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Dust jacket by Gavin L. O'Keefe |
THE COMPLEAT CALHOON by Fender Tucker Why should you shell out the price of two hamburgers for this tome? This magnum opus has the whole story. Introduced by Norbert Tudwallow, there are six novelettes about life in Farmington NM in the 50s and 60s, several short stories, army stories, drug reminiscences, sex sagas, doodles all over the place, and finally, the music. You don't have to imagine the awfulness or splendor of the lyrics that assault you on the final 100 pages; you can simply point your devil-phone at the many QR codes that dot the pages and actually hear the songs that Knees Calhoon wrote and recorded during his 78 years of American life. Almost 500 pages of inside dirt await you if you buy this book. There will be no more editions. All the stories have been told and all the songs sung. You'd expect to pay $59.99 for such a patriotic paean—it doesn't have the Constitution or the lyrics to any Lee Greenwood songs, but the text is almost as long as The Bible's, and perhaps almost as amusing. ------------------------------------------ Here's what Ed Gorman says: "... his masterpiece has to be The Compleat Calhoon. It's a man's life done in short witty insightful pieces. I'm reading three or four pieces a week and find myself eager to get back to it. I wasn't sure I was going to like it -- I'm not much for autobiographies -- but I not only like it, I admire it. Through judicious editing and clear, concise writing he tells us not only about himself but his Southern culture, his friends, the life of a musician, husband, writer and daydreamer." And Bill Crider sez: "I've read some of those memoirs, and I agree. Fine stuff." Here, concisely, is what's in the book: TALES FROM THE TOWER, 17 short stories, one of which is a true crime story, and six of which make up TOTAH SIX-PACK, tales of Farmington New Mexico as it was in the oil patch days. WEED, WOMEN AND SONG, 9 autobiographical ramblings, including several subversive army yarns, a couple of sex expositions, and a tribute to Geno Jaramillo. CHRONOLOGICAL CALHOON, all 80 (and counting) songs written during his musical period (1963 - 1987). The lyrics are in the book. For details, read the introduction -- if you can suffer Norbert Tudwallow's snootiness. How much? How about $15 with free shipping to the US. $8 shipping to elsewhere. |
