Slouching towards Birmingham: Shotgun Golf, Hog Hunting, Ass-Hauling Alligators, Rara in Haiti, Zapatistas, and Anahuac New Year's in Mexico City

by Michael Swindle, Barry Gifford (Foreword by)

In the vivid and outlandish tradition of Hunter S. Thompson, journalist Michael Swindle shares his most bizarre, laugh out loud accounts of his cockfights in Cajun country and wild boar hunts in the Everglades; "hog dog" rodeo in northern Louisiana and ass-hauling alligators in southern Louisiana; state to state fish throws in Florida to Alabama; and hollerin' contests in North Carolina. Other pieces explore a Haitian military dictatorship involved in voodoo and a story that starts with a Zapatista march on Mexico City and ends with an Anahuac Indian New Year's ceremony for the year 5722. Always entertaining, Swindle has a gift for bringing to life a folksy array of coastal characters, and shows a willingness to unflinchingly examine some controversial subject matter as well.

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2005

Reviews

[Rob Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a longstanding misconception which says writing that's easygoing somehow can't also be penetrating. Well, this delightful book of essays is both insightful and really funny.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slouching towards Birmingham: Shotgun Golf, Hog Hunting, Ass-Hauling Alligators, Rara in Haiti, Zapatistas, and Anahuac New Year's in Mexico City by Michael Swindle (Frog Books 2005)(917.04). This is a fun book in the genre of "weird places I have been, weird things I have seen, and weird people I have met." These tales feature, in no particular order, alligator fishing in Louisiana, hog hunting in Florida, farmland trapping in Mississippi, the Iron Bowl in Alabama, and cock fighting with the Cajuns. That's sort of like a "redneck grand slam." It makes for diverting reading, anyway. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 6/14/14.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having met the author I was compelled to pick this up:

http://mattdavisopenshismouth.com/200...

[Travissimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

DUDE! This is one of my Uncle's great books! You know what that means, right? It means you should go onto Amazon and spend your hard earned $4 to buy a copy cause it's AWESOME! The End.