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    Bear
    Bear
    Bear
    Ebook73 pages55 minutes

    Bear

    By Erich von Neff

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Bear, a Yakima Indian, and his ex-Marine buddy have both been laid off work ... summer 1969. Bear decides to visit the reservation "Up north."

    They leave San Francisco and head up the coast. Along the way they have numerous misadventures such as a fight with some motorcycle riders.

    The background setting to these misadventures is the music playing on the nostalgia radio station of Bear's van. What should easily be several days drive ends up taking three weeks. Eventually Bear and his friend decide to turn back: "It's no use. We're never going to make it," Bear says.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherErich von Neff
    Release dateNov 28, 2012
    ISBN9781301466214
    Bear
    Author

    Erich von Neff

    Erich von Neff is a San Francisco longshoreman. He received his masters degree in philosophy from San Francisco State University and was a graduate research student at the University of Dundee Scotland.Erich von Neff is well known on the French avant-garde and mainstream literary scenes. He is a member of the Poetes Francais ,La Societes des Poetes et Artistes de France, Vice Chancelier de la Federation Poetique de Saint Venance Fortunat, and Membre d'honneur du Caveau Stephanois.He has had the following publications in France (en français):Poems: 1303Short Stories: 318Small press books 9Books 1Prix (Prizes) 26Erich von Neff's novel "Prostitutees au bord de La Route" (Prostitutes by the Side of the Road) was published by "Cashiers de Nuit" (1999) with a grant from Centre Region des Lettres de Basse-Normandie.Erich von Neff's book of poems "Les Putains Cocainomanes" (The Cocaine Whores) was published by Cahiers du Nuit, 1998. "Les Putains Cocainomanes " was discussed on 96.2 FM, Paris, 1998 by Marie-Andre Balbastre, Poem # 45 was read.Several poems from "Les Putains Cocainomanes "were read at the Cafe Montmarte in Paris,2010. Several poems from "Les Yeux qui faiblissent ont faim de la vigilance eternelle de la verite "were read at the Cafe Au soleil de la Butte in Paris, 2014. Poems from " Un Cube chrome a l'interieur d'une coquille d'oeuf cassee" were read at the Cafe Au soleil de la butte" in Paris 2014.A Trophée Victor Hugo was awarded to Erich von Neff's novel "Une Lancia rouge Devale Lombard Street a tombeau ouvert," (The Red Lancia Roars Down Lombard Street), 1998. Several poems from my "Le Puttane della cocaina" (The Cocaine Whores) were read by Giulia Lombardo at the Caffe Litterario in Rome, at the Caffe Palatennistavolo,Teni Italy & Caffe degli artisti in Milan, Bookbar in Rome, Bibliocafe in Rome , and in five other Italian cafes in Italy,2014. Several poems from my "Le Puttane della cocaina" were read by Giulia Lombardo at the Caffe Palatennistavolo,Terni Italy in February ,6 readings in May 2015, 3 readings in June 2015, 2 readings in July, 4 readings in August, 4 readings in September,3 readings in October, 5 readings in December, 2015. 2 readings of my "Le Puttane dela cocaina"were read by Giulia Lombardo at the,Caffe Palatennistavolo,Terni Italy, January 2016. 2 readings of my "Le Puttane della cocaina" were read by Giulia Lombardo at the Caffe Palatennistavolo, February 2016. My poetry book "Un Cube Chrome a L'Interieur d'une Coquille d'Oeut Cassee "was published by Henri Tramoy editeur of Soleils et Cendre, France,2016. In 2018, 30 short stories and 3 poems were published in Russian magazines. In 2019 my book of poems Le Cabaret de la Souris Rugissante ( The Cabaret of the Roaring Mouse) was published by Atlier de l'agnew, editor Francoise Favretto. Le Cabaret de la Souis Rugissante was awarded a Trophee Edgar Allen Poe by Simone Gabriel editor of Cepal magazine.Le Cabaret de la Souris Rugissante was read by my translattor Jean Hautepierre at L'Autre Livre bookstore in Paris on September 5th.It was also read by Jean Hautepierre at the Cafe de la Marie in Paris on October 15th. It was read by the French actor Sebastien Bidault at the Bar-Restaurant du Palais in Paris on December 18th. There were four good reviews. In 2023 6 Affaires Resolues par Frieda et Gitta was published by Editions Unicite.

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      Book preview

      Bear - Erich von Neff

      Glossary

      Class B longshoremen: Second level longshoremen dispatched after the Class A longshoremen.

      Cherokee Strip: The northwest section of what is now Oklahoma. Its northern border was the Kansas/Oklahoma line - 58 miles wide and 228 miles long. In 1889 it was the site of the largest land rush in history, where over 100,000 people raced to claim one of the 40,000 homesteads or valuable town lots available. Erich von Neff's great grandfather, Milton Robb, was in fact an Indian lawyer on the Cherokee Strip.

      I

      Yakima and Proud of it, the bumper sticker said. On the back and sides of a faded blue Volkswagen van were other stickers. Indian Reservation. Keep out., U.S. Marines, and a second Yakima and Proud of it.

      Bear lived in the Volkswagen van which was parked on Fulton Street next to Golden Gate Park. I parked near the reservation, about a parking space away. I banged on the side of the van. I banged again. This time I announced myself.

      It's me Bear, 'Erich'.

      The side door of the van slid open. Dark eyes peered at me.

      Okay, I hear you, a gravely voice said.

      I sat down on a wooden chair. The door rolled shut. Bear sat on another wooden chair flanking the doorway. He said nothing. Time went by, without words being etched.

      Did you work last night? I finally asked.

      Yeah, I worked. I worked coffee at Pier 80.

      Again, time without verbal tracks.

      You got something in that sack? Bear asked.

      I reached into a Safeway shopping bag, and pulled out a quart bottle of Rainier Ale.

      Bear took the bottle from my hand, unscrewed the lid, then sipped slowly. He pushed the Army sleeping bag and the foam rubber mattress over slightly, and put the beer on the plywood bed board that was underneath.

      Where's Zeke? I asked.

      He got hit by the Clement Street Bus yesterday.

      Bear's tone of voice had been unemotional, fatalistic. Dog Zeke was gone. Finished by the tires of the Clement Street Bus.

      I found him in the park when he was a pup. That1s how I came to have him, Bear reminisced, as if Zeke's origins were now of some importance.

      He had a strange look, I said. Like he was looking right through you.

      He was that way alright.

      Bear pushed the Rainier Ale toward me. I tipped it to my mouth. A Playboy centerfold looked down on me: a luscious blonde lying backside up on a fur rug of some sort. There was plenty of room beside her.

      You still living in the van? I asked, knowing the answer.

      Where else? You know the last time I got dispatched was two weeks ago. The waterfront's kinda’ slow right now. As a B longshoreman I don't get that much work.

      It's not like the brewery; you guys work most of the year.

      Sometimes I get laid off unexpectedly. I apologized.

      Yeah, then you're down our hall looking for work, Bear said accusingly.

      I stretched out my right leg, kicking a couple of crushed aluminum cans out of the way with my foot.

      When are you going to get rid of those damn cans?

      When I get enough of them, he said as though he honestly believed that day would come.

      I drank more beer, pushed aside some of the dirty clothes on the sleeping bag, then rested my left hand on it.

      I'm getting so I like this place, Bear said as if I were getting comfortable enough to agree with him.

      The gardener, Jones, he lets me use the bathroom and the shower. Once in a while I give him a hand picking up papers.

      Quiet a trade off.

      I thumbed through one of the western novels scattered among the clothes.

      I like to read about the cowboys and the Indians, Bear said sarcastically.

      Sometimes we even win a few.

      You know something, Bear said thumbing through one of the western novels absentmindedly. With Zeke being killed and all. I've got no reason to stay here. Besides I'm getting tired of this place anyway.

      He had contradicted himself. Or had he? I remained silent. Perhaps it was just not my way of thinking.

      I may go up North...to the reservation.

      You want to come along? he asked. I started to reach for the beer. He pushed my hand away. I asked you. Do you want to come along?

      Okay, I said feeling a tightness in my diaphragm. I'm getting laid off this Friday anyway.

      II

      It was just before dawn when I arrived at the van from my Richmond

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