Liar, miscreant, drug-snorting Chester Pomeroy--washed-up rock singer spiraling into the hot pavement of lost dreams and love--a jester of modern existentialism pinballing around in Key West before it was smoothed over by pretty and buff--a shelled-out puppet of the howl that still haunts America if we'd only put down the remote and the cheese-doodles for one goddamn second. Classic McGuane, classic insane. The pace of wit and dialogue should be studied by aspiring comic writers. At a reading a few years ago McGuane confessed it was his favorite book, funny that seeing how PANAMA is the one book of his most people hate. I laughed from the back of the room (alone) because I honestly think he said that just to piss a couple of simpering fans off. Who knows? The man just goes fly-fishing these days and has stopped writing novels. Thrifty afternoon read, skidding to a smoking stop at way under 200 pages...so go ahead, build your own wishing well to raise money and take the butt of your grandfather's Colt and crucify yourself on your ex-girlfriend's door. A crazy trip indeed.
7/3/09
Friday's Forgotten Books: Panama by Thomas McGuane
Liar, miscreant, drug-snorting Chester Pomeroy--washed-up rock singer spiraling into the hot pavement of lost dreams and love--a jester of modern existentialism pinballing around in Key West before it was smoothed over by pretty and buff--a shelled-out puppet of the howl that still haunts America if we'd only put down the remote and the cheese-doodles for one goddamn second. Classic McGuane, classic insane. The pace of wit and dialogue should be studied by aspiring comic writers. At a reading a few years ago McGuane confessed it was his favorite book, funny that seeing how PANAMA is the one book of his most people hate. I laughed from the back of the room (alone) because I honestly think he said that just to piss a couple of simpering fans off. Who knows? The man just goes fly-fishing these days and has stopped writing novels. Thrifty afternoon read, skidding to a smoking stop at way under 200 pages...so go ahead, build your own wishing well to raise money and take the butt of your grandfather's Colt and crucify yourself on your ex-girlfriend's door. A crazy trip indeed.