Just Bill Small Town Life in Nebraska

"Just Bill" is a story told by Ralph Anderson, who describes it as his story. And that's true! But it's also the story of Bill. Really, there are multiple stories here, since no one's life can be explained in one story but in many colliding and conversing stories. Blackjack could be any small town in Nebraska. The rhythm and characters Blackjack hosts will lure you in as you see one small town take on a big city.

"Just Bill" is a hilarious novel about a small town in Nebraska and the intriguing characters that call it home. This collage of real human stories plays off itself in a symphony of modern American humor.

Palmer McGrew loves stories, and he loves to tell them. Growing up in Nebraska, he found small Nebraska towns were often funnier than his early home town of Lincoln, a city that is full of serious lawyers, politicians and professors. Small-town Nebraskans have some really funny stories– lucky for him.

His parents were not just story tellers, they were funny. They made up new pronunciations of common words, making listening to them funny all by itself. And, his relatives were funny on their own. For example, his grandmother actually escaped from a nursing home by climbing out the window when she was in her 70's. Her story is in the book.

Palmer left Nebraska when he entered West Point, far, far away from his source of mid-west stories. While studying hard at the Academy and then working hard as an Army officer, he had little time for creative writing. After retiring, he started again and wrote and published more than 25 stories, and even more one-act plays.

He was lucky to have several classmates from Nebraska and many more friends who all told him great stories. He loved the stories they gave him. Thanks to them, and many others, he was able to turn it all into "Just Bill."