NOT MY TIME: Close Calls with the Grim Reaper - Tapa blanda

The author of three books of short stories of entertaining events during the last half of the 20th century, Alvin Roberts presents a collection of ten stories highlighting the philosophical dilemma of predestined time of death versus the doctrine of free will. The central characters in these stories have encountered near fatal circumstances and lived to tell about them. The reader will be interested in how they interpret their good fortunes in terms of predestination or free will.

Born in 1930 in the depth of "The Great Depression," Alvin Roberts cam in this world face to face with the dual challenges of poverty and blindness. Growing up in an era when story telling and performing country music were major pastimes in the succession of taverns and lunchrooms operated by his parents, he quickly learned to play the guitar and remember yarns. When blindness necessitated the learning of typewriting in order to prepare homework assignments, Alvin logically began using the stories from adults for practicing typing. His first publishing success was a "tall tale", submitted at the suggestion of his sixth grade teacher, which won second place in a liar's contest.With assistance from the Illinois Division of Rehabilitation and earnings from performing country music in local night clubs, Mr. Roberts completed a Master's Degree in Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has completed 50 years of civil service, working in a succession of six different Illinois governmental departments. Prior professional publications include twenty five articles in professional journals of rehabilitation and two books, Psycho-social Rehabilitation of the Blind (Charles C. Thomas, 1973) and Coping with Blindness (SIU Press, 1998). His fiction works include Tavern Tales (Aegina Press, 1993) and Bar Stool Fiction (1st Books Library, 2001).Mr. Roberts is currently employed as a Quality Assurance Administrator of the Illinois Bureau of Blind Services and resides in Carbondale, Illinois. His two daughters, Hope Silkwood and Lydia Hazel, six grandchildren, and one great granddaughter reside in the Carbondale area as well.