Good afternoon. So, I decided that I need to do more reading of literature. Some of you may have noticed I was late a few days with getting the countdown posts online for y’all a week or so ago. The primary reason is because I forgot. You see, when I read, my mind locks in on what I’m reading, I don’t think about anything else, I hardly am even aware of what is going on around me. My best girl will say something and I have to ask what she said cuz I’m zoned out while reading.
So, what in the hell am I reading? I decided to go back and re-read all of Lewis Grizzard’s canon. I already owned almost all of his books, most are hardcover, first editions. My mother would buy me whatever new book Grizzard released that year for Christmas. I’ve read them all once. But, after reading them, I’d put them in the bookcase with the others and they more or less served as decor. So, the other day, I pulled a list of all his books, determined what I was missing and set out on eBay to complete my collection. Oddly enough, one of the books I didn’t have was this one:
And, this one, I’ve never read before. Haven’t gotten to it yet, reading in order from first to last, this would be his 3rd book in the library. Currently on the first one “Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You: A Good Beer Joint Is Hard to Find and Other Facts of Life“. I’ve read some classic Grizzard columns here & there from time to time online but, that doesn’t come close to diving back in to the books.
Grizzard’s humor and the southern slant to his writing has always intrigued me and most definitely ingrained itself into the way I talk, write and some of the things I find humor in. Also, did the legendary headline “DOGS TO PLAY COCKS WITH DICKS OUT” actually happen, did it actually get printed? I don’t know but, it sure as heck tracks with the way the man wrote.
So, to while away your afternoon, are you a reader? What do you like to read? Humor, adventure, crime, mystery, religious, biography, politics, entertainment, sports… the road list goes on forever. Reading anything now or recently? Let us know in the comments.
Go Dawgs!
I read Grizzard’s articles in the AJC every morning over cereal before school. The one I didn’t like was his bitching at Coach Dooley, for not going for a tie against the nerds in 1978. That was first game in Sanford and still one of my favorite.
That column is in the first book, just read it last night, I did not appreciate the lack of vitriol and hatred for Tech in that column.
It was edited by Furman Bisher.
#FTMF (Bisher)
My Mother did the same for me at Christmas. A great reminder of a great mother.
I believe Lewis would refer to the apocryphal Happy Dicks story as a “ho-ax.” I don’t believe it actually happened.
As far as reading material, my tastes are the same in books as they are in movies. Make me think or make me laugh. I don’t want vapid and I don’t want fantasy. Reality is interesting enough.
I’m reading Blood Meridian the third time through.
“Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge, exists without my consent.”
Let that ping around your noodle…
I really like McCarthy’s work. I’ve been through Blood Meridian a couple of times, and The Border Trilogy as well. My book club is going through The Road next month.
I just finished Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, and his character development in that story is the best I found in his work. I rank that just under In Our Time, because of the connection I had with Big Two Hearted River.
I’m also nearing the end of Ian Toll’s Pacific War Trilogy. It is very thorough, yet doesn’t move at a snail’s pace. As someone who understands and knows about strategy in land based warfare, it was a great help in understanding naval strategy from 1900 through WWII.
Not a great movie, but this portion of his lone screenplay is astounding:
That trilogy is on repeat in my audiobook selection. I get something new out of it every listen
I have this one. Herschel was at Fort Sill in the early 2000s and signed the page with the picture of him trucking Bill Bates.
I am rereading Theo of Golden. It is a great book by a DAWG. I highly recommend it if you have not read it.
Haven’t read Grizzard in a while, but used to read him all the time. Great Dawg fan. One year at the WLOCP they had a breakfast scheduled for dawg fans and there was supposed to be a bit of a pep rally, but the planned speaker couldn’t make it. Lewis got up and did about 20 minutes off the cuff. It was great. For a similar style of writing, but with a little bit broader scope I recommend Ferrol Sams.
I too was a big fan of Lewis while he was still writing for AJC and subsequently collected most of his books in hardcover including the one pictured. Managed to get one of them signed. As for the hilarious Happy Dicks story, my brother-in-law lives in Athens and knew him casually. Happy does not think it ever made it to print. If any made it out the door would love to see a copy.
No one has ever compared “Great Literature” – War & Peace, Pride & Prejudice or Brideshead Revisited – to [checks notes] Lewis Grizzard before…. We did not have access to the Atlanta paper growing up, although my grandfather had a friend you would mail him Leis’ columns, which is how we (generally) knew of him and his reputation/humor. But The Great Books he is not…..
You read your literature, I’ll read mine! 😉 🙂
Literature can come in many forms.
I’ll read damn near anything outside of Shakespeare, but I prefer sci-fi, history (the larger the tome, the better), fantasy (think D&D style stuff), and a lot of food-related/adjacent stuff. If you haven’t read it, get a copy of The Potlikker Papers by John T. Edge, (UGA GRAD!), and the founding director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. He’s also the presenter for ‘True South’ on ESPN.
Another good one is ‘Pappyland’ by Wright Thompson. Story of the Van Winkel family of bourbon fame. Excellent book.
Spent a lot of time reading the Miami Herald many years ago. They had two great authors along the lines of Lewis. Dave Berry and Carl Heisen as two regular feature writers could spin a great story. Both have written very entertaining books.
Both are favorites. Check out Tim Dorsey, he’s like Hiassen on amphetamines.
Good call I love reading Dorsey.
GC,
Thanks for reminding me about Dorsey. I found and gave my son a copy of the Pope of Palm Beach. It’s about where and when I was in 65.
Cool! I looked at his bibliography and there’s a bunch of stuff I haven’t read. I’ll start with Pope.
Damn. I had not realized he passed…
That sucks.
Best books I’ve read over the past five years:
Sartor Resartus
Faust
Tale of a Tub
The Sorrows of Young Werther
Wilhelm Meister
IYKYK
✝️✝️🤞🤞👌👌🫡😂😂😂
I am reliably told Grizzard truly disliked Sartor Resartus. I guess you could say he gave it the everlasting nay. 😉
I own this book. I got it autographed by the authors at the old Rich’s at North DeKalb Mall. Loran Smith seemed like the happiest guy in the world; understandable when you consider his job was living in Athens, being the sideline reporter, taking alumni groups on UGA sponsored travel packages in the summer to places like the British Open, and being part of the caravan in the summer that went to Bulldog Club meetings all over the state (Kirby doesn’t have time for that shit, which I miss, but he keeps winning, so ok).
Grizzard looked like he’d rather be having a root canal. He was polite, but clearly not thrilled. I found my picture inside the book when I got it home; it’s the post game on field shot of the goal posts coming down. It is a great commemoration of a great year. Even Grizzard was impressed (a little) when I told him and Loran I had managed to make every game, home and away. That was my last fall in law school, a great way to go out. I have enjoyed the Kirby years and the road trips and wins, too. Having enough money to fly instead of drive is a nice change.
Just finished ‘Before the Fall’ by Noah Hawley. It’s a very good read (suspense novel). Also like most Adrian McKinty books (detective novels).
Gizzard was just a treasure
The Happy Dicks headline did not make it to print as I remember
LG tells the story in what I think is his best book, If I ever get back to Georgia I will nail my feet to the ground. I highly recommend it.
Been more than thirty years since I read it.
I really enjoyed this post and the comments.
His columns so many years ago were just something that made life so good.
This blog is something that makes life good as well.
Thank you to all who write and post and comment!
Great content!