Callahan's
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Dillinger
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I knew you'd like it - anyone who likes puns would adore this book.
Spider Robinson has written many other excellent and thoughtful books as well.
Perhaps if enough of us were familiar with Callahan's and "Punday" we could have our own Punday contests here one night a week.
The book Perky is referring to that I recommended for her is:
"The Callahan Chronicles" by Spider Robinson...
Amazon has it at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...8627163/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/104-8959024-9329506 but anyone interested should be able to find it in pretty much any bookstore as well.
This omnibus edition collects Spider Robinson's first three books about the Long Island bar that attracts the weirdest clientele and the tallest tales in the known universe. Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, Time Travelers Strictly Cash, and Callahan's Secret are playful, pun-filled delights from the pen of a truly inimitable writer, winner of the Skylark and John W. Campbell awards.
Callahan's is a mythical pub in Halifax where people are healed. Callahan doesn't believe in drinking in the dark, sitting on stools, recorded music, or snoopy questions. Patrons pay $1 for any drink served. After receiving their drink they can exercise their option. They can toe the chalk line, make a toast, and pitch the glass into the fire place OR they can collect their change from the cigar box by the door. It's a place where people learn that pain shared is halved, but joy shared is squared. It's not like A.A. or group therapy, it's more like a place where you celibrate being human.
Spider Robinson has written many other excellent and thoughtful books as well.
Perhaps if enough of us were familiar with Callahan's and "Punday" we could have our own Punday contests here one night a week.
The book Perky is referring to that I recommended for her is:
"The Callahan Chronicles" by Spider Robinson...
Amazon has it at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...8627163/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/104-8959024-9329506 but anyone interested should be able to find it in pretty much any bookstore as well.
This omnibus edition collects Spider Robinson's first three books about the Long Island bar that attracts the weirdest clientele and the tallest tales in the known universe. Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, Time Travelers Strictly Cash, and Callahan's Secret are playful, pun-filled delights from the pen of a truly inimitable writer, winner of the Skylark and John W. Campbell awards.
Callahan's is a mythical pub in Halifax where people are healed. Callahan doesn't believe in drinking in the dark, sitting on stools, recorded music, or snoopy questions. Patrons pay $1 for any drink served. After receiving their drink they can exercise their option. They can toe the chalk line, make a toast, and pitch the glass into the fire place OR they can collect their change from the cigar box by the door. It's a place where people learn that pain shared is halved, but joy shared is squared. It's not like A.A. or group therapy, it's more like a place where you celibrate being human.
LukkyKnight
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In that case you'd probably also enjoy Callahan's Cross Time Saloon.
Dillinger
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Actually "The Callahan Chronicles" - is a compilation of all 3 Callahan books... they're great, aren't they? *smile*
Kotori - I never thought of it but that is a GREAT sig line... you can have it first - when you get tired of it, maybe I'll use it for a while...
Kotori - I never thought of it but that is a GREAT sig line... you can have it first - when you get tired of it, maybe I'll use it for a while...
LukkyKnight
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OOOOOOoooh... it's been awhile since I read any of it, I might've guessed.Dillinger said:
Yes, it's a nice light lark of a read. Much better than the attempts at such stuff done by Piers Anthony.
Dillinger:
Actually, I was bumping this up because I was trying to get rid of some racist crap someone posted.
After having read the thread tho, I'm going to go out and get one of Callahan's books. What would you read first? Does it make a difference?
Actually, I was bumping this up because I was trying to get rid of some racist crap someone posted.
After having read the thread tho, I'm going to go out and get one of Callahan's books. What would you read first? Does it make a difference?
LukkyKnight
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You wanna attract a certain kinda crowd, you gotta pick a certain kinda topic. 
For instance, born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto in 1904 in southern Chile, Neftalí wrote poetry under the name Pablo Neruda - some of it political, some of it wildy erotic - in spanish. If you've not read it, you should. My spanish is not up to it without seeing the translations, but it is spectacular writing. In fact, Los versos del capitan: Poemas de amor was so "dangerous" when published in the early 50s that it wasn't until the 3rd edition went to print that it had any author's name officially associated with it.
SADDEST POEM
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
Write, for instance: "The night is full of stars,
and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance."
The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this, I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her.
How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.
To hear the immense night, more immense without her.
And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.
What does it matter that my love couldn't keep her.
The night is full of stars and she is not with me.
That's all. Far away, someone sings. Far away.
My soul is lost without her.
As if to bring her near, my eyes search for her.
My heart searches for her and she is not with me.
The same night that whitens the same trees.
We, we who were, we are the same no longer.
I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched the wind to touch her ear.
Someone else's. She will be someone else's. As she once
belonged to my kisses.
Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her.
Love is so short and oblivion so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is lost without her.
Although this may be the last pain she causes me,
and this may be the last poem I write for her.
For instance, born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto in 1904 in southern Chile, Neftalí wrote poetry under the name Pablo Neruda - some of it political, some of it wildy erotic - in spanish. If you've not read it, you should. My spanish is not up to it without seeing the translations, but it is spectacular writing. In fact, Los versos del capitan: Poemas de amor was so "dangerous" when published in the early 50s that it wasn't until the 3rd edition went to print that it had any author's name officially associated with it.
SADDEST POEM
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
Write, for instance: "The night is full of stars,
and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance."
The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this, I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her.
How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.
To hear the immense night, more immense without her.
And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.
What does it matter that my love couldn't keep her.
The night is full of stars and she is not with me.
That's all. Far away, someone sings. Far away.
My soul is lost without her.
As if to bring her near, my eyes search for her.
My heart searches for her and she is not with me.
The same night that whitens the same trees.
We, we who were, we are the same no longer.
I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched the wind to touch her ear.
Someone else's. She will be someone else's. As she once
belonged to my kisses.
Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her.
Love is so short and oblivion so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is lost without her.
Although this may be the last pain she causes me,
and this may be the last poem I write for her.
LukkyKnight
Equal Opportunity Enjoyer
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2001
- Posts
- 58,516
They are more beautiful in the original spanish, which is almost musical even to my unpracticed ears. I have the devil's own time typing in all the accent marks, though, and it's become very hard to find them online to cut-n-paste since U Texas Press bought and began aggressively defending the copyrights.
Dillinger
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- Sep 19, 2000
- Posts
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Yes.. get the Chronicles because once you've read one you'll want to read the others... and then you'll want to read all Spider's books... he's amazing.
(great poem Lukky!)
So... once you're all done with Callahan maybe we can have our own CrossTime thread? And our own PunDay here at lit?
(great poem Lukky!)
So... once you're all done with Callahan maybe we can have our own CrossTime thread? And our own PunDay here at lit?
