<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>One part Plato, one part Aristophanes, two parts <i>Easy Rider</i>, <i>Organ Grinder</i> is a cocktail of lewd wisdom gathered equally from the poetry of antiquity and from near-death experiences on the open road. In a series of short works inspired by Horatian satire, Alan Fishbone bounces from gonzo fever-dream to philosophical treatise, investigating the conflicts between idealism and cynicism, love and sex, body and soul. Here's a taste: <p/><i>After my accident, I thought I was done with motorcycles. Until a few years ago-- I was lying in bed having trouble sleeping when I heard a voice say to me, "Alan, get a Harley and ride to Death Valley." I didn't even like Harleys. And I didn't believe that God had called me and told me to get one. It seemed unlikely that the monotheistic god we're stuck with would endorse a brand of motorcycle. Maybe the pagan gods of antiquity. Zeus might have ridden a Road King, or Apollo a BMW; you can imagine Aphrodite on the back of Ares's Ninja, zooming around the planets with the tip of a golden thong sticking out of her robe. Even that twerp Hermes on a Vespa delivering messages. Those gods liked to drink and screw and run around, like bikers, but not Yahweh or the Lord or Allah--strictly black limousines and security goons for those guys. Thou shalt not ride. Thou shalt not be free. Thou shalt pay off the debt of thy sins. </i> <p/>So writes Alan Fishbone, our motorcycle riding scholar of ancient Greek and Latin, in one of the salty, sharp-eyed pieces that fill the pages of<i> Organ Grinder</i>.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>Fishbone's mental mazes, irrepressibly personal, sexed-up, funny, philosophical, and unconventionally spiritual, make for thought-provoking, entertaining reading. --Annie Bostrom, <i>Booklist</i> <p/>A slim book that will resonate with the reader's inner biker/philosopher --<i>Kirkus Reviews <p/></i>"Alan Fishbone rides his winged chariot across the sky, and he's not afraid to take a sudden turn or even go face-first over the handlebars. The Lemmy Kilmister of classical studies, a combination I heretofore didn't think was possible." - Al Burian, author of <i>Burn Collector</i></p><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Alan Fishbone </b>has an M.Phil. in Classics from Columbia University. He has worked as a teacher of English and Aikido; as a translator of Latin, ancient Greek, and Spanish; and as a bouncer, a bartender, a construction worker, and a professor of Classics. Most recently he translated the installation ceremony of Pope Francis on live television for ABC News. He lives in New York City.