Time Has Its Own Terms

Time Has Its Own Terms is a collection of "common man" essays by Thomas Kiske, most of which do not suck. Some of them are poignant, others downright funny. Although they have won no major awards yet (let's face it, no minor ones either) it's probably because they don't use big words or foreign phrases. Instead, these are true-to-life tales drawn from Kiske's background growing up in inner city St. Louis in the Fifties and struggling to make sense of life over the ensuing half-century. The essays reflect the changes America's heartland has witnessed in the last half of the Twentieth Century - in its neighborhoods, its complexity and its values.

Mr. Kiske's essays, which have appeared in publications as diverse as The Houston Chronicle, Texas Magazine, The Soulard Rennaissance, the Baywatcher and InforMensa help us remember what it was like to be a kid before Little League, suburbs and soccer Moms. They also bring home the problems faced by ordinary people, as well as reminding us of life's simple pleasures.

If you read this stuff, you might like some of it. Of course, there are no guarantees.