Cablog: Diary of a Cabdriver

by Dege Legg

A broke and unemployed musician lands a gig driving a cab through the swamplands of south Louisiana while bobbing and weaving through a nighttime world ruled by drugs, guns, saints, and strippers. In this fuel-injected work of creative nonfiction, Grammy-nominated musician and award-winning writer Dege Legg aka Brother Dege recounts five years behind the wheel while documenting the underworld of Lafayette and its Cajun and Creole hinterlands. From the penthouse suites on high to the crack houses on the low, Legg churns out thick-skinned tales about downtrodden derelicts, minor victories for the forgotten, and redemption in the face of it all. CABLOG reverberates with tones of Bukowski, Miller, Chandler, and Kerouac while charting its own new territory of the human spirit.

Genres: Nonfiction

235 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Kristin Flor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book. The author Dege Legg was a taxi driver in none other than the town I’m living near and used to live in. So landmarks and towns he discussed in his journey were mostly familiar to me. Dege does such an amazing job describing a variety of interactions with his Taxi customers. Some sweet, some drugged out, some murderous, some hurricane Katrina survivors, some bar rides, hospital rides, mental felicity rides, rides to Walmart, places of work, just about anything. BUT THE WAY he describes these short little trips stays with you. The interactions, the roller coaster of personalities he meets keeps you flipping the pages. I hear he lives in the area and I would LOVE to meet him one day. I came across this book borrowed from my neighbor who used to work with him. I was literally reading some of these stories to a coworker on our lunch break which she enjoyed as well and she said to someone who walked in”Listen to this story” as she wanted me to repeat what I JUST HAD READ TO HER. Small world. Great stories. He has such a candid way of describing his encounters and to that I gave this 5 stars! Great read!

I am adding to my review as I just reread this book in audio form 8 months later. I was pretty upset and sad when I found out the author passed away this month. Everyone has internal struggles and sometimes, no matter how successful or levelheaded we are, our struggles can overtake. I was fortunate enough to have met Dege last August when he had an author talk at a local bookstore. I went and listened and enjoyed every minute of his recall of his book escapades and even some stories from when he was traveling with his band as he was a major singer and songwriter and his music was in the movie Django. He had such a cool and calm presence to himself it was such an enjoyable moment. I was able to meet him, speak with him, have him sign my book, and get a picture with him. It was there I found out he also had Cab-log released as an audiobook. His audiobook includes clips of music, sound bites, and day to day sounds and noises which makes it an experience you won’t forget along with Dege narrating it himself. I am considering using this for my book hive round 6 journaling book pick, but am still undecided. Either way, I am impressed with Deges style of writing, his voice, and his music and hope everyone will give his book and or audiobook a chance. I’m glad I did! Rest easy Dege, you have made a lasting imprint on this earth and will forever remain unforgettable. 🎶 🚕

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, the premise just sounded SO good and I’m very happy to say my expectations were exceeded and even shattered. This is such a captivating read especially considering it’s non fiction and the stories are all real. I couldn’t stop reading once I started, I needed MORE and NOW. It was just so wild and weird and everything I thought cab driving the night shift would be and more. Not only do we get the crazy, drug and sex frenzied stories but there’s the really special and heart warming ones too and the balance between the two is what makes this book so great. Some of the stories really broke my heart and almost had me in tears while others had me laughing uproariously (seriously, I laughed so much while reading this!). This is one hell of a crazy and wild ride of a book and I loved every single second I spent reading it, I was even sad when it was over because I wanted more!

[Julie Blasofsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Cab Log: Diary of a Cabdriver by Dege Legg
Genre: non-fiction
Dates Read: 10/08-10/16/2024
Format: physical book
Book Club &/or Challenge: The Book Hive’s October book (Kristin’s choice)
Summary: Dege Legg, a struggling musician, has hit rock bottom: he has no home, no job, no money, and no prospects, so he circles the Cabbie Needed job he sees in the Jobs Wanted section of the newspaper. The next day, after answering a few banal questions, he’s hired and starts this next stage of his life logging his experiences as a cab driver.

Themes/Topics: the good and ugly side of human nature; passing judgment; compassion always wins; dangers of driving 3rd shift; looks can be deceiving; seeing humanity at its lowest takes a toll on your soul; becoming desensitized when constantly surrounded by pain

First Line: This is the end of the line.

Favorite Quote(s):
*That’s how it works sometimes; we twist the knives into each other’s weaknesses while cloaking our own so as to steady our own distorted sense of reality (The Scorned Woman - page 24).

*I sit and listen to her talk. Sometimes that is the only thing you can do for people: Just give them your silence / And listen (The Scorned Woman - page 25).

*The poorer people are, the harder they dream (The Rules - page 52).

*Life lesson: when everything is against you, and things don’t look good, but you know you're right, GO ALL IN AND GET THAT M***ERF**KING PHONE BACK! (The Cell Phone Thieves - page 117).

*Sometimes when you’re too wound up and consumed with your own bullshit, it’s nice to have an experience that recalibrates your heart. It reminds you that you are human. It’s as if for a few brief minutes, God lets you peek inside someone else’s soul (Heart Calibration - page 128).

*It’s so easy to get caught up thinking about all the things we don’t have. I am guilty of doing this as well. It can make you bitter. But then you meet a guy like Pie. He's got no feet, no ability to walk, and yet he’s happy and content to enjoy the ride. Some people just have that something special that gets them through the hard shit (A Man Called Pie - page 208).

*Other favorite entries: 1) Heartstrings; 2) Heart Calibration; 3) Stuck Inside of Mobile

Likes: 1) I enjoyed Legg’s varied writing style with some of his logged entries written in poetic form, others just a few short sentences, and others more descriptive; 2) Legg’s sense of compassion and patience with the less fortunate warmed my heart; 3) Legg’s sense of humor helped balance the raw reality of the harshness around him.

Distractions: realizing how much “crap” happens in a cab left me never wanting to ride in one!

Overall Rating: Of the 12 books in this round of The Book Hive, this was the book I was most anxious about reading, but absolutely enjoyed the ride along with Legg. He earned this 5-star review!

[Sara Crochet · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dege is a great story teller, you feel like you can see the characters he writes about and I like that he makes no moral judgements. He's just a cab driver, going about his cab driving business, encountering all sorts of crazy situations and people, most of whom are living a bit on the fringe of society. No matter what they get up to, we can relate to Dege and sometimes to his passengers. At the end of the day we all just want to get where we are going to.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book (signed copy) while visiting New Orleans at a bookstore in the Garden District. Being a memoir of a Louisianan cabbie in Lafayette, it seemed an appropriate and fun souvenir of my trip. In the Forward, Scott Jordan describes first meeting Dege at a seedy bar on the edge of the French Quarter called Checkpoint Charlie, which was literally one block from my hotel; I walked past it each day, so cool personal connection to the book.

This book is singularly sad - not depressing, not shocking, not edgy, not titillating - but sad. So sad. Deeply sad. Dege adroitly chronicles fractional encounters with lonely broken people, eliciting sympathy, empathy, and self-reflection from the reader. How am I like these people? How do they make me feel? Maybe I can be more accepting, tolerant, loving, supportive? Maybe less self-involved? Or maybe I should be more self-centered, taking care of myself and making sure I'm doing what's best for me and that my life is going somewhere and not headed towards a lonely intolerable self-destructive dead-end?

Amen, Brother Dege.

[Zacc · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. I think that Dege's content is there to support his message, but he delivers it in a way that comes across as more gratuitous than meaningful.

When the writing was good, it was *very* good, and I think he had a noble intent when documenting his time in the cab. Despite this, the way he describes the city (full of “ghettos,” crackhouses, drug dealers, prostitutes) rubbed me the wrong way frequently. I don’t doubt his stories are true—they are believable—but the way he depicts the people in them is one dimensional and any nuance he tries to add falls flat. He also claims to be “just like them” while his writing maintains this air of separation and superiority. I will say I listened to it on audiobook, and it may read better in print where some of the more questionable voice the author uses isn't so exaggerated.

[Christie Maloyed · Rating 4 out of 5]

CabLog has earned local celebrity status if Lafayette, LA, though I was slow to pick it up. I'm sorry it took me so long. It's a deceptively simple premise: a cabdriver in a small city writes about his experiences. Brother Dege tells a masterful micro story. In a few paragraphs, he can turn a 10 minute cab ride into a story about the failures and redemption of America's social institutions. I was captivated because I've driven through most of the neighborhoods he writes about, seeing them with new eyes. But truly, he could have written about any American city: his portrait of American desires and despair is empathetic and direct. A quick read, but one that will keep me thinking for a long time.

[Hedwig Gorski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm tempted to give the book five stars for its uniqueness and candor. How many artists and musicians have made money driving cabs while building careers in the arts? In Austin, many writers drove cabs. A songwriter is usually not a writer of books, but I won't knock up the rating of Dege Legg's Cab Log memoir for that reason. The segments are like most cab rides, short and to the point. It is safe to say that Dege Legg has seen it all for being a cab driver and a touring pro musician, and he communicates events clearly and succinctly without muddying it up with opinions. This makes the people and experiences clear and interesting. I highly recommend this book and the UL Press, its publisher. The flavor of Lafayette at night is vividly real.

[Erin Washer · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK via Spotify.
This was a special listen and one that emphasized the importance of humility, empathy, and connection in the essence of humanity. Each story had me thinking “this can’t be real” with the underhanded reminder that these stories & people are all very much real - the stories of poverty, drugs, frenzied people who are struggling to make ends meet. Overall, enjoyable and loved Dege Legg’s narration - really helped hearing his voice and true perceptive of events as a cab driver in Louisiana.

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

While you slept through the night, Dege Legg was taking notes and writing as if his life depended on it. Cablog is his gritty and lionhearted tour of the streets of south Louisiana. With a keen eye and a sharp tongue, these visceral and vivid transmissions teem with humor, horror, heart, and humanity.

[Mark Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, but a wonderful book. Dege Legg, a musician from Louisiana, recorded his experiences while driving a cab for five years in Lafayette, LA. You get to hear about life of everyday people. The good, bad, ugly, and alone. All trying to navigate through this life just like you or I.

Mr. Legg's music, recorded under the name Brother Dege, is also amazing as well!

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Amusing stories & anecdotes. Dege has a unique storytelling voice in writing (and, in speaking). I've read the physical copy AND, have enjoyed the audiobook version recently...which I highly recommend, for its delve into the stories with soundtrack and, character voicings used within Dege's re-tellings.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know why it took me until Dege died to read this book. Everybody should read this book. He talks so honestly and caringly about the lowest people out there. We should know they exist, and are people.

[Brooks Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ll explore the full range of emotions from page to page. Written simply, honestly, and focuses on the riders’ stories more so than his interpretation of them. A fascinating read.

[David Cluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this one…highly recommend to listen versus read.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem.

[Jeffrey Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. Listen to Dege's music. Go see him play if he passes through your town..

[Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too old to die young. A disturbing and enlightening ride through humanity at its best and worst.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A lot of heart, soul, wisdom and insight on display here. And, at times, heartbreaking and poetic. R.I.P. Brother Dege!

[Scott Fuchs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, funny, poignant observations of America’s underclass written with the grace and stoicism of a world weary poet. So much more than I expected. This book is stunning.