Gently into the Land of the Meateaters [Hardcover]

James Sallis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

Essays about the author's life in writing and music, and working as a respiratory therapist. James Sallis is the author of the widely reviewed and highly regarded Lew Griffin detective series, as well as books of jazz criticism and a new biography of Chester Himes. Gently into the Land. gives the reader an intimate view of the author's concerns-drawing meaning from tragedy, providing solace to the weak and vulnerable, gathering truth from love-and their sources. This volume will appeal to all Sallis fans.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

In this clear and poetic collection of personal essays, Sallis (Bluebottle, 1999, etc.) recounts the beauty and pain he has experienced as a writer and as a human being. Best known for his Lew Griffin detective novels, Sallis has a talent for conveying sadness and humor simultaneously. In a piece entitled ``Literary Life,'' he claims, ``I distinctly remember being happy for almost 5 minutes in the winter of 1976.'' Striking the same ambivalence, he continues, ``Every day I receive letters that say, You write so well, so beautifully. And every day I send letters that say, Where is my money?'' Whether describing the beans he savored directly from the can as a starving writer or remembering a few words shared with a woman in the Laundromat, Sallis is unfailingly honest, intelligent, and without pretense in his recollections. As for the human characters he describes, their brief dialogues are reminiscent of Raymond Carver's workas is Sallis's provocative minimalist style. Each piece is carefully crafted and understated, and the author roots his ideas in philosophy and an appreciation of nature. Rain, tall trees, and poetry play recurrent roles. Many of the essays are elegiac and cathartic, dedicated to individuals who have touched his lifehis first wife, his father, a young friend who suffered from cystic fibrosis, and a high school music teacher. He communes intimately with memory, with those he loves and has loved, and with his own writing, revisiting buried emotions, unresolved relationships, and unpublished works. In ``Temporary Life,'' for example, Sallis reworks painful material from a manuscript written after his wife attempted suicide: the story is a touching mix of old and new work, as a writer calls upon old feelings and the words he uses to express them. From literary and emotional standpoints, the essays are charming and memorable.-- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

His work indicates a mind and a talent of uncommon dimensions...He may well be one of the significant ones. -- Harlan Ellison

James Sallis is one of the best writers in the United States. -- Sue Walker, editor, Negative Capability

Sallis is unfailingly honest, intelligent and without pretense. From literary and emotional standpoints, the essays are charming and memorable. -- Kirkis Reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Black Heron Press (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930773586
• ISBN-13: 978-0930773588
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,614,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essays that Cut to the Bone, October 14, 2007

By 

Charles Gramlich (Metairie,, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gently into the Land of the Meateaters (Hardcover)

Gently into the Land of the Meateaters is a wonderful collection of essays that cuts straight to the bone. I read it because James Sallis is a writer who I admire and I was hoping to get some insight into his work. There was much in the collection that writers can use, but the essays have much to say about life in addition to writing. There is both humor and tragedy, but through it all there are simply great sentences and paragraphs that convey things of importance. Highly recommended.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating collection of essays and observations., January 22, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gently into the Land of the Meateaters (Hardcover)

Gently Into The Land Of The Meateaters is a fascinating collection of James Sallis' autobiographical essays and observations as he draws meaning from tragedy, provides solace to the weak and vulnerable, gathers truth from love, understanding from what we do to each other; and solace from what we do to try to make up for it. Sallis is an experienced and gifted writer able to convey directly to his reader a sense of intimacy, candor, insight, and inspiration.