What Would Kinky Do?: How to Unscrew a Screwed-Up World [Paperback]

Kinky Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

Kinky Friedman, who would be our contemporary Will Rogers if Will Rogers had been Jewish, smoked cigars, and foolish enough to believe he could govern the great state of Texas, returns with this collection of hilariously raunchy, sometimes poignant, and always insightful essays. With fearless wit and wisdom born from many a late night’s experience, Kinky offers both pearls and cowpats that touch on life, death, and everything in between. 

Considering the current predicament of our nation and the world at large, the question is, “What would Kinky do?”  His answers invoke Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, George Bush, and other cultural touchstones; reflect on Texas etiquette, smoking in bars, mullet haircuts, immigration policy, and how Don Imus died for our sins; and advise on how to handle a nonstop talker on a long flight, how to deliver the perfect air kiss, and what to do when a redneck hollers “Hey y’all, watch this!” 

Whether he’s “the new Mark Twain” (Southern Living), “in a class with Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, and, yes, Henny Youngman” (The New York Post), “a Texas legend” (President George W. Bush), or “the Mother Teresa of literature” (Willie Nelson), Kinky Friedman is an outrageously funny and uncommonly smart observer of our common predicament: life and what to do about it.

A little friendly advice from “Texas for Dummies”

*Get you some brontosaurus-foreskin boots and a big ol’ cowboy hat.  Always remember, only two kinds of people can get away with wearing their hats indoors: cowboys and Jews. Try to be one of them.  

*Get your hair fixed right. If you’re male, cut it into a “mullet” (short on the sides and top, long in the back---think Billy Ray Cyrus).  If you’re female, make it as big as possible, with lots of teasing and hair spray.  If you can hide a buck knife in there, you’re ready.

*Buy you a big ol’ pickup truck or a Cadillac.  I myself drive a Yom Kippur Clipper.  That’s a Jewish Cadillac---stops on a dime and picks it up.

*Don’t be surprised to find small plastic bags of giant dill pickles in local convenience stores.

*Everything goes better with picante sauce. No exceptions.

*Don’t tell us how you did it up there. Nobody cares.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Since having seemingly killed off his alter ego, Kinky Friedman, the curmudgeonly singer turned curmudgeonly crime solver of 17 novels, the Kinkster has not rested on his laurels. Instead, he has been busy running for the governor of Texas (he lost with more than 12 percent of the vote); selling cigars (Kinky Friedman Cigars, or, KFC); and writing columns for Texas Monthly. Now, in his latest effort, Kinky proffers advice. Not “direct good advice” but, instead, “lots and lots of common Zen bullshit” on such topics as writing, traveling, “life, death, and everything in between.” Really an excuse to expound again on his favorite obsessions (politics, Hank Williams’ death in the back of a ’52 Cadillac, and his favorite lunatics who’ve gone mad or “stepped on a rainbow”), this compendium allows Kinky to recall his Peace Corp days in Borneo, where he ate monkey brains; explain why he (and other authors) killed off their creations; profile personal heroes of his like Don Imus, Bob Dylan, Jack Ruby, Willie Nelson, and various animals who’ve saved lives; and, most importantly, share his special brand of Texas wit and wisdom again. --Ben Segedin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Kinky Friedman is a country music singer, politician, Texas Monthly columnist, the author of a successful mystery series, and was a candidate for governor in Texas in 2006. He wants to take things back to a time when the cowboys all sang and their horses were smart. To find out more, go to www.kinkyfriedman.com or www.utopiarescue.com. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312561040
• ISBN-13: 978-0312561048
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #648,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars what has Kinky done!, October 11, 2008

By 

U. Mccormick "a reader" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What Would Kinky Do?: How to Unscrew a Screwed-Up World (Hardcover)

I've read most of Kinky's books in the past and liked them. But this one is not up to the standard of past writings. Definitely not recommended for anyone who objects to profanity for the shock value. I was disappointed.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars God Bless Kinky, January 20, 2009

By 

bekainindia - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Would Kinky Do?: How to Unscrew a Screwed-Up World (Hardcover)

The book IS a collection of older articles and stories, as it states. Some of which appeared in Texas Monthly magazine that he freqently writes for. I thought the tributes to his parent were beautiful and as usual his sarcastic humor made me lol.