Duck and Cover

Eleven Short Stories

Fiction - Anthology
167 Pages
Reviewed on 12/29/2018
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Author Biography

Rich Elliott’s writing reflects his interests in the fields of sports, history, and fiction.

Elliott is the author of The Competitive Edge: Mental Preparation for Distance Running, a book that explores the psychological aspects of the sport. His background as a national-class runner, English teacher, and distance coach gave him a unique perspective on this topic. Track and Field News magazine called the book "a modern classic."

For many years Elliott worked in educational publishing as a textbook editor and technology producer. He edited and wrote content for middle school and high school programs, including literature anthologies and history textbooks, several which became industry best-sellers. With the growth of technology ancillaries, he became a multimedia producer, working on award-winning video programs, software, and online products.

In 2010, Elliott came out with Runners on Running: The Best Nonfiction of Distance Running, a collection of the greatest nonfiction pieces from the world of running. This book won the Cordner Nelson Book Award, given by the Track and Field Writers of America.

Elliott is currently writing fiction, and his stories have been published in various literary magazines, including Confrontation, Indiana Voice Journal, and Aethlon. A collection of his stories, Duck and Cover: Eleven Short Stories, a fictional memoir of growing up in the Sixties, came out in October, 2018.

Elliott and his wife Aileen live in Valparaiso, Indiana.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

I just had a delightful trip down Memory Lane as I read the eleven stories of Duck and Cover by Rich Elliott. I did not grow up in the small town of Milford, Illinois, but in the larger and more citified Bronx, New York; this did not in any way detract from any of the enjoyment though. I could relate to so many of the stories and each one brought a smile to my face. I too had a wonderful English teacher who made learning fun and encouraged each of us to do the best we could. While I was a die-hard New York Yankee fan, I could feel the excitement and the desire for that one special White Sox baseball card. And, of course, who could ever forget the first time we heard the Beatles and instantly fell in love with their long hair and new sounds. Curling up under our little wooden desks was always scary but exciting too. There is so much in each of these stories, making them a special time.

Duck and Cover is a lighthearted look at childhood during those wonderful 1950s and '60s that will never come again. Author Rich Elliott is an excellent storyteller with a flair for the good old days. I do not think it will matter where you lived, how you grew up, or even how old or young you are - Duck and Cover is a book about growing from childhood into adulthood; with good, bad, scary, funny, happy and sad events. Readers of all ages should read Duck and Cover.