Richard Ascher has written comic-tragic short stories full of dark humor from tales and gossip that were told to him over time. The subjects are New Yorkers of a 'certain age' who grew up after World War II in a New York that no longer exists. They hold on to their old ways, prejudices, and beliefs. The stories may seem outlandish, supernatural or ridiculous but the narrators swore they happened to them or someone they knew. They've been reconfigured into fiction. There are tales of middle age romance and rejection. Some stories present questions, such as -What do you do when the woman you married turns out to be someone else? How do you handle the situation when your husband dies in the middle the divorce only to return from the grave after you remarried? Do you think any good would come from contacting an old love after 50 years? Is it worth it to have a woman who dabbles in hexes and potions help to advance your career? What will you owe her in return? A man kills over the love of a fat homely girl. An unhappy middle age husband, tries on- line dating. A widower is struck by pennies thrown by his late wife every time he tries to make love to a woman. The novella "Bobby's Song" is a life story. A psychotic dentist commits murder, becomes successful and rises to become the president of the dental association. Did he also kill his first wife by throwing her out of a high rise window? Some say yes, but who really knows? If you add jazz, pseudo- philosophy, lust, arson, murder, dentistry, basketball and self delusion you have Bobby's Song and Short Stories. Many of you will recognize yourself and your friends in their comical tribal rituals. Remember, it's all fiction. Don't look for any happy or uplifting endings. Some are cynical, some have no endings. That's life.