I could go on like this about Larry, I really could, and name drop all day while tabulating his storied past as a writer and stage director, but that wouldn't leave you with a sense of just what a generally affable and gregarious fellow he is. He and his wife Tycelia are regulars out and about at reading events all over the city, and if you get a beer or two in him he's likely to tell you the stories behind his stories, which are often as colorfully rich as the stories themselves, and full of the same regional flavor that makes his work stand out.
While I'm on the subject of his stories, as terrific as they are to read, you do yourself a disfavor if you don't catch him at a reading sometime. I've seen plenty of readings in the Chicago area and there are no shortage of outstanding performers and readers, but Larry's tone and presentation tends to evoke a rarely-seen style that I liken here imperfectly to 50's-style radio dramatizations. Characters have more than just inflection and tone, they have true voices, and affect cadence and rhythm with a level of proficiency and skill that tells of years of practice and a special sort of comfort that Larry has bringing them to life. It has an old-fashioned feel, in the very best sense of that term, and inasmuch as that sort of reading is largely lost to today's visually-steeped culture, I highly recommend you check it out if you have a chance.
He tells a very good story
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