In a culture where pessimism has metastasized like slow carcinoma, that crazy Irishman was backward enough to try to raise hopes, like hothouse flowers. In an era during which even judicious use of alcohol has been increasingly bad-rapped, the man who came to be known as The Mick of Time was backward enough to think that the world can look just that essential tad better when seen through a flask, brightly. (As long as you let someone else drive you home afterward.) Above all, he — and his goofball customers — believed that shared pain is lessened, and shared Joy increased.
Spider Robinson
What’s really amazing about these stories is the warmth of Callahan’s fire, which still warms my heart (albeit faintly at this point) three years after reading these tales. I don’t remember the specific plots or characters very well, but I remember the atmosphere and the feelings in this book. I remember that “Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased,” and the bittersweet comfort that comes from observed empathy (please can’t I visit this place in reality?). Will certainly reread one day, along with all of the sequels.
First Encounter:
I’d seen the Callahan books in our basement library as a child many times, but never cracked one open. It wasn’t until many years later, as an adult, that I realized what I’d been missing out on, when I finally happened to read a Spider Robinson book. Since then, I’ve sought them out.
Recommendations to Myself 