This meeting of the Calvin Trillin Admiration Society is now called to order

[Bozita]

"A Heck of a Job, Calvin Trillin" -- some Amazon book reviews sure to inspire...
... both laughter and tears.

Amazon has some thoughtful reviews. The ones for Trillin's works are as humorous as Trillin himself. Guaranteed to be worth the time. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1400065569/ref=s9_asin_ima...


From the book:
’Cause government’s the problem, lads,
Americans would all do well to shun it.
Yes, government’s the problem, lads.
At least it is when we’re the ones who run it.

and:
Historians may not recall
My name, now chiseled on that wall.
Still, they might say I played a role
By going on that last patrol
And not returning to my base:
I might have died in Bush's place



And here's a review posted at Amazon:

141 of 153 people found the following review helpful:
Our nation's second term-ite, June 1, 2006
Reviewer: Jon Hunt (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews

      The president's a perfect foil
For author Calvin Trillin.
The nation's in a big turmoil
Thanks to our dimwit villain.

But to the rescue comes "C. T."
Who sheds some light on "Dub-ya".
Each page evokes a firm "teehee"
And will the right way rub ya.

His commentary lights upon
Those Bushies lacking shtick.
There's Mushroom Cloud and Orange John
And Five Deferments Dick.

Yet our commander is the one
That Trillin writes the most of.
It could be said that when he's done
The president's made toast of.

I highly recommend this work
For wit that's nicely offered.
And in '09 that White House jerk
Is goin' home to Crawford.

lots more...

[kath]

1. I lurve, lurve, LURVE Calvin Trillin, and have for years.

Thanks for posting this.

[dweller]

2. Cheney's Head: An Explanation

One mystery I've tried to disentangle:
Why Cheney's head is always at an angle.
He tries to come on straight, and yet I can't
Help notice that his head is at a slant.
When Cheney's questioned on the Sunday shows,
The Voice of Reason is his favorite pose.
He drones in monotones. He never smiles--
Explaining why some suspects don't need trials,
Or why right now it simply stands to reason
That criticizing Bush amounts to treason,
Or which important precept it would spoil
To know who wrote our policy on oil,
Or why as CEO he wouldn't know
What Halliburton's books were meant to show.
And as he speaks I've kept a careful check
On when his head's held crooked on his neck.
The code is broken, after years of trying:
He only cocks his head when he is lying.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020624/trillin

Trillin is straight on.
dp

[elshiva]

6. A classic!

[Lindacooks]

3. Calvin Trillin is brilliant. Have you ever read any of his

food books? "Alice, Let's Eat", "American Fried" and "Third Helpings" are some of the best food books ever written. Not a recipe in them, but the way he describes food is fabulous.

[kath]

11. Ahhh, "The Tummy Trilogy", as they are often referred to, Great books.

He wrote another food book within the past few years, called "Feeding a Yen". Good stuff.

His other books of essays are also fun to read. "Travels With Alice", "Enough's Enough", "Family Man", and many others.
Hubby and I were fortunate enough to see him speak in the St. Louis area (Webster Univ.) years ago. He's a hoot!

[blondeatlast]

14. Heads up, Tummy Trilogy fans!

All three going into reprint early in '07.

Here's my favorite online book source, Powell's (mostly blue too):
http://www.powells.com/

[Bozita]

4. more Amazon reviews on Trillin's earlier masterpiece on Bushco

Enjoy!

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1400062888.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V64178117_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Obliviously-He-Sails-Administration-Rhyme/dp/1400062888/ref=pd_sim_b_1/102-1766734-5767334

193 of 212 people found the following review helpful:

Never averse to a verse, June 16, 2004
Reviewer: Jon Hunt (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews

      Whose words these are I think I know,
It's Trillin.... and his pen doth flow!
He writes with humor, never mean,
His knife sticks in and pulls out clean.

We hear of Bush, the younger one,
(Who really seems to be dim son.)
And Rummy, Ashcroft, Perle and Rice
And Cheney, who's the nation's vice.

The neo-cons do Cal amaze
As to abortion, prayer and gays.
The author offers in each section
A true, poetic "right" rejection.

I highly recommend this book,
(You'll love our writer's jab and hook!)
He'll make of you a lifetime pal,
This funny, punny, comic-Cal.


another review:

96 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

Very Funny and Enjoyable!, July 5, 2004

Reviewer: Ali (California, USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book after I saw the interview of the author with John Stewart on Daily Show, and really enjoyed it. The book is full of very funny poems which (of course!) make fun of Bush's administration. Either because of their gaffes or their extreme believes which they are trying to hide. If you like political satire, this books is a must-have. It's not a boring political book, full of facts and conclusions, just a piece of news and sharp comic poem afterwards, so you can enjoy reading each part separately or read all the book at once. However, if you're a republican, you need a whole lot of sense of humor in order to enjoy some of the poems. The guy went to a lot of trouble for finding words that rhyme with the names of people in administration, but the result is usually great. A side note, some of the poems refer to things that has happened in 2000 presidential campaign and election, but there is a one line note about the event before beginning of the poem.

For example check this part of poem about John Ashcroft's quote that in US we have no king but Jesus:

The only king we have is Jesus,
And I feel blessed to bring the news.
The only king we have is Jesus,
I can't explain why we got Jews.


and one final review:

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

laugh or you will cry, January 4, 2005

Reviewer: audrey_the_librarian "audrey_the_librarian" (boston ma united states) - See all my reviews

   It is sometimes difficult to find a reason to laugh in these days of corporate and government corruption, but at least there are a few rays of laughter, including this short book of short poems. Mr. Trillin aims his barbs at Cheney's greed, Bush's (toughest hombre ever hid in the Guard) low IQ, Rove, Delay, war, fundamentalists and political campaigns, and the poems are insightful and sharp. There are even a few sea chanteys (Let's Heave Ho Toward the Center, Lads)!, and sometimes the titles are the real punch line, as in "On the Bush Administration's Reversal of the Announcement that Testing School Lunch Meat for Salmonella Would No Longer Be Required" or "Richard Perle: Whose Fault Is He?", which ends :

"And he's got planes and ships and tanks and guns--
All manned, of course, by other people's sons."

The title comes from the first rhyme of the book,

"Obliviousy on he sails,
With marks not quite as good as Quayle's"

I thought the most biting was this one, called "A Silver Lining View of George Bush's Not Attending Military Funerals, Lest He Become Associated with Bad News":

"At least there's no Bush eulogy
On why they had to die.
It's better that they're laid to rest
Without another lie."

Fine, satirical poems with a liberal/moral/rational bias.



more, lots more...

[immoderate]

5. I've long been a fan of Trillin's art...

I say that so you'll think I'm smart. :)

--IMM

[NYCGirl]

7. Reporting for Duty!

:thumbsup:

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. Thanks for the reminder~

I absolutely adore him!

[applegrove]

9. I've loved him for years too. He wax es poetic on political goo.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. He is brilliant!!!!!!

Richard Perle: Whose Fault Is He?

Calvin Trillin

Consider kids who bullied Richard Perle--
Those kids who said Perle threw just like a girl,
Those kids who poked poor Perle to show how soft
A mamma's boy could be, those kids who oft-
Times pushed poor Richard down and could be heard
Addressing him as Sissy, Wimp or Nerd.
Those kids have got a lot to answer for,
'Cause Richard Perle now wants to start a war.
The message his demeanor gets across:
He'll show those playground bullies who's the boss.
He still looks soft, but when he writes or talks
There is no tougher dude among the hawks.
And he's got planes and ships and tanks and guns--
All manned, of course, by other people's sons.


On Richard Perle, Lobbyist, Businessman And, Perhaps Not Coincidentally, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board

Calvin Trillin


The plans to start this war were laid
Within the Sissy Hawk Brigade--
A band of Vietnam evaders
All puffed up now as tough crusaders.
Yes, now, as then, they love inciting
A war that others will be fighting.

In recent weeks, there's been much talk
Of Richard Perle, a sissy hawk.
There've been some articles about
Just whether Perle has used his clout,
While fighting evil hell for leather,
To profit. (Hawks have nests to feather.)

[blondeatlast]

12. I love Trillin and I think this is his best poetry book ever. nt

[bobbolink]

13. Love all of it except the last line...

I'm still hopin' he's going to the Hague, and NOT Crawford...

Well, I need just that little bit of hope, 'K?

:hi:

Thanks for posting this!