"Lonesome Shorty" from The Book of Guys
As we approach the 25th Anniversary of the publication of Garrison Keillor's short story collection The Book of Guys, we are revisiting a few of the stories from the book with new introductions from Garrison. Here's what Garrison had to say about "Lonesome Shorty":
Written for The New Yorker, this story inspired the radio serial "Lives of the Cowboys" on A Prairie Home Companion, with Dusty and Lefty, Lefty's lost love Evelyn Beebalo, and the villain Big Messer, which takes place in and around Yellow Gulch, Wyoming. It's Samuel Beckett for fourteen-year-olds. The cowboys suffer extreme loneliness, which drives them to visit town, where, in a short time, they are disgusted by society and return to the godforsaken plains, where, in due course, they suffer extreme loneliness and return to Yellow Gulch, only to be disgusted. That's how life seemed to me when I was fourteen.
Excerpt:
The summer before last, I was headed for Billings on my horse Old Dan, driving two hundred head of the ripest-smelling longhorns you ever rode downwind of, when suddenly here come some tumbleweeds tumbling along with a newspaper stuck inside—I had been without news for weeks so I leaned down and snatched it up and read it trotting along, though the front page was missing and all there was was columnists and the Lifestyle section, so bouncing along in a cloud of manure I read an article entitled “43 Fabulous Salads to Freshen Up Your Summertime Table” which made me wonder if my extreme lonesomeness might not be the result of diet. Maybe I’m plumb loco, but a cowboy doesn’t get much fiber and he eats way too much beef.
You herd cattle all day, you come to despise them, and pretty soon, by jingo, you have gone and shot one, and then you must eat it, whilst all those cattle tromping around on the greens takes away your taste for salads, just like when you arrive at a creek and see that cattle have tromped in the water and drunk from it and crapped in it, it seems to turn a man toward whiskey. I thought to myself, Shorty, you’ve got to get out of this cowboy life. I mentioned this to my partner, old Eugene, and he squinted at me and said, “Eeyup.”
“Eugene,” I said, “I’ve been cowboyin for nigh onto two decades now. I know every water hole between Kansas and the Sierra Nevada, but consarn it, I miss the company of my fellow man. Scenery ain’t enough for me, Eugene, nor freedom. I’m sceneried out, pardner, and freedom is vastly overrated as an experience, if you ask me. I got to be with people. I’m a people cowboy, not a cow cowboy.”
Continue Reading Lonesome Shorty >>>
Purchase The Book of Guys >>>
hello everyone i am Henry Mikiel from Florida a medical doctor i never believed herbal products could solve what my science technology could not solve ,i have been having little penis size since childhood and that really Embarass me alot and up till now that i am 37 years old i still find it difficult to find a permanent solution until my friend from Africa at work place introduce his uncle to me Dr Harry .he told me about his wonderful works and decided to contact him through his email he gave me drharrysolution@gmail.com and he replied me and we discussed my situation and told me what i need to do ,i did it and received his herbal medicine through UPS and i got it within 3/5 days and used his miraculous herbal mixture cream just as he told me ,its just 4 days i started measuring and got 4 inches already and after two weeks i got 11 inches size and 8.0 girth size .i was so happy because no woman will dare reject me now with my big Cock .life is really full of surprises me that was having 2 inches before now having 11 inches big cock size .so if you need any help or cure to any sickness or disease like small penis,low sperm count,premature ejaculation,HIV/AIDS ,herpes ,spells of all kinds etc you can quickly visit his website link https://drharrysolutionhea.wixsite.com/healinghome
EMAIL HIM drharrysolution@gmail.com whatsapp him on +2349036417079 good luck as you reach him
hello everyone i am Henry Mikiel from Florida a medical doctor i never believed herbal products could solve what my science technology could not solve ,i have been having little penis size since childhood and that really Embarass me alot and up till now that i am 37 years old i still find it difficult to find a permanent solution until my friend from Africa at work place introduce his uncle to me Dr Harry .he told me about his wonderful works and decided to contact him through his email he gave me drharrysolution@gmail.com and he replied me and we discussed my situation and told me what i need to do ,i did it and received his herbal medicine through UPS and i got it within 3/5 days and used his miraculous herbal mixture cream just as he told me ,its just 4 days i started measuring and got 4 inches already and after two weeks i got 11 inches size and 8.0 girth size .i was so happy because no woman will dare reject me now with my big Cock .life is really full of surprises me that was having 2 inches before now having 11 inches big cock size .so if you need any help or cure to any sickness or disease like small penis,low sperm count,premature ejaculation,HIV/AIDS ,herpes ,spells of all kinds etc you can quickly visit his website link https://drharrysolutionhea.wixsite.com/healinghome
EMAIL HIM drharrysolution@gmail.com whatsapp him on +2349036417079 good luck as you reach him
I will keep referring you Dr Guba for the great things you’ve done in my life most especially the natural roots and herbs that cured me off HSV2 completely with no side effects using your meds…keep on the good work sir. Contact him an email via: drgubahealingherbs@gmail.com or WhatsApp: + 234 816 238 8034 or website: https://drgubahealingherbs.wixsite.com/guba-healing-herbs
I will keep referring you Dr Guba for the great things you’ve done in my life most especially the natural roots and herbs that cured me off HSV2 completely with no side effects using your meds…keep on the good work sir. Contact him an email via: drgubahealingherbs@gmail.com or WhatsApp: + 234 816 238 8034 or website: https://drgubahealingherbs.wixsite.com/guba-healing-herbs
I want the whole world to know Doctor Odunga for he is the best person for you to meet when you need help such as getting your long lost lover back, infertility problems, herpes, Cancer, Parkinson’s disease ETC. I am Julia Stevens from Alabama, USA. I understand that you might be slow to comprehend what this is all about but this man is really that great. I emailed odungaspelltemple@gmail.com This spell caster brought my ex boyfriend back to me during the month of Nov 2019. Robert left me for over 2 years and when he came back, he had genital herpes. I didn’t know. We had sex and I contacted it too which affected me and embarrassed me in public places. I contacted this man the second time to help me cure this problem and he sent me herbal medication and up till now, my private part is cleared and also that of my boyfriend, Robert. Presently, I am in a happy relationship pregnant for my partner and this is all thanks to this Dr. Odunga for his marvelous help he has rendered to me. You too can be happy in your relationship and cure your disease with the help of this man. I trust him fully. His email is odungaspelltemple@gmail.com OR contact his WhatsApp Number +2348167159012