Other Stories

About the Book

Barlow Jimson was mean before he went deaf. Afterward, he just turned meaner. He'd blow up and fight anybody on a dare or on a show of surly lips or even a one-sided laugh if he didn't see enough smile in it.

About the Author

Robert Willis is the author of two other books, Crossing Clayborn and Great Point Clear. This collection of short stories draws upon experiences from both his early life and on into the retirement years. Born in 1927 in Bagdad, Florida, he claims to have suffered the full impact of the Great Depression and lived through it to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II. Service in war-torn China following Japan's surrender in 1945 opened his eyes to the value of an education like no amount of high school counseling could, which spurred him into the pursuit of higher learning after discharge, resulting in a PhD from Florida State University in 1962. Another by-product of the China years: exchanging letters with friends, a.k.a. eye-opener number two. A fascination with the power of written words evolved quickly into a journey beyond bridges too far, which Robert continues to cross in spite of the risk.