I Probaby Shouldn't Have Done That

Edmond Manning, author of "The Lost and Founds" series has made a few mistakes in his life. Well, more than a few. But with his characteristic ability to embrace the weird and the wonderful, he prefers to think of them as "experiences." Why label an adventure a regret if everything works out in the end? Whether getting high from an airplane stranger's candy, attempting to deceive the DMV with magic, or discovering he might be the central figure in an unfolding teen horror flick, Manning reflects on a lifetime of questionable decisions in this memoir and confessional. In the essay, "Dear Penthouse, " Manning ponders the appropriate response to a late-night booty call from an irritating neighbor. "The Best New York Sandwich" documents his day being homeless in New York City. Soft reflections about "The Final Blessing" from his father, and thoughts of growing older, are interspersed with odd tales of a family that believes in "Moon Recession Birthdays." Manning leaps from personal lunacy to handling homophobia to sheer wonder at the beauty of everyday people which makes for a giggly, surprising, and occasionally sweet-sad journey through a gay man's collected tales of a life filled with glorious mistakes.