Crazy families aren't unique
Busy, busy, busy. To the point of exasperation actually. But I did meet this guy yesterday, which was thrilling because I fell in love with his writing 5 or 6 years ago while working as a reporter when a fellow reporter told me about this book (you know who you are Kiwi Shana).He said yesterday he was through writing tearjerkers and would only concentrate on writing stories that make him laugh aloud. I heard that with my bad ear. And he talks like he writes. He told a story of how the only thing he really feels like he's never been able to do is live up to the other men in his Alabama family. For illustration, he mentioned a fight he had as a child on the school playground, where neither he nor the other boy could throw a punch because it meant getting suspended. His foe called him a name so he swung his arm from low down, around the hip, and slapped the boy as hard as he could in the face. And the boy looked at him and called him the same name that had started the fray again. So he kept slapping and the boy kept repeating the slur until he said his arm "gave out." Thus endeth the fight.
"But I know what my grandaddy would have done then," he said with a deep, mischievous, Alabama grin. "He woulda switched hands."
Don't be afraid to switch hands this weekend.
posted by Lola @ 2:15 PM
4 Comments:
love it. and anyone who starts their bio with, "My Grandfather on my daddy's side and my grandma on my momma's side used to try and cuss their miseries away. They could out-cuss any damn body I have ever seen."
is certainly my hero :)
you know it. you should read his books. they're awesome.
So awesome. Where did you meet him?
i go to these magazine association meetings in atlanta sometimes if the speaker's good to try to make freelancing/job contacts and he was the speaker. he's publishing a bit in this magazine out of alabama -- cannot remember the name at the moment -- and so i took a few copies of his newest book and had them signed for x-mas presents. he looks like the consummate reporter by the way -- slightly disheveled and wearing his sarcastic powers of perception on his sleeve. you remember? think lee or roger...
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