"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 >>>
We offer variety of Handguns for Self-defense: Glock, Beretta, Ruger, Taurus, Walther, Bersa, Jericho, Norinco, Colt, SW, del 22, 32, 380, 38spl, 9mm, 44, 45, 357 and others, with papers, with license, national and international deliveries, with security, guarantee and excellent condition. We offer worldwide shipping.
steadychasers@gmail.com
+1 774 378 5680
Signal Messaging APP: steadychasers.18
view our catalog here: https://steadychasers.online/product-category/self-defense
We offer only original quality real and false passports, license drivers, ID cards, visas, birth certificate, stamps etc. and other products for the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, USA, and many other countries.
We offer worldwide shipping.
steadychasers@gmail.com
+1 774 378 5680
Signal Messaging APP: steadychasers.18
https://steadychasers.online/product-category/id-passport-license-others/
Counterfeit Currency/Prop Notes/Fke Bills
We are professional IT technicians and we produce SUPER UNDETECTED COUNTERFEIT MONEY for all currencies. Our notes are industrially and professionally produced. We use quality foil papers element. 20% of cellulose and 80% of cotton papers. Our bills have the infrared detection which makes our bills to bypass the UV machines, pen test and even eye detection buy counterfeit expert. Our notes are AAA+ grade Quality 100% safe and secured to use in any of these areas: BANKS CASINO, ATM, MONEY CHANGERS STORES.
We offer worldwide shipping.
steadychasers@gmail.com
+1 774 378 5680
Signal Messaging APP: steadychasers.18
https://steadychasers.online/product-category/counterfeit-money/
Clone cards/Bitcoin Mining/ Cash App Flips
low and high balance clone cards available. TAP IN:
https://steadychasers.online/product-category/clone-cards/
mine bitcoin and make steady passive income
https://steadychasers.online/product-category/bitcoin-mining/
All Flips Available: Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo. TAP IN:
https://steadychasers.online/product-category/cashapp-paypal-zelle-venmo/
We offer worldwide shipping.
steadychasers@gmail.com
+1 774 378 5680
Signal Messaging APP: steadychasers.18
My name is Agustín At one time I often fell for the tricks of fraudsters, namely brokers. After, I wanted to withdraw funds and started looking for companies to withdrawal of funds. I came across the company Broker Tribunal. It seemed quite a serious office, with a lot of positive feedback, and They take payment only when the work is done. Two months later, when I gave these freaks $3,000, I realized that there was no refund will. As they say, free cheese only in a mousetrap. But I still managed to get my hard-earned money back, not only from the broker, but also from the company broker Tribunal. If you need a free consultation on the broker or return companies, write to e-mail,ryanackroydwizardfundsrecovery@gmail.com
WHATSAPP +7(930)660-72-54
Telegram @Ryan129913