Thursday Night Book Review
The Boy Who Would Be a Fire Truck, True-Life Tales From a Working Class Writer, by Marty Wombacher
I ordered this book specifically because I subscribe to Marty’s blog on Myspace, and it pretty much cracks me up. And keeps us informed of the greatest cheeseburgers in New York City. Very useful information. And even though it seems Marty is a devout, Budweiser drinker, we can be certain it is only because he has never seen the beautiful blue color of a Miller Lite can. Or maybe it disturbs him, that Lite is spelled L-i-t-e. Either way, I can overlook his Budweiser habit, due to the fact, that he is my people. My people, being from Central Illinios. There is a fondness I have for Midwesterners, and Marty used to be one of us. For many years, in fact, and then he up and moved to NEW YORK CITY! That is a big move, people! And I don’t even know how much rent costs there, but you can bet your bottom dollar, that it costs all the dollars. ALL of them. And you can’t even ask for more, because Rudy Giuliani will have you arrested for spare changing! Sorry, Giuliani, but you aren’t my people. You are Brooklyn’s people.
Anyway, I bought this book, because my people (Central Illiniosians) haven’t written a whole lot of books. I guess there was that Spoon River Anthology deal, and Langston Hughes. Um, and Carl Sandburg. And that one guy. From Lincoln. William Maxwell. SO LONG, William Maxwell, see you TOMMORROW, because Marty’s book is much more exciting! Sure you had that whole “murder” dealio in your “book”, Mr. Maxwell, but you never called into the Larry King show while high and drunk. AND got on the air! Sorry, William Maxwell, but this book is better. Almost as great as Amanda Palmer. Almost as great as Twisted Sister. It is like those “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books– for the rest of us. I have never read one of those “Chicken Soup All Up In Your Soul” books, because– I AM THE REST OF US! This book deals with serious issues, such as: beer, Moon Zappa, Sassy Magazine, people who are overly enthusiastic about FRUIT!, and a story about Richie Haven’s that made me laugh out loud. I do not lol, internets, because I am not too lazy to type that shit out. Twice. LAUGH OUT LOUD. The only way this book could be any cooler is if Amanda Palmer wrote it. But she didn’t. She has Neil Gaiman to write her books for her.
So go buy this book and then read it. It only costs, Twelve Dollars and Ninety Five cents, and that is waay cheaper than 5 gallons of gas or 24 pretty-blue Miller Lites. So order it, and then walk to the liquor store and buy 6 Miller Lites, the 16 oz ones, that way you get a free beer for every 3 you drink that is,like, ONE FREE BEER, people! And then go blow up the gin room and listen to WKAP, like 95 times! See me back here, next Thursday for another book review!
7 comments September 18th, 2008




