Prior to the beginning of the school year, MHS Language Arts Instructor Roger Holsinger contacted Mark Stevens with Running Meter Press in Denver to find out if the company would be interested in donating some of the books, written by the late Gary Reilly, for his American Literature class.
“When I contacted Mark he said they would love to make the donation,” said Holsinger. “I was thrilled because I hoped the book would impact the lives of my students in the same way it impacted mine.”
But why ask for a book about a man driving a cab in Denver?
“I first began reading the first in the series more than a year ago and I was instantly hooked,” said Holsinger. “I was not what you would describe as an avid reader growing up and in high school. I read what I had to read in order to pass an assignment, but never thought about reading in my spare time.
“However, after reading the first and then second book, I was intrigued with Reilly’s character and perhaps I saw a little of myself in Murph. One of the problems many schools face is inspiring students to read and I figured that if these books could get me reading at 47, then perhaps some of my students might enjoy the mystery that is Brendan Murphy,” said Holsinger.
MHS junior Miguel Martinez, Jr. said he is enjoying the book because of the humor. “It’s funny and he gives us an inside look of being a taxi cab driver and his life. I find it intriguing,” he said.
Junior Angelica Longoria said she also likes the humor and “the fact the author opens up to the reader and is not afraid to show us he makes mistakes and that he is vulnerable,” she said.
Reilly has a direct connection to the North Platte Valley and his sisters Joanne Krieg and Judy Waite still live in Scottsbluff. The Reilly family moved to Scottsbluff in 1967 where their father managed the Woolsworths Department Store.
Reilly lived with his family in Scottsbluff for less than a year after the family moved there from Wheatridge, Colo. Reilly was born in Arkansas City, Kan., and attended Catholic schools in Kansas and then in Denver. Joanne Krieg said that she sees a number of similarities between her brother and the main character, Murph.
She said that her brother drove a taxi while living in Denver, he had his bachelor’s degree in English, and that Gary always enjoyed Twinkies.
Reilly first gained attention in 1977 when one of his short stories, “The Biography Man,” appeared in the prestigious Pushcart Prize Winners collect. As Reilly moved to longer forms of fiction, he was in no hurry to be published. Instead he poured his energy into editing previous work and starting on new projects.
In 2010 Reilly decided it might be time to get his books out to the public. Like many authors he sent letters of interest to agents in New York, but as expected the process was long and slow. He then looked at other venues for publishing; smaller presses and print-on-demand along with electronic media.
Unfortunately, Reilly ran out of time on March 10, 2011 losing his battle with cancer. But Murph and many others of Reilly’s characters did not fade away as members of his family, long-time partner Sherry Peterson and novelist Stevens began the printing process of “The Asphalt Warrior” series.
“Running Meter Press is thrilled to donate copies of The Asphalt Warrior to Minatare High School. We deeply appreciate the continued interest in Gary Reilly’s remarkable and quite natural storytelling ability. While the stories are straightforward on one level, we also think that Brendan Murphy, a.k.a. “Murph,” offers an interesting perspective on life, work and the individual’s role in society, all while delivering laughs on nearly every page,” said Stevens.
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