The author relates his memoirs in a beautifully written collection of short stories. Full of wry observations and entertaining characters, College Days: Tales from the Life of a Professor-errant captures the latter half of the Twentieth Century in finely tuned prose. Prepare for broad smiles of recognition and numerous laugh-out-loud moments in this stylized account of a life well lived.
Many unique characters keep the pace moving: Palmer Calkin, who was willing to masturbate if it was a job requirement; Johnny Morris, who fashioned a tooth from a bright yellow toothbrush; Professor Krantz, who zealously hunted Bigfoot rather than grant money; Dorrie Lawrence, whose room served mainly as a kennel for her dog, Toto; Worthie Horr, whose name is so improbable that it seems contrived; Hannah C. Aase, who missed commemoration because her name could scarcely be conjoined with "Hall."
"Arfie," a self-professed "Fossil Jockey," takes us from his youth in London to his undergraduate days - Still beneath the table, Carolus continued to lecture in fits and starts; and to his association with an Endo Crime Laboratory - Never make a vagina unless you're sure it's going to be used.
He brings us in contact with student life - they coaxed the horse to the sixth floor, where they gave it a shot that killed it; the hazards of the professorial calling - Professor loses his rocks; DIY events that got out of hand and plain old-fashioned misjudgements.
Join our errant professor's journey through romances - including a love affair with a schizophrenic lesbian and a sexual encounter with a budgerigar.
Showing us the turbulent seventies - Once the acid had kicked in we set off on a quest forthe International House of Dope, College Days brings us to the present with observations on current culture. Poignant - There is nothing reasonable in love. We cannot choose love. Love chooses us. College Days is an amusing celebration of life in elegant prose.
Praise for College Days
"College Days put me into a mild state of shock... unable to get these stories out of my mind... more than I expected, notwithstanding the provocative cover photo. Vivid imagery, wry observations and an engaging quality and style of prose turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with these diverse, delightful characters." -Peter Roosen, Glarus, Switzerland
..." imagine Lenny Bruce merged with Mr. Bean... From Lenny... wandering off on many related tangents and threading the entire string into a cohesive whole. Like Mr. Bean, Arthur frequently begins with innocent naivete and we accompany him as this disintegrates into outright disaster... along the way we meet eccentric, unique, wonderful characters... Arthur tells a compelling story and manages to laugh at himself ... a man who gets himself painted into quite a few corners, and usually manages to escape with little or no paint on his shoes... You might not be a better person for reading this book but you definitely will be happier." -John Hawkins, MA (Psychology), MBA.
..." a collection of boisterous and ribald stories from the life of Arthur Cridland, which follows his many and varied misadventures... His landscapes are populated with the sorts of quirky eccentrics often found in academia, at once brilliant, yet often stunningly naive. His escapades, peccadilloes and tales of plans gone awry... take you through many humourous twists andpithy observations on life... an engaging and vividly descriptive style draws you in on his many little secrets as though you were coconspirators... His stories often left me in stitches, with a nagging wonderment how someone so clearly gifted could find trouble such a frequent companion." -Blair Montgomery, B.A., B.Sc., MBA.
..." an easy-to-read collection of varied and interesting short stories... a shameless account of misadventures... Arthur is one of the most interesting characters of all. ... writing style is colourful, crisp, detailed... rambling musings and humour from a man who is just as quick to laugh at himself as anyone he meets on his travels... the prudish should take heed... from childhood urinating contests to middle-aged wife swapping, there is just enough scintillating material to keep the reader's interest piqued... because of the unique writing style, the interesting recollections of memorable events, and the variety in the stories, I definitely recommend this book... especially for those who enjoy quirky characters." -Glenn Cooper, CanWest MediaWorks
..."it's great Easy reading and filled with humour... so talented and devious... killing myself laughing reading it on the Skytrain... an impresive ability to "paint pictures" with words I can picture the Blue Pig, the truckers stopping on the highway, the water shooting out of the tap, the hallway full of boxes to just name a few. If you read this book in public, be prepared for the staring gazes of onlookers staring back at the author staring at them from the cover, trying to figure out what you're reading -- the cover is so striking. From cover to cover this book is the work of a creative genius." -NickKlinick, Vancouver, B.C.
"Take this as a compliment: your writing reminds me of W.C. Fields. Arcane vocabulary, idiosyncratic style, the ordinary made memorable..." -Barbara Ardinger, author of Quicksilver Moon
..." a charmingly written diverse collection of entertaining stories. I find myself bursting to tell them to others... the tale about the motorcycle is hilarious" -Deb Calderon, author of Wizbangers and Presentation Wizardry
..." an entertaining, playful read" Carmen Wittmeier, English Literature instructor, Langara College
..." an irresistible retrospective... whimsical style... very entertaining and sometimes poignant... Arthur's experience with a budgerigar is hilarious... one of the finest suspenseful pieces of writing that I have ever read involves the author's experience with skydiving... this is a remarkable book...