Mechanic on duty is an all-expenses-paid journey into the heart of an America populated by loners and losers, bullies and the broken-hearted, and we are every bit the richer for the ride. A weird and beautiful lesson in history and theology, Mechanic on Duty is, simply put, grand poetry-innocent and hard, human, often profane, and above all honest. Bridgeman's genius is in his ability to make these whackos breathe on every page, and in spite of ourselves we love them all. Reading Bridgeman is like chewing honeyed sand.