In the vivid and outlandish tradition of Hunter S. Thompson, journalist Michael Swindle shares his most bizarre, laugh out loud accounts of his travels: cockfights in Cajun country and wild boar hunts in the Everglades; "hog dog" rodeo in northern Louisiana and ass-hauling alligators in southern Louisiana; state to state fish throws in Florida to Alabama; and hollerin' contests in North Carolina. Other pieces explore a Haitian military dictatorship involved in voodoo and a story that starts with a Zapatista march on Mexico City and ends with an Anahuac Indian New Year's ceremony for the year 5722. Always entertaining, Swindle has a gift for bringing to life a folksy array of coastal characters, and shows a willingness to unflinchingly examine some controversial subject matter as well.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Slouching towards Birmingham reads like a collaboration between Hunter S. Thompson and Roy Blount, Jr., edited by Willie Morris. Read it through, then read it aloud for full affect."
-Allen Barra, Wall Street Journal
"These are wonderful stories by a man who grew wise and fearless enough to let his roots show. Mike Swindle comes from a real place and he makes it real in words like only the very best Southern writers can."
-Andrei Codrescu
"Swindle writes like Mark Twain on a two-tequila limit."
-Barry Gifford
-Allen Barra, Wall Street Journal
"These are wonderful stories by a man who grew wise and fearless enough to let his roots show. Mike Swindle comes from a real place and he makes it real in words like only the very best Southern writers can."
-Andrei Codrescu
"Swindle writes like Mark Twain on a two-tequila limit."
-Barry Gifford
About the Author
Michael Swindle is an author, freelance writer, poet, actor, art curator, and aficionado of the chile picante. His feature articles and reviews have appeared in numerous national magazines and newspapers, including Details, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. In addition, Swindle is the author of Mulletheads (Crane Hill Publishers, 1998) and editor of Sequin Artists of Haiti (Contemporary Arts Center, 1994). Born in Alabama, and raised there and in Mississippi, he now lives and works in New Orleans.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Real Deal,
This review is from: Slouching towards Birmingham: Shotgun Golf, Hog Hunting, Ass-Hauling Alligators, Rara in Haiti, Zapatistas, and Anahuac New Year's in Mexico City (Paperback)
You may go to college,you may go to school,you may drive a black Cadillac,don't be nobodys fool.-Elvis Presley '55 I've been trying to write this for the past 2 mos. It,s really a crime our southern culture has been packaged and sold. It's like buying red-hots at Wal-Mart.The Hot-Shots finally did it. They bought our sports,music,food and writers.Our damned culture for Christ-sake. Wrapped it up, in a neat package, sold man. Lock- stock and barrel for the allmighty dollar. Thank God, for one of the last,outlaw southern writers. A gentleman, and reporter.A man that brings us the essence of the dying breed.Michael D.Swindle, will always be a true original. I love him. When it,s gone it,s gone.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought it for the chapter on hog hunting,
By
This review is from: Slouching towards Birmingham: Shotgun Golf, Hog Hunting, Ass-Hauling Alligators, Rara in Haiti, Zapatistas, and Anahuac New Year's in Mexico City (Paperback)
But I read the whole book, and thoroughly enjoyed every chapter in it. Swindle reveals some good and bad attributes about living in the South, and finding political refuge in literary and other hard-drinking circles. Having lived and worked in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia, I couldn't agree more with his prognosis and descriptions. I'll have to find some more of his work. This is a great read.And the chapter on hog hunting was pretty decent.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
My Uncle Oren wasn't exactly overjoyed when I called and told him I wanted to go out trapping with him-I am generally considered a city slicker by my rural relatives. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
bay pen, dog trials, fighting cocks Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, Mexican George, Mullet Toss, Subcomandante Marcos, Texas Pete, Uncle Earl, Hog Wild, Luc Cedor, Mexico City, North Carolina, Uncle Oren, George Harrison, Legion Field, Pine Ridge, Spivey's Corner, The Bear, Bear Bryant, Chuck Berry, Deli Lama, Gene Crutcher-Books, Iron Bowl, Joe Gilchrist, Lake Grenada New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
My Uncle Oren wasn't exactly overjoyed when I called and told him I wanted to go out trapping with him-I am generally considered a city slicker by my rural relatives. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
bay pen, dog trials, fighting cocks Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, Mexican George, Mullet Toss, Subcomandante Marcos, Texas Pete, Uncle Earl, Hog Wild, Luc Cedor, Mexico City, North Carolina, Uncle Oren, George Harrison, Legion Field, Pine Ridge, Spivey's Corner, The Bear, Bear Bryant, Chuck Berry, Deli Lama, Gene Crutcher-Books, Iron Bowl, Joe Gilchrist, Lake Grenada New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
- Mexico City Blues: 242 Choruses by Jack Kerouac in Front Matter
- Best Nightmare on Earth: A Life in Haiti (Destinations) by Herbert Gold on page 133
- The Sinaloa Story: A Novel by Barry Gifford in Front Matter
- Night People (Gifford, Barry) by Barry Gifford in Front Matter
- My Dog Skip by Willie Morris on page 171
See all 6 books this book cites
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