Billy Ray's Farm - Hardcover

Brown, Larry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1565121678 ISBN 13: 9781565121676

Publisher: Algonquin Books, 2001

Synopsis

In his first work of nonfiction since the acclaimed On Fire, Brown aims for nothing short of ruthlessly capturing the truth of the world in which he has always lived. In the prologue to the book, he tells what it's like to be constantly compared with William Faulkner, a writer with whom he shares inspiration from the Mississippi land. The essays that follow show that influence as undeniable. Here is the pond Larry reclaims and restocks on his place in Tula. Here is the Oxford bar crowd on a wild goose chase to a fabled fishing event. And here is the literary sensation trying to outsmart a wily coyote intent on killing the farm's baby goats. Woven in are intimate reflections on the Southern musicians and writers whose work has inspired Brown's and the thrill of his first literary recognition.

But the centerpiece of this book is the title essay which embodies every element of Larry Brown's most emotional attachments-to the family, the land, the animals. This is a book for every Larry Brown fan. It is also an invaluable book for every reader interested in how a great writer responds, both personally and artistically, to the patch of land he lives on.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Here, in nine stunning pieces, Larry Brown aims for nothing short of ruthlessly capturing the truth of the geography that shaped him and his art. He tells what it's like to be constantly compared with William Faulkner, a writer whom he shares the undeniable inspiration of the Mississippi land.

Here is the pond Larry reclaims and restocks on his place in Tula. Here is the Oxford bar crowd on a wild goose chase t a fabled fishing event. Here is the literary sensation trying to outsmart a wily coyote intent on killing the farm's baby goats. And here, overlooking the pond, is the writing cabin built with the writer's own hands. Woven in are intimate reflections on the Southern musicians and writers whose work has inspired Brown's and the thrill of his first literary recognition.

But the centerpiece of this book is the long title essay, which embodies every element of Larry Brown's most emotional attachments - to the family, the land, the animals. It is a beautiful and important expression of the mysterious sources of a writer's motivation. This is an invaluable book for every reader interested in how a great writer responds, both personally and artistically, to the patch of land he lives on.

From the Back Cover

Brown will show you another America - his America - and dare you to try again to forget that it still exists. - USA Today

"Brown writes like a boxer - economical, crisp, wounding." - Men's Journal

"He's an ex-Marine and ex-fireman, a writer without gimmick who happens to possess a prodigious natural talentT He's one of the best we have." - Washington Post Book World

About this edition

• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1565121678
• ISBN 13: 9781565121676
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 216