Letters to Kevin — Stephen Dixon

Rudy, a goodhearted fellow in New York, has been trying to phone Kevin Wafer, a kid he knows in Palo Alto, California. Only trouble is, one thing or another keeps getting in the way. For starters, Rudy doesnâ�,��"�t have a phone in his apartment, and he canâ�,��"�t manage to get a dial tone on his pillow or his alarm clock. When he tries to use a pay phone, the phone booth gets carried off by a crane, deposited in a warehouse, and left with Rudy trapped inside. Whatâ�,��"�s worse, the only repairman who shows up canâ�,��"�t help because heâ�,��"�s due to leave on his vacation and wonâ�,��"�t be back for a month. Rudy tries to call for help, but all he can get on the line are other people locked inside other phone booths located other in warehouses all over the world. The only sensible thing for Rudy to do is to sit down with his trusty portable typewriter and write Kevin a letter, telling him whatâ�,��"�s happened. Like Bob Dylanâ�,��"�s â�,��"115th Dream,â�,� Letters to Kevin obeys a certain logic, but itâ�,��"�s a shifty, nighttime logic thatâ�,��"�s full of surprises. Letters to Kevin is an absurdist, screwball farce, and certainly Stephen Dixonâ�,��"�s wildest and weirdest book ever. Itâ�,��"�s also, sneakily, one of his most affecting.