A โhilariousโ (The New York Times Book Review) collection of essays, articles, observationsโand even some country-music lyricsโthat offer a rare overview of the eclectic sensibility of an American original
โ[Tom] Robbins is fearless, original, mind-expanding, and funny as hell.โโSan Diego Union-Tribune
โPart philosopher, part court jester, Robbins uses sparkling phrases mixed with over-the-top puns to impart his Zenlike wisdom.โโLos Angeles Times
Whether rocking with the Doors, depoliticizing Picassoโs Guernica, lamenting the angst-ridden state of contemporary literature, or drooling over tomato sandwiches and a species of womanhood he calls โthe genius waitress,โ Tom Robbinsโs briefer writings exhibit the five traits that perhaps best characterize his novels: an imaginative wit, a cheerfully brash disregard for convention, a sweetly nasty sensuality, a mystical but keenly observant eye, and an irrepressible love of language. Embedded in this primarily journalistic compilation are brand-new short stories, a sheaf of largely unpublished poems, and an offbeat assessment of our divided nation.
Wherever you read Wild Ducks Flying Backward, youโll encounter the serious playfulness that percolates from the mind of a self-described โromantic Zen hedonistโ and โstray dog in the banquet halls of culture.โ