The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library Literary Luncheon for the month of October featured an average guy named “Joe Wright,” a self-proclaimed middle-aged man who is hopelessly stuck in the modern world.

The Wright character comes from the mind of author Brian Daniels who started the "Thoughts of an Average Joe" blog in 2009 and began writing a newspaper column not long after. Those writings developed into a novel of the same name that was published this past April, and in those pages and to live audiences, Wright speaks of his fondness for beer, the draw of the golf course and his powerlessness against his wife whom he calls the "little woman" — she is "five foot nothing," and at only 102 pounds, she could definitely take him down.

Moved to the Boothbay Harbor Town Office, the Oct. 10 luncheon began about 11:45 a.m., and Daniels began his presentation by noon. Just before adorning the baseball cap that would mark his transformation into Wright for the afternoon, he book-ended his time with a disclaimer: "If anyone is offended by what I write, I can just blame Joe."

Wright's first declaration to the audience of more than a dozen was that he likes beer, but he doesn't want anything fancy or new-age.

"I don't like beer that tastes like pumpkin or chocolate or anything like that," Wright said. "I like beer that tastes like beer."

His friends, he said, also have an affinity for the drink. Munzie likes "OP" beer — other people's beer. And Barney, he said, "is the only guy I know who has a padlock on his beer cooler." Barney is Munzie's cousin.

Wright said he used to smoke cigarettes; he thought it made him look as cool as James Dean or Cool Hand Luke. He would try to roll his 20-pack into the sleeve of his shirt to heighten the effect. It only came years later, when his doctor warned him of the hazardous effects, that he decided to quit.

After the doctor explained that he could have a heart attack, Wright shrugged. After he spoke about having a stroke, Wright laughed. After he explained the possibility of erectile dysfunction, Wright knew things were serious.

"He never told me cigarettes could ruin my life," Wright said.

The stories continued with a discussion of the game of golf. Wright said he studies golf magazines all winter long to be ready to improve his game in the spring.

"By April, I can't wait to try out my new technique and watch my score plummet," he said.

But things never turn out exactly as he plans. His score doesn't plummet as much as stay disastrously high. In part, he blames it on the well-placed hazards — including the trees.

"Whichever scientist said the top of an oak tree is 90 percent air, (he) never played golf," Wright said. He then quoted Mark Twain by saying that "golf is a good walk spoiled."

What makes it worse for Wright is that one year his wife got involved, and he tried to help improve her game. He offered advice at every turn. Yet, he was met with frustration and anger.

"I've seen your game," his wife reportedly told Wright. "Work on your own pathetic swing."

That story led Wright directly into a song he played that summed up his feelings about that entire situation, "The Little Woman Scares the Snot Right Out of Me," with the refrain that goes as follows:

"She's five foot nothing, weighs one-hundred and two. She knows Karate and Ju Jitsu. That little woman scares the snot out of me."

After solidifying his fear of his wife, Wright concluded his presentation with one more song; but instead of speaking about the people in his life as he had done most of the afternoon, he instead chose to focus on duct tape. He said it has countless uses in the home and even in medicinal care, but it cannot mend a broken heart.

"You can use it on the homestead, on the car or on the farm," he sang. "You can even use that duct tape to fix your broken arm.

"You can patch up your Toyota before it falls apart, but all the duct tape in this world won't fix my broken heart."

Despite his obvious fear of his wife, his poor golf game and the supposed devaluation of the current beer market, Wright appears to get along in decent shape. The audience at the town hall laughed often and laughed loud at his mishaps, so there was a positive element to it after all.

For those who are interested in more, his stories will continue in print and on his blog as other unfortunate events unfold.

Readers can find Wright at www.avgjoewright.blogspot.com or through the Islandport Press at www.islandportpress.com/thoughts-of-an-average-joe.html.