内容简介：
Love, humor and heartbreak resonate from the past with lilting rhymes and lucid prose. In his second collection of poetry, short stories, essays and selected biographies, Mr. Christiano covers a wide range of interests, concerns and observations. Some topics are lighthearted and wistful (The Sleepy Outfielder"); others are well-researched testaments ("A Case for the Shroud of Turin"), polemics or historical background pieces (Lincoln's address at Gettysburg). The short stories are imaginative explorations into the psyche, touching on flawed human characters corrupted by greed, insanity and jealousy. ("12 Years ," "The Mission," and "Dangerous Deception" are examples). Others are jubilant, passionate tales covering politics and religion. Reaching into the past, the author expresses his beliefs and experiences from urban life to the pastoral, from the mysterious to the plainspoken. There are tales of New York City gangs of old, Papal intrigue, baseball action, and happy childhood memories of Bronx street games. The collection ends with a series of poems devoted entirely to faerie legends and lore. Overall, it is a study of traditions and long-cherished hopes and aspirations."