"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 >>>
How Do l Get My Money From Amazon Lost Recovery masters
The Lost Recovery Masters is a team of experienced Amazon Recovery Experts currently collecting funds back to all Amazon s,c,a,m victims. Anyone that has fallen prey to these fake online imposters and bogus investments Schemes contact Lost Recovery Masters and explain your situation; They will assist you in all Amazon s,c,a,m,s retrieval funds, bitcoin wallets reclaiming, investment s,c,a,m, mobile mass surveillance, and cyber – attacks. Reach out to them through their:
Call/Whatsapp : +44(7-5-3-7-1-0-5-9-2-1)
Email: Support@lostrecoverymasters.com
Website: https://lostrecoverymasters.com/
My Name is Sandra from New York, I want to say thank you to ANNE GUIDANCE for the good thing he has done for me,though am not sure if this is the best forum to show my joy and happiness for what he has done for me but i can’t hide happiness and my Joy so i have to share it with people, my marriage got crashed about two years ago and i tried all i could within my power but to no avail. I saw a post and testimonial about the good things ANNE GUIDANCE has been doing so I decided to give it a try. though he is always a busy man but when he responded back to my email, he gave me 24hours for my marriage to be restored really just like he said my marriage was restored since then I am happy and i am living happily i am so grateful, ANNE GUIDANCE you can always email him here: anneguidance1@gmail.com or WHATSAPP +17405177939 or view his blog his web page https://anneguidancepsychic.blogspot.com/
LORD MEDUZA IS THE BEST SPELL CASTER ONLINE
It’s an honor to share my testimony with the world. You merit all the accolades that mention you. Lord Meduza has been a gift to me since our meeting online. He is the only one that knows everything about creating spells. I adore him immensely for his kindness, compassion, integrity, and the support he offers to everyone who interacts with him. Without Lord Meduza, I wouldn’t have survived this difficult situation. His magic turned me into a Lottery winner of £177 Million Pounds, transforming my entire life into something beautiful and extraordinary. The numbers he provided for the lottery were transformative, elevating me from grass to grace, and I want to express my eternal gratitude to him. Thank you, sir, for being a source of help to those in need. Anyone who reads this article and requires assistance can reach him through his Email: lordmeduzatemple@hotmail.com or WhatsApp +1 8 0 7 9 0 7 2 6 8 7 as he is unmatched in spells crafting.
Someone cast a black magic spell to separate me and my husband! Dr. Excellent helped me to get my ex husband back after the separation. My Husband packed out to live with his mistress and he sent me divorce papers. I tried all I could to get him back but he refused to return home and I suspected the lady used some magic spell on him to hold him down. I got to know about Dr. Excellent in a YouTube comment where i was looking for help to get my husband back and i contacted him and explain my problem to him and he did the work and my husband return back home and he apologies for the pains he put me through and we are living happily together for good. if you need any kind of help you can also contact him for help. Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail.com , check his website:https://drexcellentspellcaster.godaddysites.com
Hello, it’s a lovely morning here.. I am Vanessa Craig, and I am writing this article to inform everyone that just because we overlook certain information due to our lack of knowledge doesn’t mean it isn’t real. I am currently valued at more than £70 Million Pounds because I acknowledged this vital information. I had assistance from a man named Meduza I found online whose impressive testimonials about his spell work are legit and genuine. His lottery spell enabled me to win £65 Million Pounds in the lottery by providing me with the accurate winning numbers after he performed a lottery spell for me. I placed my full trust in him and followed his instructions without any hesitation and right now, I am proud to say that Meduza’s spiritual advice for winning the lottery is superb and outstanding. I am very grateful to him for his help. To learn more, reach out to him at
WhatsApp: +1 807 907 2687
Email: lordmeduzatemple@hotmail.com
Facebook: lordmeduzatemple