Lummox is the name of Mike Magnuson's third novel, it also how he describes himself, "a big, oafish man who’s smarter than he looks". Mike used to live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which just happens to be where I live. We had a passing acquaintance with each other through the local video arcade I managed back in the early '80s; he dropped quarters in the slots and I yelled at him when he'd hit the machines.

I spoke with Mike briefly last year when he read from Lummox at a local bookstore. I was impressed with his wit and intellect, and bought a copy. I soon discovered that the book featured a whole bevy of characters that were based on people I knew: artists, musicians, low-lifes, and various ne'er-do-wells that I've encountered during the 15 years I've been trapped in this dumpy little burg. The verbal portraits that Magnuson paints of them are highly unflattering and often very, very funny.