Terry Tallent recounts numerous misadventures inspired by his own life in this sometimes humorous, sometimes heart-rending collection of 44 short stories. Some of the tales are interconnected and woven among free-standing yarns. Diverse themes are explored throughout. Among them: the game of pool, a California beach town in the 1950's, romance in the South Seas, an unsolved library murder, surfing in the early 60's, the rise of modern-day Berlin after reunification, sea turtle biology, Samoan culture, Poe's ominous bird of yore, coitus interruptus, bohemians & debauchery. The collection's title piece, "The Loose Rack," won first place in the 2014 Ventura County Writers' Club Short Story Contest. Another story, "My Dinner With Andrea," won first place in the "Best Worst Sex Scene Writing Contest" of 2005.Also by Terry Tallent -- don't miss his historical novel, "Making The Reata," (2012) which tells the story of the founding and ultimate demise of Mission San Buenaventura from the Chumash Indian point of view. Available at Amazon.com, Silver Spur Publishing, and selected museum book stores.