Jack Frost is a character from our new campus novel-- College Leadership Crisis: The Philip Dolly Affair (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2011)

Old Frost picked up his tired acoustic guitar. He brushed a few chords, buzzed a scale or two, and found a Roderick Usher  melody.

Frost thought of the olden times-- when he played with the rockabilly band…

Ripping up pure and pipeline-focused three chord progressions.

Turns, counter turns, root fives, and tangos.

Frost had been the bass guy then.

He considered the suburban Chinchillas who would come to hear him play—and their Korn and Led Zep T-shirts, their flip flops and sunglasses—their collective disappointment at not hearing “Brown Eyed Girl” or “Gimme Three Steps” or “Mustang Sally.”

Many listened to their Ipods during the concert, finding solace in a download or virtual reality.

Frost knew every one of them was in a band, or knew someone in a band, or was learning to play guitar. He knew they had front row seats to the next Casino-sponsored Loverboy concert.

 Each of them owned a Tele or a Zildjian cymbal.

Frost put the guitar away and poured himself a beer. He wouldn’t let the Chinchillas inside his head today.