The Legend of Jimmy Gollihue
Read this tale once. Long ago, in the misty mists of time. Last night if I recall rightly, and part of today. Called The Legend of Jimmy Gollihue. Don’t sound like much, I know. Legend, ha.
Well, come to find out it is a legend, a true one, as true as magical realism can get – which is a lot truer than regular realism, since it includes magic and miracles. No idea why this one tale is so special to me, who has perused so many tales in his life it’s a miracle he ain’t grown one.
Maybe it’s because I like words, love the Southland, am a sucker for love stories, tall tales, and immaculate beauty, and have a keen appreciation of myth and fable. Also love asskickers, btw.
I ran across this magical gem of trade paperbacks as an accident, really. When I was kinda new to Twitter I chummed up to a guy named @George9Writer. He was friendly, helpful, seemed a nice guy, and as a fellow writer I thought I’d give him a hand up by ordering his first ever book (poor fella, a self-publisher like me, welcome to schmucksville). Turns out he gave me a hand up – a hand up into one of the best novels I ever read in my life – and boy am I grateful.
Thank you George LaCas. I will ever be your friend and avid reader. Really looking forward to my second runthrough of Legend in a week or three, after my ravished soul has got a chance to settle down, let the ol’ language bone cool off some. I know there is more glory to be had.
Whew,
LWIII
(do have to warn you he edited it himself, so it’s only a modern classic and not a masterpiece, which may actually add to its charm for me)
Hey, Tom. I’ve known George for almost a year now. Not only is he a damn fine human being, but Jimmy G is a damn fine book. He’s also the undisputed king of social media marketing
Thanks for the comment, Dan. I could tell from that magnificent novel that George is a fine person with an extraordinary mind and a soul to die for. Sure can sling the lingo. His book kind of drove me off my rocker for a bit. Emailed him with insane jabber, so doubt he’s looking for me as a friend, but that’s okay, I wouldn’t want me as a friend either.
I think part of the insanity was my envy and jealousy of his talent, and the fact I wasn’t expecting much from the book.
Thanks again, Tom, you are truly a prince among men. This is the real payoff of writing books: not money, not a glimmer of fake fame, but of making readers happy. Gold can hold nothing against this purest of coins.
See you in Twitterland!
Hey George, I always figgered the top two things I could do to ‘em was make ‘em laugh out loud – the kind of surprised guffaw when one’s sitting in a room with a reader that at first pisses you off and then makes you chuckle too – and cry. You made me do both.
I didn’t cry until I read your very special last word (no spoilers here) and then I burst into tears like a little baby. Thanks for that, pard.
Here’s to the purest of coin,
LWIII
…oh yeah, Iris is one of my favorite characters OAT. (of all time) I could crawl inside her and die happy.