Georgia Books

"The Dark Side of Hopkinsville" is a collection of short stories written by the distinguished African American journalist Ted Poston. Mr. Poston was a reporter for the New York Post for years. When joined the paper, he became the first black reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper.

Theodore Roosevelt Augustus March Poston spent his early years in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the youngest of eight children. His parents were educators with his father often called upon to settle disputes of fact among the men of the local community.

These stories are about segregation, the complexion game, social pretension and how silly these issues really are. Set in the early twentieth century, they cover the final idyllic years of Ted's childhood before the death of his mother. These stories are not angry, they are humorous and entertain as well as educate.

The character's are vivid and well developed. Mr. Poston is efficient yet thorough in developing them vividly in remarkably few words. There's Rat Joiner, Ted's best friend from Billy Goat Hill. Rat is Huck Finn to Ted's Tom Sawyer. There's Mrs. Nixola Green head of the `Blue Vein Society'. The membership was reserved for Negroes of light-complexion enough to see their veins. Knee Baby Watkins a kid that absolutely, positively refuses to walk. Mr. Fertilizer Ferguson who's rough exterior (and smell) hides his entrepreneurial genius. The humorous cast of characters goes on.

This slim volume necessarily includes "The Revolt of the Evil Fairies" Ted's most anthologized story. (If you haven't read it, you know nothing about African-American literature.) In it he rebels against the complexion discrimination perpetrated by Black people by other Black people in the context of a school play.

Mr. Poston led a long and successful career as a journalist. This reviewer just wishes he'd written more fiction than this gem he has left us.

While this book is about life for a Black child in rural Knetucky in the early 1990s, much of this will be easy for people of almost any background to relate to.

This look on a Black child's life is not entirely the fun stuff of Bill Cosby's Fat Albert or the grimness and despair of Richard Wright's Black Boy, but it combines the good and the bad to prevent it from being either rose-colored memories or gloom-despair-and agony-on-me. We get the fun of beign a kid and palying games and getting into srapes with your friends as welll as the brutal racism and classism of the times in whcih Ted Poston had lived. This would make a good cartoon series or movie (anyone at Disney listening)?

In either case, it would be a good idea of older folks from the pre-television era would read this book with the kids and talk about it afterwards.

Truly one of the most fascinating books of the decade. It is the African American version of The Little Rascals. It is an amazing tale of friendship, and a community that truly lives the African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." This books gives meaning the prejudices even within the same race and social class in a fun loving,yet serious way. The Dark Side of Hopkinsville should be read by children of all ages. The adventures of several friends during the turn of the century will affix your mind to yester year. It will bring back memories of your childhood and the wonderful experiences you shared with your closets classmates and friends. You will remember the times you "cut out", of school to go fishing or perhaps wish you would have. There are stories that you haven't told for perhaps decades. Reading this book will recall familiar stories from days gone by, it will make you smile, laugh, cry and at times wonder why. But, through it all you will realize that you made it over and suddenly you are here and you are still here. As I read the story it helped me realize that although things change they somehow stay the same. There is really nothing new under the sun. There is a Rat Joiner who still whipps the Kaiser. Some people are meant to stay alive even after they are gone so generations after generations can meet them, they are meant to be known for ever, such is the case with the characters in this book.

Truly one of the most fascinating books of the decade. It is the African American version of The Little Rascals. It is an amazing tale of friendship, and a community that truly lives the African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." This books gives meaning the prejudices even within the same race and social class in a fun loving,yet serious way. The Dark Side of Hopkinsville should be read by children of all ages. The adventures of several friends during the turn of the century will affix your mind to yester year. It will bring back memories of your childhood and the wonderful experiences you shared with your closets classmates and friends. You will remember the times you "cut out", of school to go fishing or perhaps wish you would have. There are stories that you haven't told for perhaps decades. Reading this book will recall familiar stories from days gone by, it will make you smile, laugh, cry and at times wonder why. But, through it all you will realize that you made it over and suddenly you are here and you are still here. As I read the story it helped me realize that although things change they somehow stay the same. There is really nothing new under the sun. There is a Rat Joiner who still whipps the Kaiser. Some people are meant to stay alive even after they are gone so generations after generations can meet them, they are meant to be known for ever, such is the case with the characters in this book.

As a child my grand-daddy "Rat Joiner" often called Ted Poston's name and I never paid close attention that he was a real person and best friend to my grand-daddy. After growing up leaving home, my mother Anna Joiner Harvey "Rat Joiner's" daughter, informed me that a lady by the name of Kathleen Hauke came to Hopkinsville interviewed many residents and initiated a book signing of "The Dark Side Of Hopkinsville". As I eagerly read the book in one sitting I happily recalled some of the stories grand-daddy told of Ted Poston over the years. The annedotes are heart warming and so real to almost anyone who lived in a southern or rural setting. The experiences and relationships forged in the book among the various characters can be applicable to most of our lives. The challenges that were over come by the characters as children encourage us all that life is one test after the next. With deep rooted faith,family and friends we can overcome any obstacles in life. This is evident in that Ted Poston and Theodore Roosevelt "Rat" Joiner, came from such humble beginnings and made outstanding contributions in life. Ted became a noted author and reporter and "Rat Joiner" left a long line of descendents (over 350 grand and great-grand children alone).

Bill Belleville's Deep Cuba book is part Cousteau adventure tale, part natural history, part cultural history, with a smattering of Hollywood documentary drama. It is enjoyable and engrossing to read- a must for those interested in protecting our fragile environments. Belleville's sensitivities and attention to detail give us greater understanding of the pristine waters and lands of Cuba, a place that seems so far away, yet is in reality right next door. Like many readers, I have grown up during a time when Cuba has been "off-limits." Ironically, this embargo has in many ways protected the environment by keeping masses of American tourists away. How lucky we are to be able to visit this magical place through Belleville's enlightening account.

When the author climbed aboard the research boat hired by a Discovery Channel film crew bound for Cuba, he gained entry to two engrossing stories. One covers the exploration of Cuba's coral reefs, sunken ships, and sharks, whose mysteries are elucidated live-on-location by Discovery's consultant scientists and cultural experts. This story is by turns exotic science, pure travelog, and just plain spooky - expedition members in a submersible find two complete sets of diving gear hundreds of feet below the safe diving range, in an area where divers were known to have disappeared. Belleville's deep dive in the little sub hangs in mid-book like a luminous bubble of science, poetry, and spookiness.

The second story is a weird tale of the making of a documentary film. It's unnerving to see the innards of the "documentary" process exposed. For instance, Belleville watches as the camera bypasses scientists who lack sex appeal or sound-bite savvy. Or, although Fidel Castro's visit to the expedition's ship makes great reading, it evidently makes bad vibes in Filmland, and is cut. And Belleville's account of the debate over whether the word "forbidden" should be used in the film title is hilarious.

These two narrative lines intertwine to weave a fascinating path around, and even into the throbbing and troubled heart of - gasp! - the forbidden island of Cuba.

The title of this book seems straightforward and explanatory enough. Yet, the content is far more complex, and thankfully, the author is more than up to the task of explaining broad concepts of oceanography, of documentary film making, and the oddball politics that have embargoed Cuba over the last 40 or so years. But more than anything, this is just a really well-told story that takes the reader along on an expedition to a place that few Americans have ever seen. Belleville seems to have a lot of experience as a scuba diver before this trip, and his acumen as an 'underwater naturalist' is much appreciated by this reader. So too is his exacting descriptions of daily expeditionary life---which at time is hilarious, enlightening, dangerous, and at times downright ironic.

The chapter describing Castro's visit when the expedition is in Havana is refreshingly candid---and quite a hoot, as well. Belleville knows how to craft a good story, and has the stylistic tools to do it.

Thematically, the author tries very hard to make a solid case for the need for more funding for ocean research---as well as for diplomatic relations that will finally let the leaders of the U.S. and Cuba manage their regional waters under one umbrella. As an educator specializing in marine sciences, I think the ecological connection between our country and Cuba is one of the great under-reported stories of our time. My deepest gratitude to Belleville for having the fortitude to tell it---and to tell it with great style.

Bill Belleville, author of "River of Lakes: A Journey on the St. Johns River," again takes us down to the water to quench our thirst for adventure. In "Deep Cuba," we set sail with him aboard an expedition vessel for a journey that plies the waters of both politics and discovery.

Through his poetic telling, the island's previously unexplored waters come to life, populated by everything from mysterious bioluminescent creatures and toothy sharks to the simple souls whose livelihoods come with the tides. We meet a variety of Cubans, among them a harbor master who boards the ship and skillfully guides it to port, two scientists who join the expedition in a rare show of cooperation between Cuba and the U.S., and a group of boys who frolic among the watery mangroves of a distant island during a break from their studies of becoming boat captains. And late in the book, there is Castro himself, who boards the ship with his inquisitive intellect.

We witness, too, the dynamics of an expedition driven by filmmaking -- in this case, a documentary for the Discovery Channel, which funded the voyage. Belleville lets his keen observations of the personalities of the expedition ebb and flow through the narrative, and it soon becomes apparent that relations between the filmmakers and scientists are at times as chilly as those between the U.S. and Cuba. We learn first-hand how science can take a back seat to the wants of filmmakers, even on such a rare expedition as this.

Throughout the book, there is much high adventure. Belleville descends 2,000 feet under the surface in a mini-sub, and he dives reefs and plunging ledges that teem with fish. In one harrowing chapter, he even loses his way during a night dive in open water.

The book is a page-turner, to be sure. But along the way there is much to be learned as Belleville weaves scientific findings and cultural observations seamlessly into the telling.

At the very least, this scientific expedition has found a happy marriage in word, if not on film.

Bill Belleville, environmental journalist, diver and storyteller pulls us out of our easy chairs and transports us to the forbidden waters of Cuba on board the marine discovery ship Seward Johnson.
Leading American marine biologists were invited by The Discovery Channel to accompany their documentary film-makers for a rare look at the undisturbed bio-diversity of the Cuban coast and adjoining waters. Belleville, who had participated in a similar voyage to the Galapagos was invited along to transmit the adventure to The Discovery Channel's web site.
Tension between the scientists and film-makers was pervasive throughout the month-long voyage. Good film-making (i.e. sunken treasure and toothy barracudas)and good scientific study (i.e. the discovery of new life forms)are not necessarily consistent.
Competition for use of the deep-diving minisub, Johnson Sea-Link was intense. Sadly, more often than not the film-makers favored by The Discovery Channel won out over the scientists.
Belleville rides the sub twice, and takes us along in that chilly, cramped, dangerous machine into the mezmerizing depths of tropical reefs and underwater mountain ranges.
We also visit the benighted island, the haunts of Hemingway and San Juan Hill. We steam past the Bay of Pigs. We meet the people: the woman who escapes poverty by offering herself to the visitors; the proud fishermen whose love of Cuba is palpable; and El Jefe, himself who boards the boat and shares his profound knowledge of his beloved Cuba with the scientists. A good tale--well written.

This book gives you the opportunity to get a feeling of what your life may have been like living in the Jim Crow era of Georgia. My name is Bullard and I am a white genealogist. Eugene Bullard was the son of ex-slaves that were owned by a family named Bullard.

It is fabulous to see a black person rise out of impossible circumstances to become an expatriate combat pilot in the French Air Force during World War I. Jazz and Blues is what I listen to every day and the Jazz story in this book is very interesting to me.

A must read for any aviation buff who's ever wondered if there was a black pilot in WWI, and how he lived that life is truly an extraordinary saga.

Eugene Bullard was an African American man who was born in 1895 in Columbus, Georgia, and lived a really fascinating live. After leaving the U.S. in 1912 to escape the existing suffocating racist oppression, he stayed first in Britain, and then settled in France where he lived as a boxer, entertainer, jazz drummer, was a war hero in the trenches in Verdun, and become the first African American combat pilot in 1917 (in French service: the U.S. would allow black combat pilots only in 1941...). After the war, like so many other African Americans, he remained in Europe. He become a well known entrepeneur in the Parisian night club life during the 20s and 30s. At the German invasion in 1940, and after a brief stint in the French army, he went back to the U.S. where he died in New York in 1961. Revered in France as a national hero during is life, and completely unknown in his country until more than twenty years after his death, the life of this extraordinary man has in this book a much deserved homage and, probably, its definitive biography.

A very well documented biography on a genuine American and French hero. Unfortunately he was born during the Jim Crow era in the south (even though the constitution which was written over 100 years before his birth mentions "all men are created equal", this did not include any non-caucasian's or women, did it? Did not use the word minority since it denotes less than some majority, there are more non-caucasian's in the world anyway and what is really meant by that word is just that, non-caucasian. I find it odd that the USA was founded by European descendants like the English, French and even though the country prided itself on it's progresive nature, it did not include equality, even though Europe itself did not practice racial discrimination). He was born the seventh child of a large family and his father always had a premonition of a very distinguished future for him and let it be known to him when he was young. Talks about his travel through the south after he left home and was told early by his father of a country (France) where all men are truly free. This had a profound effect on him because he eventually made it to France via England first.

He began his livelyhood as a theatre performer and boxer; two opposing and similar avocations. He joined the military and became the first Black American and Black Frenchman aviator and was awarded medals for his bravery, dedication and skills. Very well liked, he had a contagious personality and started working at a famous Paris club later in life and eventually became a club owner himself. He met the famous of the day like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Bricktop and many others. This biography also got me interested in Jazz age Paris to request both autobiographies of Hughes and Bricktop.

Slowly (too slowly) more is being known about this man and his acomplishments and contributions to the human race.

You won't be able to put it down. Jack Johnson's autobiography "In the Ring and Out" is another good bio of that era too.

I had earlier learned of some of Eugene Bullard's exploits, but Craig Lloyd's book spotlights an endless list of amazing achievements that seem unbelievable for any man to accomplish in just one lifetime. It's a shame Bullard's life has been up to now unexplored and uncelebrated. Hopefully this extremely well-researched biography will fix that.

A.J. Longstreet and Eugene Purdue share a colorful past. They grew up together in the mountains of Sequoyah, Georgia, and got into their share of trouble. The best friends had an alcohol-induced falling out three years ago and haven't spoken since. In the opening scenes of The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond L. Atkins, Eugene initiates contact with A.J. with some bad news. Eugene has terminal cancer and a matter of months to live. He needs A.J. to be present in the final phase of his life and good-hearted A.J. readily obliges.

Thus begins the reunion between what must surely be two of the most charming and entertaining characters in rural Georgia. As A.J. steps back into Eugene's life, the past comes flooding back. As events and characters unfold, Atkins presents A.J. and Eugene as boys, teenagers, and young men. He introduces their parents, grandparents, wives, children, neighbors and colleagues. It is a large and eclectic cast of characters, and they are what makes this story special.

If a terminally ill man suffering through his last days sounds like a depressing premise for a story, don't worry. This compelling tale is anything but. Atkins is a master story teller and his anecdotes, all told from A.J. Longstreet's point of view, draw the reader in while the tongue-in-cheek way he presents them will make you smile. The narrative tone is dry and humorous, but at the same time warm and tender. It lovingly embraces the quirkiness of the residents of Sequoyah and pokes gentle but loving fun at the culture of the Deep South.

Atkins' writing is impeccable and he is clearly in his element with this wonderful piece of Southern fiction.
One of the strong points of this novel is the way in which he builds a very strong sense of place, not only with descriptions of the physical setting but with his characters, through descriptions of their personalities, daily lives and interactions. Even the rough and tumble ones who drank entirely too much whiskey and carried on love affairs with their firearms, were so likeable. And in the end, they show us that no matter where you're from, family and friendship are ties that bind and endure despite our mistakes and inadequacies.

I read this book because I have a family member who is a friend of the author. i am not sure what I expected, but what ever it was , I received much more. The characters became like family members and friends that I have known all my life. I laughed out loud in resturants or where ever I was at the time. I cried some also. As I came closer to the conclusion, I was hoping the next book was to be a continuation. I am an avid reader. I love southern writers. Ray is one of the best.I consider him in the company of Ferrol Sams, Pat Conroy,and even Faulkner and Welty. I was blown away by his first novel.

Atkins' first novel is as easy to breeze through on the beach as a Stephen King page-turner-- without the gore factor. This book has enough laugh-aloud moments that your friends will either be reading over your shoulder or constantly rolling their eyes. It's sad and sweet, too, but the really hard moments aren't there just to work your emotions or preach at you like a lot of regional fiction does-- just realistic, wry (and a tiny, tiny bit dark), and fairly true to small-town, southern life. Very balanced, fast-paced, and satisfying.

Sequoyah, Georgia is home to the entertaining cast of characters of "The Front Porch Prophet". A.J. Longstreet is faced with his own mortality as he's diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He contemplates the possibility of circumventing his suffering with a mercy killing. As he ponders his life and death, he runs into countless characters, all odd and unique, who teach him something about life. This leaves his question open concerning what to do with his life, or what's left of it. "The Front Porch Prophet" is an intriguing and clever tale, highly recommended for community library fiction collections.

I read this book in less than four hours, I couldn't put it down. Genuine Southern storytelling at its best.Highly recommend this book to anyone, not just southern fiction fans.

I started the book about 6 p.m and finished about 1 a.m; I could not put it down. Every golfer, every Masters fan, every body in Augusta will want this. Lots of great (and courteous) insider stories about the the Club; the creek, the community power fights about the creek; about great golfers, the caddies; the role of women; the founders of the club; the author's learning golf; rubbing elbows with Washington big whigs.

I know the author personally; I never dreamed her book would be interesting; I certainly never expected to be glued to her book, but it is a gem. I've got a couple of golfing buddies in mind who will want to read this book.

The story about the golfer who would "never" play with a woman was great...he parted with a dollar of two.

The "ownership" of the caddies, the nicknames of caddies and the nicknames given by caddies to their "horses" was fascinating.

The stories about the club president show a man "bigger than life."

Perhaps some of you know what trunk bangers are...now I know.

My grandmother lived a few blocks from the club and she rented to people who attended the Masters...so the book brings back memories...

Anyone struggling with golf, all you addicts out there, who day dream about shots, greens, the rough, creeks and sandtraps will identify with the author, whether male or female.

I'm not even a golfer, but my daddy was; and after listening to him talk golf, get down with 90, high on 72, talk about lights for night golfing, discuss the game over a few drinks, I found this book a clincher. I never expected to enjoy a book so much.

I enjoyed the book, but I was eager to learn more about the men in their lives. Who were these men and how did they feel about the experiences.

I started the book about 6 p.m and finished about 1 a.m; I could not put it down. Every golfer, every Masters fan, every body in Augusta will want this. Lots of great (and courteous) insider stories about the the Club; the creek, the community power fights about the creek; about great golfers, the caddies; the role of women; the founders of the club; the author's learning golf; rubbing elbows with Washington big whigs.

I know the author personally; I never dreamed her book would be interesting; I certainly never expected to be glued to her book, but it is a gem. I've got a couple of golfing buddies in mind who will want to read this book.

The story about the golfer who would "never" play with a woman was great...he parted with a dollar of two.

The "ownership" of the caddies, the nicknames of caddies and the nicknames given by caddies to their "horses" was fascinating.

The stories about the club president show a man "bigger than life."

Perhaps some of you know what trunk bangers are...now I know.

My grandmother lived a few blocks from the club and she rented to people who attended the Masters...so the book brings back memories...

Anyone struggling with golf, all you addicts out there, who day dream about shots, greens, the rough, creeks and sandtraps will identify with the author, whether male or female.

I'm not even a golfer, but my daddy was; and after listening to him talk golf, get down with 90, high on 72, talk about lights for night golfing, discuss the game over a few drinks, I found this book a clincher. I never expected to enjoy a book so much.

This is a terrific book written by a member's wife and their daughter. I am a big golf fan and have read several books about Augusta National and the Masters in recent years, but this one has an entirely different angle--a woman's perspective, and an insider-woman at that. The authors are respectful of the club, but they also are open in offering dozens of refreshing anecdotes that are funny and border on irreverent. There are also a bunch of photos in the book depicting the golf course from a candid viewpoint.

I started the book about 6 and finished about 12. Every golfer, Masters fan, everyone in Augusta will want one of theses books.

It's full of real inside stories of the Club, its founders, the grounds, the caddies, the famous players.

I know the author personally and figured her book would be interesting but did not expected to be glued to it. The wording contained many of the unique phrases used at the National and un golfing. I could not put the book down.

I am not a golfer, but my dad was and I have heard him day dream about golf; I've seen him high on 72 and down on 90; it seems the author got to the point she day dreamed about sandtraps, the rough, the fairways, how she would handle different shots.

Stories about personal encounters with famous golfers and politicians were great. The stories about the caddies and their betting, "ownership" of golfers, their nicknames were fascinating.

The stories about how one gets into the club gives the Augusta National a sense of intrigue.

The stories about the president of the club presented a man bigger than life, who put fear into the hearts of the wealthy and powerful.

Fishing stories, access to the club during the Masters, access to the club during off season were all highly readable and clearly inside, non-public, unpublished views into a closed society.

That only a few people were there at a time off season was amazing; there is/or was a wonderful wine cellar; there were no socials unrelated to golf and no 5 somes.

This is a wonderful book of private information that every golfer will enjoy, buy 2 of (one to keep and one to give away).

I received this book last Christmas and found it to be a treasure.

I bought this book on sale for several people, and I didn't know exactly what to expect. When I received it, I started reading and couldn't stop. I got to the point of tears (good ones) several times! So I am keeping one for myself and ordering an extra. This is just a wonderful book about the true meaning of Christmas - the salvation, power, and love of God for mankind. Each short story or reflection is true as well as touching, and the illustrations are warm and inviting. I am giving this book as a gift to several friends who have been Christians for a long time, and also to a friend who is a new Christian. It will be meaningful for all of them, so it really is a great gift. I look forward to pulling this book out each Christmas and enjoying the stories over and over again.

This is a gift worth giving. It gives your spirit a well deserved uplifting, and those to whom you give it, will rejoice with you.

Not a "New Age" perspective at all, Max Lucado and Chuck Colson have done an exciting job of collecting writings on the western world's biggest holiday. From a Christian, Evangelical, Biblical viewpoint you will have the information needed to get away from the commercialism and back to what was intended when the angels told the shepherds outside Bethlehem "Peace on earth, good will to men."

This book is so wonderful that I have given it as a gift to several friends who also treasure it. The writings are the very best of Swindoll, Lucado and Colson and should be read many times.

Here is a coffee table book that is worthy of reading as well as enjoying the pictures and illustrations. Well conceived with wit and wisdom of the players, peripheral personalities, and the low down on the Low country courses.
Written with an obvious love of the game, and a way with words, the author entertains us with interesting profiles as well as incisive reviews of the courses. Who knows ...... it may even take a few strokes off your score as you are forewarned about the hazards that will be encountered.
Great book for the local Low landers and those who may visit the area.

Fabulous and funny essays about golf and golfers, coupled with insightful reviews of the area's courses. A must read for anyone planning to partake of the Low Country's golf course treasures.

I was given this book as a birthday gift, and thought it would just be a pretty picture book about the fine courses of Hilton Head Island and Savannah. That element is definitely present, but what surprised me were the funny essays about the game of golf the author intersperses with the course reviews and area personality profiles. It's really a nice read--entertaining and informative in the same breath.

Having never played golf in that neck of the country, I am sorely tempted to head down that way when I'm next on vacation. Zuckerman does a great job in making these courses come alive and his style of writing is breezy and fun --and with great insight into the sport of golf.

I've been playing golf in the Hilton Head-Savannah area for several years, and this is a truly excellent representation of the courses, people and situations any visitor will encounter there.
The photos and drawings are really nice, and the text is both funny and compelling. I would recommend this book to any fan of golf in this area.

... then buy, borrow or steal a copy! Never before have I read such a good exploration of Irish exile. Stranded in a dismal flat in England, the protagonist remembers his happy childhood in Ireland, the rough living and working conditions in England, and his only love. The language is quite simple and often Hiberno Irish, but deeply imaginative and so lyrical, that the line between prose and poetry gets blurred. The beautiful black/white pictures added to this book, and the author's ability to portray Irish music help to give an insight into Irish culture. Sometimes it's like watching a documentary, and suddenly you can't help but feeling you're listening to a song; a song of heartache and terrible longing. Despite far from being soppy the book is very moving in the end; you actually hope for a happy ending. But that wouldn't be Irish.

Tim O'Grady creates exquisitely wrought, archetypal prose that could even overpower Pyke's perfect documentary photos. (Without offense to Walker Evans, now I'm wishing Pyke had been around to collaborate with James Agee).

Amazingly, requires very little interest in Ireland or the Irish - O'Grady is from Chicago anyway and this book is more about experiences of all mankind. His crystalline narrative is hardly bound by ethnicity.

Extraordinary and inspiring new use of the verb, can. If you read poetry, you couldn't regret buying this experimental novel.

This book is beautiful and tragic and joyful and moving, all at the same time and independently over the course of the story. Through the poetic language of the text and the poetic imagery of the photos, the drama of every day life in Ireland is brought across as quietly epic, if such a thing can be.

... then buy, borrow or steal a copy! Never before have I read such a good exploration of Irish exile. Stranded in a dismal flat in England, the protagonist remembers his happy childhood in Ireland, the rough living and working conditions in England, and his only love. The language is quite simple and often Hiberno Irish, but deeply imaginative and so lyrical, that the line between prose and poetry gets blurred. The beautiful black/white pictures added to this book, and the author's ability to portray Irish music help to give an insight into Irish culture. Sometimes it's like watching a documentary, and suddenly you can't help but feeling you're listening to a song; a song of heartache and terrible longing. Despite far from being soppy the book is very moving in the end; you actually hope for a happy ending. But that wouldn't be Irish.

I am very familiar with the works of old time Irish writers including the works of James Joyce who wrote about Ireland in exile. I still don't know much about modern Irish novelists until I had the opportunity of meeting and listening to parts of Timothy O'Grady's novel at Perth Writer's Festival early this year. Immediately afterwards I bought a copy and later talked to Timothy briefly about writers in exile and their struggle with dislocation. This story is not only about dislocation and exile. This is the story of a man coming of age and following a journey during which he struggles to make sense of his life, dislocation, loss of love and loneliness.

This lyrically crafted novel is a great collaboration between O'Grady and photographer Steve Pyke. They collectively create a visual journey of a musical Irishman, his journey from one location to another, looking for work and the love of his life. O'Grady's begins his novel with a description of the protagonist's life back at home as a child:

"This room is dark, as dark as it ever gets - the hour before dawn in winter. I have sounds and pictures but they flit and crash before I can get them..."

For me, it is a metaphor of not been able to recreate the places and the people he left behind as a result of his journey.

O'Grady ends his novel with a similar narrative:

"In the room now a breeze comes in through the window and on it there is the smell of spring. Downstairs the girl turns on her radio... There is a time after long work when you can look for strength and there is nothing there....

In the morning light I let go."

In between, we learn about his journey, his recollection of Irish landscapes, the places left behind, the music he played and his love. But this is not just a mere description of a nostalgic mental journey of an Irishman in exile. This can happen anywhere, anytime, and to anyone.

Reading this novel is like watching a visually crafted documentary embedded with voice and music that we can see and hear.

I'm glad that I met O'Grady and read his novel as my introduction to modern Irish novelists. But this novel had another positive effect on me. When I met O'Grady I was writing a novel about my own dislocation. This novel inspired me to look at my private journey again and again, and continue my writing in exile!

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the beauty and tragic of moving from one place to another.

Who would have thought that a book about hogs could be both as funny and informative as "The Hog Book" by William Hedgepeth. I laughed, I cried, I had swine visions.

Mr. Hedgepeth has managed to relate to the reader what, I believe every farm boy has secretly know for years, that hogs are magical, mystical beings worthy of our deepest respect and admiration. If you don't believe me just read the section on hog poetry or gather around the old piano and launch into a chorus of the Hog Song.

Mr. Hedgepeth has a gift for weaving fact and fantasy into a fabric that is as hilarious as it is enlightening. The book is beautifully illustrated by John Findley (is this the same John Findley who wrote and illustrated "Tex-Arcana" for Heavy Metal Magazine?) with photos by world famous photographer Al Clayton. I highly recommend it and it would make a good gift for all the farm boys or girls for that matter on you Christmas list.

I just couldn't put it down except when I was laughing to hard.

Many years ago, I was alone, floating on the sea of human companionship like a wretched speck of oil atop a great sea of cold, emotionless water. I drifted listlessly through the wasted years of my youth, never knowing the joy of friendship. Finally, I became a counselor at a summer camp in Vermont, where I came across Hedgepeth's great tome. I spent hours gazing at the image on the cover, of a beutiful, nude blonde woman riding bareback on a great specimen of swine. I taught the Hog Song to all of my campers and recited hog poetry in the forests under the moon. And not to go into specifics, but I learned quite a bit from the section about hog breeding. Quite a bit. I would just like to thank you, William Hegdepeth, for writing this remarkable book, and, if you are out there somewhere, please contact me so we can breed hogs--together.

Sincerely,

J--- W--- (Floating Feather)

William Hedgepeth's The Hog Book keeps you alert. Reading along, you pause and ask yourself, "Wait, was that list of animals written in verse?" It was. You read more and wonder, "Did he really interview that farmer or did he make it up?" It doesn't matter. Hedgepeth's talent is to compel the reader then punctuate his yarn with a delightfully palatable, "Gotcha!" Just when you've fallen under the Hedgepeth spell of silliness, he tugs at your heart with an in-your-face look at the slaughter of these animals he's just caused you to fall in love with. Why should you read a book about hogs? Because Hedgepeth is a gifted writer, and it's a pleasure to read his words. Because Hedgepeth's instruction about hogs goes down as if with sugar. Because Hedgepeth borrowed from Cinderella and Pygmalion to reveal beauty in creatures frequently ridiculed and dismissed. Perhaps each of us sees a little of our insecure selves in Hedgepeth's recognition of the value and beauty of the oft-maligned hog.

William Hedgepeth has written one of the most unique books imaginable on the life of hogs. This dry and witty look at porcines is no quick compendium on the subject. It is a thorough and informative account of everything you could want to know about these creatures. And it's funny.

An early Ally McBeal Show featured a case where Michael, a pig, gave up his life in order to donate his liver (or some organ) to the crass & orca fat Mrs. Goldstein. Instead of thanking the Doctor for life, she sued because she felt it beneath her to share an organ with a pig. Had Goldstein read The Hog Book, she might have requested Michael's heart as well. This animal's existential ability to accept itself and experience joy in living is a tall order that most humans cannot fill.

I see a sequel to this book - The Tao of Being a Hog, Living in the Now. In any case, I wish this author would turn his journalist's eye and writer's wit onto another subject quick. He's a pleasure to read.

In college days, a friend gave me a copy of this book for my birthday. In it was a picture of a hog, its face painted like a clown, a ruffled clown collar and a conical clown hat. I stared at that picture off and on for quite awhile vowing, I want to train "circus pigs" for a career. Eventually I went on to train hogs for movies, television and live performances. Keep this book away from your children and young impressionable college students unless you want to condemn them to a life of loving hogs ... and people too, because after reading this holy scripture, you will realize, we too are hog.

Everybody who has serious illness or cares for somebody with a life-threatening illness should have this book. Makes a nice gift.

Going to be a best seller or should be.

NANCY WHITE KELLY IS A MASTER OF LIFE. SHE TOUCHES THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF HER READERS. SHE SHARES A STORY FULL OF HUMOR, EMOTION AND INSPIRATION AND IS ONE OF LIFES GREAT FIGHTERS. I AM LUCKY THAT SHE CAME BACK INTO MY LIFE AFTER AN ABSENCE OF SO MANY YEARS.

SIMPLY, ANYONE HAVING....OR KNOWS OF ANYONE HAVING BREAST CANCER SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. IT GIVES INSIGHT OF THE PERSONAL UPS AND DOWNS OF THIS DREADFUL ILLNESS, AND SHOWS HOW YOU MAY AS A PERSON KEEP AND USE A SINCE OF HUMOR TO HELP OVER COME OR AT LEAST KEEP AT BAY THIS ILLNESS. YOU WILL LAUGH, AND CRY BUT, AT LEAST WALK AWAY KNOWING HOW THE LORD CAN WORK IN WAYS BEYOND OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, AND BE USED TO HELP OTHERS. IN MY OPINION....I HIGHLY REGUARD THIS BOOK "TOPS"....AND RECOMMEND IT !!!!

The Journal of a Living Lady is one of late summer's nicest gifts. Nancy White Kelly, a middle-aged school principal/writer, reaches deep within her southern soul to wittily describe what it is like to dance daily with terminal illness.

The book is a compilation of her most popular weekly newspaper columns which began originally as the Journal of a Dying Lady. When the author kept surpassing her doctor's time schedule for expected death, loyal readers suggested a title change. The Journal of a Living Lady allowed her more latitude to write about other interesting adventures as she traveled the toll-road to cancer survival.

The popularity of Nancy Kelly's local newspaper column soon turned global due to the accessibility of her columns on the web and the recognition given by web reviewers. Mrs. Kelly appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The Making Memories Organization recognized the author's wish to have an extended family reunion after she wrote, "I believe we have our funeral traditions backwards. When somebody dies, family and friends spend hours catching up, laughing and sharing memories. The only thing wrong with that scenario is that the person in the pine box doesn't get to participate."

Journal of a Living Lady is a page-turner. The last sentence of the first chapter ends, "I intend to live forever. So far, so good." Writing with a sometimes cynical, oftentimes mischievious squint, Mrs. Kelly leads the reader through several funny, yet inspiration experiences.

This book made me laugh and cry for three hours. Nancy White Kelly may have terminal cancer, but it certainly doesn't have her. In one column she wrote, "Until the horse is dead, I won't dismount. I only plan to spend the last day of my life dying." She also offers good advice: "Laugh a lot. Hug like a bear. Then smile. It is the second best thing you can do with your lips."