Tom Robbins, the novelist and prankster-philosopher who charmed and addled millions of readers with such screwball adventures as "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Jitterbug Perfume," ...

His first novel, "Another Roadside Attraction," was published in 1971 when Robbins was 39 -- more than three decades after declaring to his parents, at age 5, that he'd be a writer.

With all that's going on in the world right now, it's sometimes nice to take a break and focus on the good stuff. So, we ...