Jackie says, "This is pretty far out there, but in a very good way."

Alternately surreal, funny, ominous, and lyrical, Lou Beach’s 420 Characters offers an experience as dazzling as any in contemporary fiction. Revealing worlds of meaning in single paragraphs, these crystalline miniature stories began as Facebook status updates, and mark a new turn in an acclaimed artist and illustrator’s career. 420 Characters features original collages by the author.

Listen to recordings of some of the stories by Jeff Bridges, Ian McShane and David Alvin.

Jackie says:
"Lou Beach is an artist whose work has been featured in many publications as well as on several album covers.  He's a surrealist in art, and now in writing--this is his first book of prose.  It started (and continues--I just 'friended' him  to get his daily stories) as Facebook status's, which are limited to 420 characters (including punctuation and spaces).  He makes that little bit of space seem like a vast canvas, creating sometimes lyric, sometimes macabre, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking scenarios.  He takes you other worlds, other times, and places both physical and emotional that I have no clue about.  But I couldn't stop reading them.  These stories are both playful and intellectual, with a twist of just plain weird--I think you too will be wishing for more once the last page turns."