EDUCATE
REVIEWS | BOOKS CODE BILLY
ON WAITING AND MAGALLANES
By Ben Huber Instructor
By James Mixon NOLS Grad
It’s a normal Saturday morning at the Mega SuperMart until 7-year-old Billy—fed up with his mom—decides to run away. The manager locks down the superstore but won’t call the police for fear they’ll discover he’s been embezzling. NOLS instructor Ben Huber’s first novel, Code Billy, is a humorous tale of nine characters stuck inside the superstore—the pilfering manager, his timid assistant manager, an anthropomorphic squirrel, a small-time YouTube preacher, the titular Billy, and his van-driving soccer mom, among others. In the space of just a few hours, there’s a shoot-out, the beginning of a love affair, several sermons, and the highjacking of a delivery truck carrying salted nuts. Ben’s created memorable and well-defined—if broadly drawn—characters and adds plenty of rich detail and dialogue. The voice of each chapter of Code Billy rotates from character to character, with key pieces of action repeated from different perspectives. While it’s a clever device—and a reminder that we all see things differently—it’s one that occasionally slows down the action, particularly early in the story. The pace picks up though, and by the end, it’s clipping right along, with all the loose ends tied up. While the action never moves outside the four walls of the store, this could be a good book to bring along on your next adventure for its entertainment value and a few laugh-out-loud moments. At 320 pages, it’s not the book to pack if your trip is an ultralight one, but it may be just right for car camping. Available through Amazon. Review by Anne McGowan
A NOLS Semester in Patagonia alumnus, James set pencil to paper throughout his course as a way to record his experiences. This is one of his poems: The great lesson I learned under infinite skies: Nothing is waterproof; everything dries. A cardinal corridor ‘twixt contrasting strokes, Delicate moss beneath billowing smoke, Those clouds imperturbable bated my breath And watched with me placidly life unto death. Where forests of legend grow out of their fathers And travelers lost shall find no other wanderers. My footprints shall disappear soon after I; They soak in the smallness and sink down inside. Along with our shoes and our egos and more, Arrogance scattered from summit to shore. But there are horizons I haven’t yet found. The simplest changes with only a sound, And strange it will seem if when searching I die Whilst the view just before me will shift with a sigh. Learn from the landscape of fire and ice. Experience, fear, of indefinite size. Watch for the sun breaking over your shoulder— A lengthening stride does not mean that you’re older. The corridor widens to unfettered eyes: Nothing is waterproof; everything dries.
Who Is This? Do you recognize this person? The first ten people to contact us with the correct answer will receive a prize in the mail. The answer to the Spring 2018 issue’s “Who Is This?” is Rusty Wells, renowned fly fisher and instructor from 1977 to 1988. Rumor has it Rusty was born in the mountains and raised in a lion’s den.
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