Summary

“The Temple of Practical Arts” takes place at the religious, musical temple founded by David Sherman sometime after the events of “David Sherman, the Last Son of God.” The story is told in first-person from the perspective of musician Slim, who trains at the temple. The story Scott opens the story by Slim noting that this story takes place before the burning of the temple. He blames the ruin of the temple on The Kid. He then describes the Temple, as it once was, set in the ruins at the edge of town, where musicians come to train all day to advance in the training of the masters. The head of the temple is David Sherman, now known as “Dave the Deity,” the famous and revered inventor of the River Beat. Fighting and meditation was also...