Dennis Hinkamp never cared much for nature writing as a genre because, he says, usually there’s too much wafting, glimmering and shimmering. “Things seem to happen outdoors that seldom happen in real life. Animals, for instance, often come off seeming more noble, contemplative and spiritual than humans. I think nature can be just as drunk, self-indulgent and spiteful as any human being, which is why my backyard has come to serve as the perfect setting for a short story by that master of gritty fiction, Elmore Leonard.”  Takes a curmudgeon to know one, this essay made me smile.  . . . more>>