Spanning seven decades from his 1940s childhood in Rochester, New York, to his retirement in Southern California, "Sleeping with Lumbago" documents the events and experiences of author Sam R. Culotta's life. He recalls his Catholic school days, his family's migration west, his teens, his military service, and, most notably, the dynamics of his Sicilian-American family.
With his signature sardonic wit and good-natured criticism, he takes on nuns, schoolmates, friends, and neighbors as well as more than a few professions, religious institutions, social conventions and, of course, himself. In the story "And Then There Were Two," Culotta discusses the unusual and embarrassing discovery made during a physical exam at his Catholic elementary school when he was in sixth grade. "Caution: Friends May Be Dangerous to Your Health" describes a narrow escape from injury, accident, and mayhem when his buddy Don pulls a dangerous stunt in his 1949 Mercury.
"Sleeping with Lumbago" presents a collection of humorous personal essays that document the unexceptional life of an unexceptional man with an exceptional amount of wit and discontent.