The Annual Bulwer-Lytton (http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/) writing contest is based upon the much stolen beginning line by Snoopy, “It was a dark and stormy night…” The contest is run each year by the Department of English at San Jose State University. The award is given to the worst lead-in to a dreadful story. This is by Kevin P. Craver who received one of the Year 2000 Dishonorable Mentions.

Lance Corporal Murphy stood in mute shock at his court martial for stealing a book of Shakespeare’s works from the camp library, ignoring the advice of his fellow Marines that he couldn’t take a Hamlet without breaking a few regs.