“I need more money,” he said and ordered a book on computer programming. He sat in cafés each night, hunting and pecking for opulence. At first I shook my head, but soon became curious.

“Did you make any money from that book?”

“Depends. How much will you pay for it?”

Peter Burns grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin. He currently lives in Daejeon, South Korea and is an associate professor of English at Joongbu University.