The Feedstore Chronicles

by Travis Erwin

Welcome to Pearl's Feed and Seed Most coming-of-age stories are fraught with symbolism, hidden metaphors, and a heaping mound of other literary devices. Not this one. Not mine. You see, I came of age while working at a dusty Texas feedstore. A place where To Kill a Mockingbird involved a twelve-year-old and a BB gun. Of Mice and Men was a problem easily solved with rat poison. And David Copperfield was nothing more than a dude that made shit disappear. In the spring of 1989, I went to work at Pearl's Feed and Seed for a man named Doyle Suggs. On the surface Doyle and I had little in common: I was a rosy-cheeked boy of sixteen; he was a twice-divorced, thirty-year-old high school dropout. I had yet to go on my first date; he was trading sex for horse feed in the back room. Sure, Doyle was a lout, a liar, and a lecherous derelict. To this day, he remains the most morally bankrupt man I've ever met, yet my life wouldn't be half as blessed, had I missed out on his misguided education. The Feedstore Chronicles is a mostly true account of those days and when murderous ex-wives, well-hung bulldogs, and feed room fornication were all part of a normal day at Pearl's.

Genres: Humor, Memoir

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2011

About the author

I am a native Texan who now calls sunny Southern California home. Long before I figured out I wanted to be writer, I was an avid reader. I write humor books and articles about sports and music and food and anything else that strikes my fancy. But mostly I write Women’s Fiction.

Yes, I know it's a little odd for a six-foot-five, two- hundred, and too-many-pounds man to write “girly stuff” but what can I do. I have to write the stories that fill my head, because I’m obligated to be the voice for these characters since they’re not going to shut up either way. At least on paper I can act like they exist for a reason. Otherwise, I’m just a guy with multiple personalities.

Reviews

[Ryan McSwain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoirs are tricky books to pull off. Sometimes they work because they deal with an important event, or they revolve around a person everyone knows. The Feedstore Chronicles does neither, but it succeeds because it is well written, occasionally introspective, and often hilarious. It also makes my boring home town of Amarillo, Texas, feel like a cross between Green Acres and Twin Peaks.

We follow a young Travis through his high school years as he works at a feedstore for the morally bankrupt Doyle. Doyle is the Gatsby to Travis’ Carraway, threatening to steal every scene the same way he steals other men’s wives. But Travis’ coming of age is still at the heart of the story, and each chapter has the well-rehearsed feel of a bar hound’s favorite tall tale. I found myself laughing out loud at lengthy descriptions of the toxic coffee or at Doyle’s advice on matters of the heart. There’s also a goat that loves the Golden Girls and a visit from an Asian gangster.

If you’re looking for a clever turn of phrase or a hearty laugh, check out The Feedstore Chronicles.

[Rick Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travis Erwin’s semi-memoir The Feedstore Chronicles is a fictionalized account of his coming-of-age, set around his high school job in the Texas panhandle. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and funny doesn’t come easy. Sure, some of the humor is crude. Okay, pretty much all of the humor is crude. There are a couple scenes that make fart jokes seem like church talk, one involving a bulldog. But it is funny, and it’s the voice with which Travis describes the awkward situations that makes the narrative so compelling. His writing is natural, witty, and full of heart. There are a few issues with commas, which the author himself points out at one point in the book, but that didn't lessent he impact of the situational humor or the witty voice.

I recommend this for anyone looking for a laugh.

[Michael Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the same type of small town Erwin so lovingly describes in The Feedstore Chronicles. I haven't really been back since leaving for college (in even smaller towns for my Bachelor's and Masters Degrees), and this book was like a homecoming. All of those memories - crappy jobs, summer nights where the only fun you could have is the fun you'd make, small town dreamers and schemers - populate the pages of this book.

The book walks a great tightrope between honest slice-of-life tales and backroom "y'all ain't gonna believe this shit" stories. It keeps you reading because of Erwin's talent as a storyteller. You're not reading a book so much as hanging out with him, cracking a few beers, and listening to stories of years gone by.

[Joanne Brothwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was laugh-out-loud hilarious, to the point where my eruptions of giggling annoyed those around me! I most enjoyed the candid and unflinchingly honest recounting of awkward situations involving equally quirky and eccentric people. Travis Erwin's engaging, heartfelt writing gets you hooked (shocked) from page one, keeps you entertained (in a morbidly curious way), and by the end, you feel like taking your new buddy Travis out for a beer. A fabulous read, highly recommended!

[B.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp through the teen years of the author. I found myself nodding in places and knowing exactly what he was feeling in the others. Perhaps a little risque for my tastes here and there (which is why it's 4 instead of 5 stars - Goodreads really should have a 4.5 option), but overall a damn good book. I can't wait to see what's next for Travis. If you're looking for a light read with some good old-fashioned fun, and a little bathroom humor, this is the book for you.

[JJ DeBenedictis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little book--charming, funny and very heart-warming. It's not the sort of thing I normally read, but I really loved it! The book has some typographical errors, but that's the only thing I have to criticize about it; it's a lovely collection of yarns that wind through a young man's coming of age and culminate in him finding life-long love and wisdom from a very unlikely source.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. Full of humor but not just a comedy. A coming of age story told with heart and warmth and, frequently, a little tongue-in-cheek. You'll never forget the characters you meet in these pages.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific book! A coming-of-age story/memoir set in the early '90's in Texas and it all revolves around a working at a feed store. So the humor may be a bit crude, but it was funny! Nothing you wouldn't expect from a teenager and a not-so-grown up adult. Definitely worth the read.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun read!! I laughed a lot!!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book was great. The second half, meh. I did like the way the author writes so I will check out his other books!

[Amy Celznick]

Very enjoyable. Home grown, take me back to my roots reading.

[J.A. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny Stories About Life

I felt like I was sitting right next to the author down at Pearls Feed and Seed listening to him tell this story, surrounded by colorful and sometimes crazy people. It was funny and sweet and heartfelt snd I laughed so hard at many things that Doyle and Travis did to annoy each other. I’ll never look at rolled oats the same way again. Or bulldogs for that matter. You’ll see.

[Adam Mahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rocked

I love memoirs. This one was heartfelt and sucks you into the world. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer

[Jack Willburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book about life in the panhandle. I know it was a coming of age story but it is just darned funny no matter how you look at it. If you are looking for a good read that will make you smile and not bog you down then you have got to check this one out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did or even a smidgen as much would still be a hoot.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit crude at times, but funny and enjoyable

[Zan Marie Steadham · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a wry, perfectly pitched voice, Erwin entertains with a fictionalized memoir that opens a window into the adolescent male mind. Venture in if you want a rollicking read.