The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill Podcast

Barr

The fourth Henry Coffin novel. thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    2 The Tragedy of Shaggy

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, The Tragedy of Shaggy, comes after The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill. I have started writing novellas that add to Henry Coffin’s Nantucket. When I finish one of these novels, I have stories that remain in my head. Since the novels all take place on one island, with the same cast of characters, their stories can’t just disappear. Reacher can hop on a bus and appear somewhere else. Henry Coffin doesn’t have that. I like to leave Henry on the back burner for the novellas, but this one requires his presence. In addition to setting up the next novel, this novella helps me take Danny out of the car and put him in the Chief chair. The two of them make a great pair, but it didn’t make sense for him to always be a sergeant. Jak’lyn will replace Danny in the car, but she comes with added weight. She also has a family, but it is her mother and her son. They live in Hyannis and she has to commute. She is uncomfortable with Henry, not just because of his race and his wealth, but she needs the job. So she learns. With this novella, I am only publishing ir aloud on substack. I will send the print version to Amazon for kindles or publishing. The Hero of Meadowview Drive is pushing on the door. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. The previous story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  2. 4d ago

    1. The Tragedy of Shaggy

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, The Tragedy of Shaggy, comes after The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill. I have started writing novellas that add to Henry Coffin’s Nantucket. When I finish one of these novels, I have stories that remain in my head. Since the novels all take place on one island, with the same cast of characters, their stories can’t just disappear. Reacher can hop on a bus and appear somewhere else. Henry Coffin doesn’t have that. I like to leave Henry on the back burner for the novellas, but this one requires his presence. In addition to setting up the next novel, this novella helps me take Danny out of the car and put him in the Chief chair. The two of them make a great pair, but it didn’t make sense for him to always be a sergeant. Jak’lyn will replace Danny in the car, but she comes with added weight. She also has a family, but it is her mother and her son. They live in Hyannis and she has to commute. She is uncomfortable with Henry, not just because of his race and his wealth, but she needs the job. So she learns. With this novella, I am only publishing ir aloud on substack. I will send the print version to Amazon for kindles or publishing. The Hero of Meadowview Drive is pushing on the door. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. The previous story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  3. 6d ago

    3. MacLean and Home

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, MacLean and Home, comes after The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill. I have started writing novellas that add to Henry Coffin’s Nantucket. When I finish one of these novels, I have stories that remain in my head. Since the novels all take place on one island, with the same cast of characters, their stories can’t just disappear. Reacher can hop on a bus and appear somewhere else. Henry Coffin doesn’t have that. Also, the novellas let me leave Henry alone. He can star in the novels, but the novellas are inevitably about all of the other people in the story. In this case, Maria DeSalvo has had to endure a nightmare, from Julian, to the “Remember” to her abortion. She can’t just disappear into the blank page. Since I am going to keep writing about Henry Coffin’s Nantucket, I need to either kill her or let her return. With this novella, I am only publishing ir aloud on substack. I will send the print version to Amazon for kindles or publishing. The Hero of Meadowview Drive is pushing on the door. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. The previous story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Oct 22

    2 Maclean and Home: Maria’s Story

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, MacLean and Home, comes after The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill. I have started writing novellas that add to Henry Coffin’s Nantucket. When I finish one of these novels, I have stories that remain in my head. Since the novels all take place on one island, with the same cast of characters, their stories can’t just disappear. Reacher can hop on a bus and appear somewhere else. Henry Coffin doesn’t have that. Also, the novellas let me leave Henry alone. He can star in the novels, but the novellas are inevitably about all of the other people in the story. In this case, Maria DeSalvo has had to endure a nightmare, from Julian, to the “Remember” to her abortion. She can’t just disappear into the blank page. Since I am going to keep writing about Henry Coffin’s Nantucket, I need to either kill her or let her return. With this novella, I am only publishing ir aloud on substack. I will send the print version to Amazon for kindles or publishing. The Hero of Meadowview Drive is pushing on the door. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. The previous story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Oct 20

    1 Maclean and Home: Maria’s Story

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, MacLean and Home, comes after The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill. I have started writing novellas that add to Henry Coffin’s Nantucket. When I finish one of these novels, I have stories that remain in my head. Since the novels all take place on one island, with the same cast of characters, their stories can’t just disappear. Reacher can hop on a bus and appear somewhere else. Henry Coffin doesn’t have that. Also, the novellas let me leave Henry alone. He can star in the novels, but the novellas are inevitably about all of the other people in the story. In this case, Maria DeSalvo has had to endure a nightmare, from Julian, to the “Remember” to her abortion. She can’t just disappear into the blank page. Since I am going to keep writing about Henry Coffin’s Nantucket, I need to either kill her or let her return. With this novella, I am only publishing ir aloud on substack. I will send the print version to Amazon for kindles or publishing. The Hero of Meadowview Drive is pushing on the door. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. The previous story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Oct 14

    19. Coffin Walks Alone

    One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, Windmill, comes after The Girl Who Ran the Polpis Road.. Every writer (I read) writes four bad novels at the beginning and these are mine. The Boy who Climbed the Windmill is a novel, in the sense that it has multiple plots, a detailed world, and a theme that wraps itself through the plot. This novel is my oldest and my most worked over, but might be the most successful one. The side plots are tied pretty tightly to the main plot, and the main plot drives. I have been experimenting with writing much more direct works that are better for the digital moment. When I was twenty five, The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill was the work I wanted to write. Now that I am sixty and am aware that my novels will not appear in airports, the form of this work is a little out of date. However, it may work better as a spoken text. I am hoping so. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. “Windmill” picks up almost three months after “Polpis Road.” The previous novel isn’t necessary, but it might be helpful. Also, I have written several novellas that bracket both Polpis Road and Windmill. None of them are necessary, but they take the characters into logical spots. The Inn on Brant Point: Right before Windmill: Billy Trotter Love Letters From a Cancelled Future: After Polpis Road: Elvis and Dionis The Fisher King: After Polpis Road: Simon The story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. My polished work is on a new website…. The blog has the “One Good Thing” essays, Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Oct 8

    18 Everybody Has To Eat a Plate of S**t

    (My essays are available at Barr’d For Life.) One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, Windmill, comes after The Girl Who Ran the Polpis Road.. Every writer (I read) writes four bad novels at the beginning and these are mine. The Boy who Climbed the Windmill is a novel, in the sense that it has multiple plots, a detailed world, and a theme that wraps itself through the plot. This novel is my oldest and my most worked over, but might be the most successful one. The side plots are tied pretty tightly to the main plot, and the main plot drives. I have been experimenting with writing much more direct works that are better for the digital moment. When I was twenty five, The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill was the work I wanted to write. Now that I am sixty and am aware that my novels will not appear in airports, the form of this work is a little out of date. However, it may work better as a spoken text. I am hoping so. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. “Windmill” picks up almost three months after “Polpis Road.” The previous novel isn’t necessary, but it might be helpful. Also, I have written several novellas that bracket both Polpis Road and Windmill. None of them are necessary, but they take the characters into logical spots. The Inn on Brant Point: Right before Windmill: Billy Trotter Love Letters From a Cancelled Future: After Polpis Road: Elvis and Dionis The Fisher King: After Polpis Road: Simon The story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. My polished work is on a new website…. The blog has the “One Good Thing” essays, Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Oct 6

    17 The Morning After

    (My essays are available at Barr’d For Life.) One of the great surprises of recording The Boat at the End of Lover’s Lane was realizing how many people listen to the books. I use these first four books as tools to help me learn to write better. Publishing on Substack has helped me to edit myself better, as has listening and recording the works. However, more people listen to the chapters than read them. Which is great. I will take an audience where ever it is. I will re-record all of the works now and publish them in their own podcasts. This work, Windmill, comes after The Girl Who Ran the Polpis Road.. Every writer (I read) writes four bad novels at the beginning and these are mine. The Boy who Climbed the Windmill is a novel, in the sense that it has multiple plots, a detailed world, and a theme that wraps itself through the plot. This novel is my oldest and my most worked over, but might be the most successful one. The side plots are tied pretty tightly to the main plot, and the main plot drives. I have been experimenting with writing much more direct works that are better for the digital moment. When I was twenty five, The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill was the work I wanted to write. Now that I am sixty and am aware that my novels will not appear in airports, the form of this work is a little out of date. However, it may work better as a spoken text. I am hoping so. If you enjoy listening, please like, restack, and comment. If you feel particularly moved, you can subscribe for free or you can send me some money. Feedback, on substack, comes rarely, but I enjoy having comments, even if they take me to task for grammar or pronoun reference errors. “Windmill” picks up almost three months after “Polpis Road.” The previous novel isn’t necessary, but it might be helpful. Also, I have written several novellas that bracket both Polpis Road and Windmill. None of them are necessary, but they take the characters into logical spots. The Inn on Brant Point: Right before Windmill: Billy Trotter Love Letters From a Cancelled Future: After Polpis Road: Elvis and Dionis The Fisher King: After Polpis Road: Simon The story… In THE BOY WHO CLIMBED THE WINDMILL, high school sophomore Maria DeSalvo learns how small the island is after she falls in love with a Brazilian boy named Julian. The two of them cross paths with a local group of high school bullies, The Rangers. Julian disappears, but Maria gets sexually assaulted, photographed, and inscribed in Sharpie with the world “Remember.” A picture and the mortification fly through the small community. But an island that will judge what it sees will also forget what it doesn’t. Henry Coffin, the only Quaker on the island police force, pushes for some sort of justice. The truth, like many secrets, sits in plain sight but unacknowledged. Thanks for your support. It means the world to me. My polished work is on a new website…. The blog has the “One Good Thing” essays, Come to Coffin’s Nantucket…click on the picture for all of my writing Barr’d For Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Boy Who Climbed the Windmill at thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com/subscribe

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The fourth Henry Coffin novel. thboywhoclimbedthewindmill.substack.com