An Accidental Cowboy - Hardcover

Parker, Jameson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312310242 ISBN 13: 9780312310240

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2003

Synopsis

In 1992, Jameson Parker, the former star of Simon & Simon, was shot and almost killed while living in Los Angeles. The incident drove him into a ten-year struggle with the psychological aftereffects of trauma. It also drove him and his wife into the California mountains, where he stumbled into a world of unruly cattle, uncertain horses, the timeless routines of ranch life, and the solace of the land.

An Accidental Cowboy is the story of what it's like to have one's life go spinning out of control and how it is possible to pick up the pieces and begin again in an entirely different sphere. With stunning, crisp writing, remarkable detail, and a flair for description, it's a captivating story of loss, depression, and the beginnings of hope set against the backdrop of the American Southwest.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Advance Praise for An Accidental Cowboy

"In funny, wry, poignant, and sometimes elegiac prose, Parker vividly describes the modern fate of the traditional cowboy way and of one tenderfoot's tested spirit."
---Thomas McIntyre, author of Days Afield and Dreaming the Lion

"An Accidental Cowboy is a story of survival from point-blank death to the subsequent prison of depression and finally to the Russian roulette of contemplated suicide. Far from the facade of Hollywood, Jameson Parker's bareback prose reveals the joys and struggles of a soul brought back from the brink. It's a masterfully crafted memoir that both chills and inspires."
---Chris Dorsey, Orion Multimedia, the former editor-in-chief of Sports Afield and author of The Grouse Hunter's Almanac

"A masterfully written story of a good and decent man's ascent from the hell of depression and anxiety resulting from an all too common act of violence...You may just want to meet my friend J.P. You'll find him witty, charming, talented, honorable, and brave---most of all, brave."
---Gerald McRaney

"What a ride! Jameson Parker invites us not only inside the world of the modern cowboy, but also on his very personal journey to reclaim what a bullet almost took away---not just his life, but his very soul."
---Jean Strauss, author of Beneath a Tall Tree

"Robust, self-reliant, witty, [Parker] takes to a way of life he so relishes that his pleasure in it keeps us bumping along happily at his side, hot and saddle-sore, but enchanted."
---Anne Truitt, author of Prospect: The Journey of an Artist

"Part-time cowboy? Yes, but a full-time man, and he darn sure proved that by what he wrote and the way he wrote it."
---Warner Glenn, a fourth-generation rancher, author of Eyes of Fire, and a founder of the Malpai Borderlands Group

About the Author:

Jameson Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a working actor for more than a quarter of a century, getting his first paying job while on suspension (girls' dorm, vodka) from Beloit College. While he has appeared in more plays than he can remember, and in numerous television and feature films (some of which he would prefer to forget), Mr. Parker is best remembered for his role as A.J. in the long-running hit series Simon & Simon. At one time or another in his life, Mr. Parker has practiced karate, boxed, played polo, swum competitively, run track and field, and skied, with the result that he now hurts in a lot of places where he shouldn't. Visit him at www.jamesonparker.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0312310242
• ISBN 13: 9780312310240
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288