A cavalcade of lesser horrors / Peter Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Peter, 1946 November 19-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radio broadcasters--United States--Anecdotes.

Radio broadcasters.

Smith, Peter, 1946 November 19---Anecdotes.

Smith, Peter.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (198 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

" We exist. We try to lead good, thoughtful lives. And while we all try our best, we can't avoid the startling moments, or we make mistakes and experience little shocks and embarrassments--our lesser horrors--that make us wince and come back to haunt us again and again. For Peter Smith--whose weekly essays for Minnesota Public Radio have endeared him to thousands of listeners and readers--these awkward times are not without their humor, and a healthy dose at that. We all know the circumstances and places the lesser horrors are likely to await--sibling rivalries, high school gym class, job successes and failures, raising children. In this series of funny, honest, and moving pieces, Smith explores a few messy episodes from his own life: growing up Catholic on the south side of Chicago, seeing his tricycle stolen before his eyes, and onward to American life in the '50s and '60s, Vietnam, and a career in advertising, where bosses feed employees anxieties to increase creativity. Along the way, Smith discovers how these moments not only help define what it is to be human but are also a major source of our inspiration and imagination.So cover your eyes, peek through your fingers. Life is a cavalcade of lesser horrors. They may not be the easiest memories to relive, but they are often among the funniest. And by facing them squarely and perhaps even with a smile, Smith finds himself uncovering a simple reassurance, an uneasy truth we should take to heart: we're all on this wild ride together. "-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: ContentsPrefaceSouth State Street

A Teaspoon of Water

Pop's Wound

A Crisis of Faith

The Denunciation

Absolution

Mortality

The Man on the Raft

Lawnmower Repair

The Biscayne

A Visit to the Doctor

Coach

Leroy

Wrestling Eddie Dutzler

Awkward Moment

Good-bye to Libertyville

Mademoiselle P.

Make the World Go Away

Screwed

Joe

An Old Roommate Checks In

A Preinduction Reverie

Dear John

The Major

The Amnesty Barrel

1972

A Typewriter Reverie

Advertising Memories

Almost

Pimping My Muse

Karma Turd A-Coming

A Bedside Visit

Vigil Candles.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

0-8166-7888-X

OCLC:

756484555