Minus the Imple has taught me, once again, that the eye of the beholder is the critical factor in art. The story is, by its very nature, self-indulgent and unexciting. It has been packaged complete with warts and blemishes, for a very important reason. First and foremost, this is an “honest” story in that I portray myself as I am. At least, I tried to be honest and unpretentious. So much writing is over-thought and manipulative, I didn’t want to write this book that way.

For one thing, I am not a great writer. So, I didn’t want to pull a mental muscle trying to be the next great literary genius. The book is plain and simple on purpose. It comes complete with slow, ponderous sections that seem to go nowhere. It includes what may appear to be self-indulgent trips down memory lane. But this is what I wanted to depict. A simple man’s life, retold with as much honesty and lack of pretentiousness as possible.

I’ve learned that one person’s reaction will differ greatly from another, and it’s difficult to predict what some read into a sentence or a passage. While one reader will view it as “full of braggadocio”, another will remark how “refreshingly honest” it is. There is always a bias within the mind of the reader, and the author has no way of controlling that. And, any author who has honesty in mind will not be working at manipulating the reader, so their work may be more vulnerable, in that sense.

Minus the Imple has truth at its core. Sure, the dialogue has been written from memory or, in some case where the characters are amalgams of people I have known, it’s been made up from pieces of statements and sentiments. That artistic license is something I make no apologies about. But the story is driven by honesty, as far as I am concerned. The little stories have purpose, but I can’t control how the individual reader reacts. Some will miss the true meaning in much of the story, but that’s okay. It is not for everyone, that much is certain.

If you have not read it yet, be warned that it is not great literature. It is a simple tale, partly autobiographical, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for fun. There is no “bragging” in the book. But if you are one who views self-confidence as “bragging” or “arrogance”, then you will not likely enjoy this book. If you don’t think an average human’s life is as interesting as a person of great accomplishment or fame, then you will probably find this book to be dull and not worthy of your time and attention. If you have a dead spot in your heart where romance used to dwell… do not read this book. You will not enjoy it.

I apologize to the sophisticates who will turn up their noses at the clumsiness and lack of polish evident in Minus the Imple. You are correct. It is a “hack” writer’s attempt at constructing a story around real-life simple moments. It is never going to make Oprah’s list. I’m sorry because I don’t have the brains or skills to reach more people effectively. What I don’t apologize for is for making the attempt to be as honest as possible while resisting the urge to manipulate the reader. For that, I am proud.

Minus the Imple is not a smoothly-crafted ride. It has bumps and glitches. Maybe it is unworthy of being a book. But, I did what I did with purpose and I stayed true to my concept. It is littered with colloquialisms and awkward language. The characters are either real people with their names changed (out of respect for their privacy) or they are “mash-ups” of two or more people who have touched my life. My hope is that a few people will gather some meaning from the sometimes boring episodes and will find some value in the “between the lines” messages.