Book excerpt: With the title, the author alludes to what is probably the most decisive piece of furniture in a bar, namely the counter, over which countless drinks are pushed from the bartender to the customer each night. In his first work in the genre of the short story - and influenced by probably the most famous customer in the bars of this world, Ernest Hemingway - Jay P. Keller describes stories of everyday life, which take a continuation at the bar counter, but never their end. A truly fine collection for the 21st century short story aficionado.