A recently published first book by Port Clinton barber Don Lane is local color writing that demands of the reader a specific mind-set. Imagine yourself hiding behind stacks of shipping crates in a dark and musty warehouse. You have stumbled upon a small group of gamblers listening casually to a man relating a practical series of events out of his past. He relates tales with undocumented details and simple language not polished by attention to correct grammar or carefully developed characterization, but the players hear enough to know there is truth in the telling. You want to leave, to disregard the awkward narrative–but you do not. Instead, you squelch the tickle in your throat, put aside your desire to interrupt for clarity, disregard the occasional graphic remarks, and begin to imagine what really transpired.
The book is available from Amazon for $13.95, but you can get an autographed copy from Mr. Lane for $15 (including shipping) by sending a check to Donald Lane, 222 Madison Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452, or by visiting his barbershop!
For an academic account of rum-running, visit this link posted by Grove City College, Pennsylvania.