by Deborah S. Van Damme

The diverse array of philosophical, moral and political issues addressed in these short stories traverse both cultural and historical frontiers. Arthur Van Damme, the narrator in all the works, reflects on the decisions, challenges, perceptions and tragedies that many of us deal with in our daily lives, if not within our lifetime.

These stories are a work of fiction and I created all the characters with exception of Arthur Van Damme. The places where the stories take place, like Somalia, New Mexico, California and Texas are, of course, genuine.

I relied on memories, personal experiences and the diaries of Arthur Van Damme to create the following works: An Unpleasant Job, The Afgoi Dunal Colony, and The Stampeding Donkey of the Honorable Hotpepper. California and Texas are the settings for A Dog Named Onassis and Kill Before Sundown. If We Bleed or Die It Doesn't Matter, is mostly set in the Pecos region of New Mexico including Mountain View Ranch (the ranch no longer exists).