Mill River Smoke: Stories and Essays

by Marc Munroe Dion, Marty Pulvers (Afterword), Rick Newcombe (Foreword)

In an age in which a famous Hollywood actor can, without a twitch or twitter, or the slightest fear of being taken to task, remark to an interviewer that he was so eager to heroically portray a man commonly known, by those whose lives he touched in the most direct of manners, as "The Butcher of la Cabana", because he had a "cool" name and a "cool" style of dress, it is easy to tire of the shallow sea of publicized, and then often repeatedly echoed opinions modern communications technology leaves us awash in. There are, however, still a few Marc Munroe Dions rowing about that sea. There's no mistaking that he is, in large part, a writer of opinions, but fortunately for us they are his opinions; untouched by the Hollywood set, the "ivory tower" set of academia, or the pollsters which inform politicians of the season's most fashionable stances. In Mill River Smoke he shares with us essays (opinions) and stories (laced with opinions), which have been kept well-grounded through many years as an old-fashioned newsman working in the largely blue-collar city of Fall River, Mass. covering crime, local politics, and "the stuff on page 3". They've also benefited more than a little in terms of developing a healthy sense of dark humor and for some of life's more film noire-style absurdities.

136 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2012

Reviews

[Bob Metzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories reveals the joys of the simple type of life. I say "type" of life guardedly as the characters are not particularly "simple" nor are their lives. What is simple is their way of living and devotion to those things that, until the last few decades, were considered the sum and substance of a well life lived well. Devotion to literature and the pursuit of writing as an art form, the appreciation of thought as expressed in the application of a consistent philosophy applied to contemporary human problems, the rejection of electronic devices as a replacement for man's use of time in more valuable ways, and the simple appreciation of food, drinks of all types, and the contemplative gift of a good bowl of tobacco in a well seasoned pipe.

I dare say that there are many that might have a difficult time adjusting to such a lifestyle. Self examination and the use of man's critical faculties seem to have been pushed aside in favor of a fast paced and constantly changing digital landscape where our ability to retain much of anything from one day to the next is both challenged and discouraged. This book provides a humorous and engaging view of a man (and woman) who have chosen to take a well worn path up to a higher place where they can both laugh and cry over our contemporary state of being.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for pipe smoking lovers of short stories.