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The Lost Tales of Emerson Kaye is heavily layered in meta-fiction, requiring the reader to understand that the author is playing a character within his own made-up world. This collection of fictional journals and narrative excerpts chronicles the life of Emerson Kaye, a man who claims to be over three hundred years old. A meta-fictional memoir, blending personal recollections of barroom encounters with an epic fantasy backstory involving a dimension called the Underverse.

A long time ago in a bar far, far away — sometime in the year 2000, though Murphy’s clock had long since stopped keeping time — Emerson leaned across the sticky counter and asked the bartender after a round of bad service, “How many f@#ks do you have to save before you can give a f@#k? She looked him up and down, unimpressed, and fired back: “Well, if you had more than two f@#ks to rub together, I’d give you a f@#k.” The service improved only slightly after that. Emerson didn

Dear Emerson, I’m not sure where this letter will find you. I hope that you are well. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you stumbling into a bar. I’ve been thinking about you and some of our adventures. You always seemed to know what to say to me. I’m damaged goods. I’m not whole. I’m not even sure where I belong these days. I occupy myself with work and travel, but mostly it feels like I’m just moving time forward until something else happens—or until I don’t.

I wonder if Emerson will show up like he did on my 23rd birthday. Probably not. For all I know, he might have finally shared his last story.

As you may have noticed, these posts about events with Emerson are often compiled from various journal entries over multiple dates.

Valentine's Day has arrived, and it reminds me of when Emerson and I stumbled out of a cab back to my apartment in Orlando 35 years ago.

This is from a journal I have kept about visits from my friend Emerson. Who is Emerson? He was an enigma - a part-time poet and drunk.