Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in the Quarter

by Jerry E. Strahan

In John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "A Confederacy of Dunces, Ignatius J. Reilly, an overweight genius misfit, winds up selling wienies for Paradise Vendors, Inc. (the fictional equivalent of Lucky Dogs) in New Orleans' French Quarter. In "Managing Ignatius", Strahan relates his amusing--and bemusing--experiences working for more than two decades with the audacious characters who comprise the actual stable of Lucky Dog vendors. 24 halftones.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After slogging through The Last Madam: A Life In The New Orleans Underworld this book was a breath of fresh air. Strahan's conversational tone is delightful and energetic, and his recall of these characters and their antics is top-notch. Highly recommended as a bit of insight into the French Quarter of the 1970s and 1980s.

[Shadoshard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book, but it was well worth the risk.

I've been to New Orleans and like everyone else who has been there, I've seen and partaken of the Lucky Dogs being hawked on the streets. Over the years I watched them evolve, taking special interest because of my favorite book, 'A Confederacy of Dunces'. It turns out the reality of the Lucky Dog franchise is about as madcap.

The writer, a manager of the franchise for some time, grants a crisp and precise history of what went on behind the scenes with the business and the vendors. the writer, Jerry Strahan was able to write the feel, the grit and chaos of life that tantalized in 'Dunces' and grants the vendors a rich humanity at the same time. You'll never look at a Lucky Dog vendor the same way again after this book. It was a very satisfactory complimentary read to the classic.