Fantaseers: a Book of Memories

Mark Twain once said that the difference between the almost right word an the right word was the same as the difference between a lightning bug and lightning. Lewis Turco finds all of the lightning in this remarkable set of memoirs about growing up in Connecticut in the 1950s, such as a bullet "whizzing past my ear, dirling in the air" and "crashing through trees . . . snirtling and giggling", as he shares recollections of his capers and misadventures with the Fantaseers, a high school fraternity devoted to reading science fiction and fantasy and raising Cain. Ironic as it may seem, four of the hellions described herein later took religious orders, but not so for Turco, the son of an Italian Baptist minister. Instead, he became one of this nation¹s foremost writers and teachers. Just as it is fascinating to attend a high school class reunion to discover what happened to one¹s old friends, so too does this collection of escapades offer a scrutinizing lens into a band of rambunctious and bright youth, and the destinies that awaited them. This book is certain to stir any reader's own memories of youth's vivid haps and mishaps. For all those who love honesty, purity of language and thought as well as great story telling, buy Lewis Turco's newest collection of stories Fantaseers: A Book of Memories. The tough and tender voice of America's master poet takes us on an unflinching journey through "the mutable past." Reader, this is fair warning - and don't lend this book to any of your friends - it's such a good read, you won't get it back. -Lois Roma-Deeley, Rules of Hunger