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In Bruce Richards's stories and the striking photos that accompany them, we find an artist who is wise, bright, deeply informed- and humble enough that the collection's considerable humor is more often directed at himself than at others. A delight to eye, ear, and mind from start to finish - Sydney Lea, author of 23 books, Pulitzer finalist, and former Vermont Poet Laureate Jumping the Shark gives us the voice of a born story-teller, the testament of a life rich in the kind of memories that illuminate our times. Richards is one of those rare writers who can make me laugh out loud at his humor and marvel at his insights--often in the very same sentence. Cross Garrison Keillor with James Thurber, throw in a splash of Lenny Bruce, and you'll see what I mean. - W. D. Wetherell, multiple award-winning author of Chekhov's Sister and 25 other books From the Jersey shore to Hawaii's beaches and Vermont's green hills, from gunshot wounds and ganja tales to murder in the barnyard, Jumping the Shark supplies a vivid portrait of postwar America. It's all true, especially when outrageous, and Richards has the photos to prove it. A natural teacher, he always prefers wit to the wet cement called "pedagogy," and we are as fortunate as his students once were to receive this record of his trip, in every sense of that word, through our eventful times. - David Bosworth, prize-winning author of Conscientious Thinking and numerous other works; Head of Creative Writing Dept., University of Washington.