Prairie Gothic: The Story of a West Texas Family (Frances B. Vick) [Paperback]

John R. Erickson (Author), Elmer Kelton (Foreword)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press (October 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574412035
• ISBN-13: 978-1574412031
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 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: #2,628,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

The road to stardom for Hank, however, wasn't all dog biscuits and gravy. Erickson graduated from the University of Texas in 1966 and studied for two years at Harvard Divinity School. He began to publish short stories in 1967 while working full-time as a cowboy, farmhand, and ranch manager in Texas and Oklahoma. Hank and his sidekick Drover are dogs Erickson worked with on the range. This mixture of true-life experience, fun, and adventure has gained Hank a loyal following of thousands of children and adults.

In 1982, however, Erickson was at his rope's end. "I was working out in the cold; there was 8 inches of snow on the ground," he says, "I had just gotten a couple of rejection slips from New York publishers, and I had a wife with two kids and another one on the way." So, with $2,000 in borrowed money, Erickson started his own publishing company, appropriately named Maverick Books.

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults. An obvious favorite of readers, Erickson included two of Hank's humorous stories in Maverick Book's first publishing effort, The Devil in Texas (1982). Erickson began selling books from his pickup truck at cattle auctions, rodeos, and just about any place cowboys gathered.

When Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks. Not long after that first printing, the book was recorded word-for-word on audiotape. Since then, every Hank book has been recorded, making Hank the longest-running successful children's series on audio, ever. (Source: Billboard)

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans. When used with the books, Hank tapes increase reading skills rapidly. And, in response to popular demand from the growing bilingual market, the first two Hank the Cowdog adventures are available in Spanish.

Although the Hank books began as a regional phenomenon, CBS Television heard about them and brought out a thirty-minute cartoon of the first book. It aired in May 1985 as part of a series called "CBS Storybreak."

Erickson has also written several books for young adults, the "Riley McDaniels Series". The first book of the series, "Moonshiner's Gold", won the 2003-2004 Lamplighter Award. The second book in the series, "Discovery at Flint Springs," was a finalist for the Lamplighter Award the following year. He has also written several books about cowboying based on his own experiences.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

For more information about John R. Erickson and the Hank the Cowdog books, please visit www.hankthecowdog.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prairie Gothic - A Texas Genisis, May 14, 2007

By 

Charles M. Yates (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prairie Gothic: The Story of a West Texas Family (Frances B. Vick) (Paperback)

My family came to Texas when it still belonged to Spain and I grew up in South Texas in roughly the same generation as John Erickson. I saw my whole family in this book. They were all there, the outlaws and lawmen, the ranchers and shop keepers, the drunks and the Baptists. Erickson has what only the truly great writers have: the ability to tell a story. And it is a story of his family, perhaps the hardest subject for a writer to write about with competence. There are two distinct gifts I received from this book. The first was the honesty, tenderness and love with which Erickson treated the story of some of his relations who may not have been at the pinnacle of society's list of admirable role models. The second is the amazing strength, determination and grit of the women prior to our modern times. We have few of their equal today. Whether you're from Connecticut, Utah, Florida or Texas, this book is worth reading and rereading.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent portrayal of a West Texas family., November 26, 2005

By 

Jan E. Wiedemann "JWTexas" (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prairie Gothic: The Story of a West Texas Family (Frances B. Vick) (Paperback)

This is a well written book about a West Texas Family. John R. Erickson, creator of Hank the Cowdog Series, introduces us to his Texas family along with descriptive stories of life in the pioneering era of the West.