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Piney Wood Pulp

The Texas Observer, 2009, Vol.101 (23)

Copyright Texas Democracy Foundation Dec 11, 2009 ;ISSN: 0040-4519

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  • Title:
    Piney Wood Pulp
  • Author: Bonner, Stayton
  • Subjects: Lansdale, Joe R ; Novels
  • Is Part Of: The Texas Observer, 2009, Vol.101 (23)
  • Description: Hap and Leonard eke out a living doing freelance detective work. Told with Hap's wry outlook, Vanilla Ride's first-person narrative gives a running commentary on the story. [Joe R. Lansdale]'s action sequences are of the sort found in '8os movies billed with single names - Schwarzenegger, Stallone- yet they remain interesting for their humor. In the midst of a chase sequence, Hap pauses to take note of a house's yard decorations. This snippet underscores Hap's progressive leanings, which are continually counterbalanced by Leonard's Republican positions: "John's brother hates him because he's gay. He tells him he doesn't have to be gay. He's telling him God doesn't want him gay. ... I've tried to tell him that even if there is a God, the New Testament is the one to go by, and it's not tough on us queers. It's just the old mean version of God that gives us a hard time." The book's weakest link is its sophomoric, crude humor. Jokes involving bodily functions and needlessly foul language constitute too much of the protagonists' banter. Perhaps this is symptomatic of Lansdale's larger preoccupation with society's marginalized. His characters are outsiders living in a region that suffers from cultural schizophrenia. Not quite Southern and not quite Texan, East Texas is a difficult land to capture. Like Michael Dougan, whose graphic novel East Texas: Tales From Behind the Pine Curtain is a largely unknown gem, Lansdale gets it right. While skewering the area for its ignorance, racism and close-minded religion, he also appreciates its hardworking ethic and lack of pretense. His protagonists might buy their shoes at Payless and live in trailer parks, but they share a friendship strong enough to risk their lives for each other.
  • Publisher: Austin: Texas Democracy Foundation
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 0040-4519
  • Source: Alma/SFX Local Collection
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