About the Author
Before moving to Oregon, Michael Burkett worked for several community newspapers in Arizona. He was editor-in-chief at the Chandler Independent in that city near Phoenix. He was a staff writer for the West Valley View in Litchfield Park, also near Phoenix. He was a staff writer and photographer for the Payson Roundup in Payson, a small rural community in Arizona's high country made famous by western author Zane Grey.

About this Book
Burkett, while writing for the Arizona New Times --as well as a father of two--has culled his "Dad Zone" columns here and added new anecdotes, poems, essays and other tidbits. The result is a wacky yet touching look at fatherhood in the 1990s. Rarely more than two or three pages long, the entries discuss birth ("And Baby Makes Four"), death ("Jesus Swiped My Goldfish") and a lot in between, such as saving money on Halloween costumes (" . . . fun, zip-budget costume ideas include hobo, match girl, ghetto child, nudist, cardboard box robot") and cooking for kids (he calls this "Mean Cuisine"), which covers delectables such as N'Mores and Official Toxic Avenger Squeeze Tube Dessert Sticks. The book would make a gift for veteran or rookie parents in need of laughter or just a bit of inspiration.