. . . "Fiction" . . . "Meet Terence Newcombe, a \"literature professor with nothing original or relevant to teach. A homeowner, taxpayer, respected member of society deserving of nothing but contempt. A hoaxster, a con man, a grifter. Being a stand-up guy was my shell game. Friend? Husband? Mentor? Father? The hand is quicker than the eye.\" Through relentless wordplay, unflinching introspection, and spot-on critique of academia with all its pedagogy and convoluted language, Randall Silvis spins a bittersweet tale of lost hopes and nearly grasped second chances. Narrator Terence \"Nuke\" Newcombe revels in self-loathing, short circuits his synapses, then finds himself unexpectedly sober, with that elusive second chance not so far out of reach." . "Hangtime : a confession" . . .