Coffee Tea or Me?

Foranyonewholovesreadingasmuchasrunning,TheRunner'sLiteraryCompanionistheultimatepleasure.Itcontainsallthegreatestappearancesofrunnersinliterature:indeliblescenesfromclassicrunningnovels,andunforgettableshortstoriesandpoems.WhetheryouareaweekendjoggeroranOlympiccontender,whetherasprinteroramarathoner,oranythinginbetween,ifyouareathinkingrunner,thisbookhassomethingthatwillsetyourheartracing,orsendyououtthedoorinrunningshoes,orsimplybringasmileofrecognitiontoyourface—therecognitionofkindredsouls.Thesetwenty-fourstoriesandtwenty-fourpoemsaretoldinasplendidmixofvoicesandliterarystyles.Theyincludealovestory,twowarstories,andahorrorstory;severalmurdersandasurrealcomedy.Buttheyallareteemingwithrunners.Theyfeaturecharacterswhoarepresentinthelivesofmanyrunnersalready:QuentonCassidy,theyoungmilerinJohnL.Parker'scultnovel,OnceaRunner,Smith,thefiercerebelofTheLonelinessoftheLong-DistanceRunner,andArchieHamilton,theill-fatedsprinterfromGallipoli.Newheroes(andsomevillains)abound,rangingfromtheshy,persistenthighschoolrunner,JohnSobieski,toJamesTabor'snamelessavengingdrifter,whoactsouteveryrunner'sdarkestviolentImpulse.NottomentionPeteNilsonandBradTownes,twomarathonerswho(fordifferentreasons)runthemselvesneartodeath,andfindtherestrangeblissandredemption.AndHazelElizabethDeborahParker(Squeaky),agirlinHarlemwhosesprintingbringsherjoyandstrength.Besidestheextraordinarycharacters,andsomeplotswhichcouldadrenalizethedead,thesestoriesandpoemsofferbeautiful,inspiringdescriptionsofthephysicalactofrunning.TheRunner'sLiteraryCompanioncontainsrunningaseveryrunnerdreamsofit—fluid,powerful,andgraceful.Itanatomizesthevastcomplexityofthisseeminglysimpleact.Anditfindsequalnobilityinchampionsandunknowns.Eachstoryandpoempulseswithcourage,fear,pain,hope,andelation.Fictionandpoetrysharewithrunninganexhilarationandanintensity;theyconcentrateandmagnifyreallife.TheRunner'sLiteraryCompanion,bygatheringthesestoriesandpoems,offersaglimpseofrunningasthetranscendentthingitcanbe.Andaboveall,thisbookwillbringhoursofreadingpleasuretoanyonewhoruns,orwhoonceran,orwhohopestorunsomeday.Foreveryonewholovesreadingasmuchasrunning,thispleasing,inspiringcollectionof48shortstoriesandpoemsonrunningofferscontributionsfromauthorsasdiverseasJoyceCarolOates,WaltWhitman,andA.E.Housman,"(TheRunner'sLiteraryCompanion)animatesthespiritofrunningbetterthananyotherbook."--Runner'sWorld.