Eric Van Meter writes stories that reflect the quirky, rhythmic, hilarious ways that people try to cope with being human. He began Earth while bicycling across Route 66, listening as folks shared their rich experience in one of the most rural places in America. In between doomed efforts to master various musical instruments, Eric blogs at www.mondayspenny.com, where you can find “St. Anthony and Buddha Bike Through the Desert,” his award-winning non-fiction essay on the aforementioned bicycle trip.