You Probably Haven't Heard of Poe Ballantine. Now You Have.
Hello dear readers!
Life has gotten very busy of late. Haven't meant to neglect this blog.
At any rate, I finished a great book last week and I feel really strongly about telling you all about it (as per usual).
It was Whirlaway, by Poe Ballantine, one of America's best-kept secrets. This happens a lot with stuff I like--I rave about it to people, and they're like, "Who?"
I found Poe Ballantine in The Sun Magazine (another thing you should know about if you don't), years ago. He writes the way I often think. I recognize a lot of myself in him. Which is weird, cos I am not a male, an incurable nomad, a mercenary dishwasher, or even that much of a frustrated writer. I do have a sense of the absurdity of life though, and Poe always hits that particular nail right on the head.
Poe Ballantine is the kind of left-of-the-dial guy you'd really wanna sit down with in some dive somewhere and have a beer, and just listen to him talk about stuff. Like Tom Waits, or Bill Murray.
I read his latest novel in about 3 nights, which means I couldn't help myself, which means it was really, really good. A character study of a guy named Eddie Plum, Whirlaway takes us up and down the west coast of America and Mexico, on a tour of dives, diners, dumps, horse tracks, and mental institutions. There could be a serial killer in here; there is definitely a gut-punch ending.
I won't spoil it for you, but I will just say, it's a hell of a ride, and one you should take very, very soon. And let me know what you think when you do! Happy reading!
Life has gotten very busy of late. Haven't meant to neglect this blog.
At any rate, I finished a great book last week and I feel really strongly about telling you all about it (as per usual).
It was Whirlaway, by Poe Ballantine, one of America's best-kept secrets. This happens a lot with stuff I like--I rave about it to people, and they're like, "Who?"
I found Poe Ballantine in The Sun Magazine (another thing you should know about if you don't), years ago. He writes the way I often think. I recognize a lot of myself in him. Which is weird, cos I am not a male, an incurable nomad, a mercenary dishwasher, or even that much of a frustrated writer. I do have a sense of the absurdity of life though, and Poe always hits that particular nail right on the head.
Poe Ballantine is the kind of left-of-the-dial guy you'd really wanna sit down with in some dive somewhere and have a beer, and just listen to him talk about stuff. Like Tom Waits, or Bill Murray.
I read his latest novel in about 3 nights, which means I couldn't help myself, which means it was really, really good. A character study of a guy named Eddie Plum, Whirlaway takes us up and down the west coast of America and Mexico, on a tour of dives, diners, dumps, horse tracks, and mental institutions. There could be a serial killer in here; there is definitely a gut-punch ending.
I won't spoil it for you, but I will just say, it's a hell of a ride, and one you should take very, very soon. And let me know what you think when you do! Happy reading!
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