A Confederacyy of Dumptys (2021)
Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown (2020)
John Lithgow
Breaking The World Jerry Gordon (2018)
I got these two Lithgow books last year for Xmas. They are numbers two and three of his series of satirical poems annotated with factual sources making them more than amusing and at times, hilarious; they are also historical chronicles of a time that when you read all of the antics together and remember, you just can't believe it happened. But it did.
His first book in the series was an NYT best seller and no wonder - Lithgow is not only the great actor we know him to be but he's incredibly witty and clever with a Shakespearean actor's command of the English language. He's truly a man of letters. I read and have reread the poems and the accompanying explanatory context laughing and shaking my head. How could ALL of these things have happened? Lithgow writes in his introduction that his intentions are to make us all 'laugh, get mad and remember.' I admit I had the urge to get rid of them after I read them. I've had enough of Lyin' Tiny Bonespurs. New Yorkers had enough of the guy back in the 90's! Part of me wants to stick my head in the sand and na-na-na the idiot bronzer away. Can't hear you. Can't hear you. But the father and history student I am won't let me. We must remember. Our children must remember.
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Speaking of narcissistic megalomaniacs with a god complex....
My ex cousin-in-law's first novel takes place in Waco during the 51 day stand-off in early 1993 between David Koresh and his Branch Davidians and the FBI/ATF. I can't help seeing the similarities between Koresh and Trump and apparently Trump sees them, too. He held one of his klan rallies in Waco this past March where he said,
"I am your warrior, I am your justice. For those who have been wronged and betrayed … I am your retribution."
He went on to say that he would prevent WW3 because "that's where we're headed."
Doomsday, anyone? Very Koresh.
Jerry's book - I can call him Jerry because I've known him for 40 years - is told from the perspective of a couple of teens whose parents are gung-ho Davidians and brought their families to Waco. Typical of teens from small towns (or cults), they are not with the program and are like, when and how are we going to get out of our dead end lives that are now quickly becoming deadly? But Koresh is charismatic and mysterious so also like teens without good education, they are easily confused about where their loyalties lie.
Jerry would consider himself a sci-fi writer, I know, so I was waiting for the sci-fi as I was reading. It's a taught, historical drama up to a point and pretty much follows the actual events - the Feds eventually attack, Davidians fight back and some get injured or die, the coumpound catches fire - but then the story takes an unexpected turn. I don't want to give it away because I highly recommend you check it out. Jerry's website is www.jerrygordon.net. Let me just say, what if Koresh was right?
