"Stuff is eaten by dogs, broken by family and friends, sanded down by the wind, frozen by the mountains, lost by the prairie, burnt off by the sun, washed away by the rain. So you are left with dogs, family, friends, sun, rain, wind, prairie and mountains. What more do you want?"
Federico Calboli
Friday, July 01, 2011
Q o' D
"The plural of anecdote is not data."
(Patrick Sweeney in G & A, attributing it to an engineering prof, though it is everywhere applicable...)
Hello Stephen, I noticed in a recent New Mexico Magazine article that you listed your favorite New Mexico book as "Fire on the Mountain". Abbey based the book on John Prather, my great-grandfather. The family has always disliked the book and subsequent film because Abbey never spoke to any of us for reference and the true story which has never been told is so much more intriguing. His characterization of Grandpa John lacked the wily nuances of the man and the Machiavellian undertones that ran through the entire episode. Just some background I thought you might like to know about since you mentioned the book. Cheers.
Mike-- I would be fascinated to hear the story some time, not necessarily to write about (I have plenty on my plate) but because I always suspected a greater story about our country was hidden there, romanticized rather simply by Abbey.
Still, it was pleasant to cite a book more or less based in old ranch life and real conflicts.
If you ever want to tell me the tale, let me know how to get hold of you here or email me: ebodio-at- gilanet- dot- com. A letter to my name in Magdalena will reach me easily too.
4 comments:
Origin of a quote [and I confess, I like the original!].
I like both-- in some sort of Zen koan way they both work!
Hello Stephen,
I noticed in a recent New Mexico Magazine article that you listed your favorite New Mexico book as "Fire on the Mountain". Abbey based the book on John Prather, my great-grandfather. The family has always disliked the book and subsequent film because Abbey never spoke to any of us for reference and the true story which has never been told is so much more intriguing. His characterization of Grandpa John lacked the wily nuances of the man and the Machiavellian undertones that ran through the entire episode. Just some background I thought you might like to know about since you mentioned the book. Cheers.
Mike-- I would be fascinated to hear the story some time, not necessarily to write about (I have plenty on my plate) but because I always suspected a greater story about our country was hidden there, romanticized rather simply by Abbey.
Still, it was pleasant to cite a book more or less based in old ranch life and real conflicts.
If you ever want to tell me the tale, let me know how to get hold of you here or email me: ebodio-at- gilanet- dot- com. A letter to my name in Magdalena will reach me easily too.
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