The Essays with Dumb Old Bob

The Essays with Dumb Old Bob

Spend some time with Dumb Old Bob, using The Essays as your gateway to insightful nonfiction brought to you by the one and only storyteller, Bob Hocking. Join Bob as he unveils his unique observations of the world, setting off on inspiring and thoughtful journeys within every episode. Brought to you by Parkside - Backpack Productions and Backpackville, the vibrant online community for Bob’s writing, stories, podcasts and more. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, projects and announcements, where Bob might just surprise us with special treats from his archives, writing workshops, tales of travel adventures, or any other delightful musings a tangent or two may create. Welcome to Backpackville – where friendship knows no bounds. Indulge in the stories, savor the camaraderie, and return for the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies. Tune in to the Dumb Old Bob podcasts and don’t forget to drop by the In My Backpack site... because Backpackville is more than just Bob Hocking’s literary community. It’s where you belong. www.inmybackpack.com

Episodes

August 11, 2025 13 mins

Featuring the essays "The Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmores" and "From where you are to where you need to be"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "The problems begin when you have to prove the chicken salad is made with chicken" and "The butter doesn’t melt"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Return of the toys" and "Every so often, we all need a little fruit punch soda"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "The cookie crumbled (finally)" and "Buttcrack of Dan", this episode draws from the works of the A Parkside View newsletter

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "That neighbor" and "That neighbor"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "The incredible shrinking expectation" and "What I really need is a camera in the front"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Convenience store inconveniences" and "Blistex around the world"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Welcome to the neighborhood, mister bunny" and "Pizza Hut for the dinosaurs"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "How secure is security when we can bypass it for convenience?" and "Is a flip-flop injury a sign of old age?", this episode draws from the works of the A Parkside View newsletter

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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The fourth bonus episode, featuring information about upcoming events, and the essay "Look up in the sky".

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "All the safety in the world (doesn't help stupid)" and "Keepers of time"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "The uprising" and "Not a Peep"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Rocks have no memory" and "Has this person lost it"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "A parkside view" and "Sunset"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Never underestimate the power of common sense" and "Not a mid-life crisis", this episode draws from the works of the A Parkside View newsletter

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Prepping for the snow" and "February of 1993… or… Happy New Year 2014"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Skeletons in my pantry" and "No Virginia, there is no bacon"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Selecting friends" and "Lintables, non-lintables and whites"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Red sky at night" and "Sending Christmas cards was never this complicated before technology got so good"

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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Featuring the essays "Bring on the apple crisp" and "Christmas time (and the misleading lyrics)", this episode draws from the works of the A Parkside View newsletter

For more, visit the In My Backpack website at www.inmybackpack.com

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