OFF THE BENCH

A man lives on a park bench in the financial district. He used to work in one of the buildings. Now he dispenses advice to people who find him through rumor and graffiti.

His name is Al. He doesn't charge. He does have standards.

Institutions are the permanent antagonist. The people he helps are ordinary — trying to keep food on the table, not trying to get rich. Al operates in the gray area between what's legal and what's fair, which is a larger gray area than most people realize.

Off the Bench is a short fiction series. New episodes every six to eight weeks.