the great leslie

I haven't bought a book in over a year now. I get them for free at work...and lots of them. I pick up anything I think will be interesting for anybody, as well as anything that will be interesting for me to read or write about. I arrived at my parents' house last night with seven books for them: two sports books for my dad and five poetry books for my mom. I may never buy a book again.

Last year I gave my dad "7: The Mickey Mantle Novel," that semi-scandalous book about Mickey Mantle. He loved it. He passed it on to a friend in Atlanta, who also loved it and sent it back to Massachusetts by way of another mutual friend. But Larry, the friend, lent it to his son in the Coast Guard. And the son lent it to some of his fellow coasties. And so the book may never come back, which is a bummer because my dad really liked that book. On the other hand, that's a slush-pile find with some mileage. I'm sure the Lyons Press, which published the book, wouldn't be that thrilled to know a copy of the book which no one paid for had been in so many hands. But the author, Peter Golenbock, would be happy to know it was very well-received by all those hands. My father says its the best book he's read in years. I guess that's how it got to Atlanta in the first place.

In other news: I'm on my way to Maine to hang out at the cabin until Saturday. I have a half a bottle of whiskey, paints, notebooks, and my running shoes.

Speaking of my running shoes: The triathlon is coming up and I only have a few weeks to raise the rest of the $2,500 I am signed up to raise. PLEASE HELP!!! Donate here: www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/thegreaterleslie