Customer Reviews

Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories

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I like to go to the Mosquito Cafe in Galveston to hear Bill Cherry tell stories. The coffee and scones are great. But the main attraction is the pure pleasure of hearing Bill tell stories about a quirky island off the Texas Coast that has been home to famous pirates, gamblers, bamboozlers and other assorted characters. The stories in this book originally were published in The Galveston County Daily News. As the editor, I can tell you they passed the muster of tough critics. These are the kind of stories islanders like to read about themselves. The stories Bill tells so well at the cafe over coffee are here in this book. It's not exactly the same as a trip to the cafe, but it's mighty close.

Only in America can one person grow up in a city, remember the details almost to the letter, and then WRITE about his friends, fellow citizens, interesting characters, etc. as Bill Cherry has done. He brings the past, and in some cases the present, to life in Galveston. Anyone who finds people of all kinds interesting will find this book INTERESTING! I am Professor Emeritus of Music, University of North Texas and have followed Bill's career rather closely through the years!

I've never read a book quite like this, and I doubt you have either. It's a collection of sixty essays, catagorized by subject: Love, Humor, Nostalgia, History, Hurricanes, Religion, Characters and Memories. And these tales could have as easily been written by Daymon Runyon as they were by this talented story teller, Bill Cherry.

Consider some of the titles: "Joe Pajucie, His Red Cadillac and the Four Cheap-Looking Women;" "At Miss Dorothy's: Arthur and Summer Saw the Midnight Sun;" "Baby Doll Pajamas, Spoolies and Tabu Marked Rites of Passage;" Smooching Can Make a Boy and Girl Say Things They Don't Really Mean;" and "Rose, Curly, the Priest and the Doctor above the Dime Store.

And then there's one simply titled "Homer Sectuals." It's about a circa 1954 mayor inviting some teenage boys, who one night were sitting at a drugstore soda fountain, to go with him for a raid he was staging at a public men's room on the beach. Since they had never heard the term "homosexuals" before, the boys thought Homer Sectuals was a dangerous wanted criminal, so they took the mayor up on his offer. This cops and robbers story is a scream because the homophobic mayor gets his just due.

If you've lived or visited Galveston, you may have a 10% advantage on those of us who haven't, but this book is a wonderful experience for readers everywhere, and what makes it exceptional is that these stories are totally non-fiction!

I just ordered TWO of Bill Cherry's books so that should tell you how much we have enjoyed the stories of Mr. Cherry from the past. Each of the recipients of the books I ordered was very pleased with the unexpected, but oh so welcomed gift. Bill Cherry has the knack of the perfect storyteller. It's like he's right there with you, around your table, sharing stories. This book is guaranteed to help you learn more about one of our finest ports in our country and the wonderful people there who help(ed) make it work! And a chuckle or so here and there is like the "finishing touch" cherry on top of a delicious sundae!

When it comes to writing about Galveston Bill Cherry is the absolute master. His talent is considerable and he captures the event and the people perfectly with story-telling grace and humor. If you want to learn about pre-Hurricane Ike Galveston this is a must read and oh so enjoyable.