Melvin Charles grew up virtually alone in the basement of a house in Kansas where books were his escape. In the cranny’s of that basement he found old clothbound books with slick pages and woodprints that told him of Horatio at the Bridge and other epic work. Plutarch guided him through history and the Greek and Roman gods lived alongside Jesus in his pantheon. Librarians would nod as he stood in the musty aisles, scanning the books for his next meal. He lives quietly in seclusion with his computer and dog.