Last Chance Texaco
- Downloads：1161
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-16 11:31:43
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rickie Lee Jones
- ISBN：0802127126
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Tom
，
One of the greatest artists of the last 40 years of American music opens her heart and tells her story。 Rickie Lee Jones has been creating indelible， unforgettable music since the debut of her self-titled album in 1979。 Her masterpiece PIRATES has more than stood the test of time。 This autobiography lets her fans know the road has been bumpy， especially during a turbulent addiction to heroin， but this artist survived。
J Sanders
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“This troubadour life is only for the fiercest hearts， only for those vessels that can be broken to smithereens and still keep beating out the rhythm for a new song。”Whether or not you are a fan of her music - or even know who Rickie Lee Jones is- this is a wonderful read。
Jm
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I have been a fan of Rickie Lee Jones since I first \her saw her on Saturday Night Live and heard her first album。 I knew a little about her life but until this book did not realize how much of a troubadour she really is - her songs are full of the people in her life （and how many there are！） and all her experiences， which has been hard and rich。 Her restless longings in her lyrics and music come across the pages of this memoir in waves of poetic， melodic memory fragments， yet I got a good sense I have been a fan of Rickie Lee Jones since I first \her saw her on Saturday Night Live and heard her first album。 I knew a little about her life but until this book did not realize how much of a troubadour she really is - her songs are full of the people in her life （and how many there are！） and all her experiences， which has been hard and rich。 Her restless longings in her lyrics and music come across the pages of this memoir in waves of poetic， melodic memory fragments， yet I got a good sense of her family's story。 I really enjoyed reading her memoir while listening to her music。 。。。more
NOLaBookish aka blue-collared mind
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Yes， I am a longtime fan。 I remember the beginning of her FM play with Chuck E and the SNL appearance and that my friends and I （bc that was how you watched SNL then） were struck by the originality of the songs and of the singer herself。 As suburban kids， we were a little awed but very charmed by her total commitment。 I carried her cassettes in my secondhand cars for decades， rewinding perfectly to replay and replay some of my favorite songs: The Horses， Company， Last Chance Texaco， Coolsville， Yes， I am a longtime fan。 I remember the beginning of her FM play with Chuck E and the SNL appearance and that my friends and I （bc that was how you watched SNL then） were struck by the originality of the songs and of the singer herself。 As suburban kids， we were a little awed but very charmed by her total commitment。 I carried her cassettes in my secondhand cars for decades， rewinding perfectly to replay and replay some of my favorite songs: The Horses， Company， Last Chance Texaco， Coolsville， Ghetto of My Mind。。。 the list goes on too long to have it all here。 Now it is digital and even longer。 But I think even if I wasn't a fan of her music （and now someone who seems to frequent many of the same places and has a few people in common， neither of which is that unusual in New Orleans）， I think I'd still have purchased this。 I love memoirs。 When done right， the well-told personal story is more fascinating to me than any tale。 The movement implied in one of her greatest songs had Rickie arranging her book in sections of "The Backseat， Riding Shotgun， The Driver's Seat， and The Way Back Seat" showing how one's journey/quest isn't always led by its protagonist。 Her story has elements that I and many other mid-20th century American kids recognize too well， full of broken homes， drugs and drink， friends and love dropping in and out， and violence out there on the road， which astonishingly， was often just a near-miss for Rickie and for so many of us。 At least she had the job of a Troubadour to explain why she stayed （stays） out there for so long。 Even with the romantic job description， she admits to the dead-ends she herself pursued， the people she may have moved on from maybe before their time in her life should have been completed。 But that's the deal isn't it - if you keep moving forward， you're gonna leave people behind。 Leaving is the drug I think many of us can't kick。If you are looking for "famous people" stories， she throws in a few， but only because they are meaningful to her travels。 This is an artist's story， and hers to decide what and who was important， life-changing， and illustrative。 Her love and empathy for those who were a roadblock are extraordinary to me。 It's extraordinary but not surprising， as her listeners and readers know， having felt the sweetness and tenderness in her work since the beginning。In the song， it's the last chance for love along a road that may not have options coming up again。 In the memoir， there is hope and promise in Rickie's story that she has come to see success is about choosing new happy over the old hurt， and always， the freedom to create over the pursuit of empty fame。 She also accepts the importance of family， realizing that they always have the sign lit for each other。And of course， her travel story is certainly not done yet。 So， if you see a woman with a guitar， a smile， a sweet voice， and a lot of killer songs under her arm。。。 。。。more
Nate
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Don't。 Just don't。 This is a badly written book。I love RLJ's music。。。。 but this -- oh why did she write this？"When my young life seemed to be nose-diving into the desert sands of Hollywood， going nowhere fast， I raised that Texaco star like a pirate flag and overtook my future at all odds。""We were living a lyric。 We had a map of maybes。""I suspect there are still babies frozen up there in the sky， and one day， thousands of thawed-out infants will fall to earth with little Chinese umbrellas carr Don't。 Just don't。 This is a badly written book。I love RLJ's music。。。。 but this -- oh why did she write this？"When my young life seemed to be nose-diving into the desert sands of Hollywood， going nowhere fast， I raised that Texaco star like a pirate flag and overtook my future at all odds。""We were living a lyric。 We had a map of maybes。""I suspect there are still babies frozen up there in the sky， and one day， thousands of thawed-out infants will fall to earth with little Chinese umbrellas carrying them softly to the ground。"Open the book， anywhere， and this is what you find。 The template repeats: Jones has an experience and then comments on it， massaging it into metaphors and allusions befitting a dreamy teen who believes that her fantasies， written down， are True Literature。 What kind of life did Jones really live？ It's hard to tell， with all this juvenile gassiness。 And it's hard to believe that this is the woman who wrote those amazing songs。 Where was her editor in all this？ Didn't they propose a ghost-writer or co-writer？ Or did they think， Hey， this is RLJ， the writer of great lyrics; how could she not but write a great book？The sad truth is that she can't write a great book。 This is one of the worst books I've attempted。 You've been warned。ps If you must， order this via Amazon so that you can return it。 Or， if a bookstore is open during these covid times， go and read the first 10 pages。 You'll see what I mean。 。。。more
James Lynch
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Holy crap this is good！ Gonna spend the rest of the week immersed in her music。 The idea that she ever made it through a truly tortuous life until her 1979 blockbuster debut is nothing short of a miracle。 Amazing writing。
Peter
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I read this in advance of an interview with Rickie Lee Jones but I'd have loved it had I just picked it up on my own。 Her voice here is as unique as it is in such songs as the classic breakthrough hit "Chuck E。's In Love" or "Coolsville" or the song that provides the title of the book。 It far outstrips most musician memoirs， telling a story that's not just about the music she made， but about the family from which she came， and the people she met on the road in her journey to becoming a star。 Put I read this in advance of an interview with Rickie Lee Jones but I'd have loved it had I just picked it up on my own。 Her voice here is as unique as it is in such songs as the classic breakthrough hit "Chuck E。's In Love" or "Coolsville" or the song that provides the title of the book。 It far outstrips most musician memoirs， telling a story that's not just about the music she made， but about the family from which she came， and the people she met on the road in her journey to becoming a star。 Put on her debut album， or "Pirates，" and read this book， you won't regret it。Here's my interview with RLJ: https://www。ocregister。com/2021/04/06。。。 。。。more
Alexander Peterhans
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"He was going to learn the hard way that I was no pop star， no rock star， I was Rickie-star。"I love Rickie Lee Jones' music， especially the second half of her career， the 1990s onwards。 It's the time she sort of was a bit 'forgotten' by people， and she became a bit more interesting and experimental。 Instead of panicking， she refocused herself and took chances， a brave thing to do， and I appreciate her music from that period even more。In this， her autobiography， she speeds through this period in "He was going to learn the hard way that I was no pop star， no rock star， I was Rickie-star。"I love Rickie Lee Jones' music， especially the second half of her career， the 1990s onwards。 It's the time she sort of was a bit 'forgotten' by people， and she became a bit more interesting and experimental。 Instead of panicking， she refocused herself and took chances， a brave thing to do， and I appreciate her music from that period even more。In this， her autobiography， she speeds through this period in the last few chapters。 A large part of the book concerns her youth， and normally an artist's child years tend not to be the most riveting， but good lord， miss Jones certainly had an eventful youth！ It's shocking， and moving， and funny。"To say my mother was unpredictable is to say that the ocean is salty。 It was a given， but you went in there anyway， hoping to float on top of the waves。"The book then morphs into a story about her teen years， her immersion into late 60s hippie culture （and its downfall）， and her first serious forays into music。Finally we get to her early life in Los Angeles， where she records her first album。 She goes into quite some detail how her songs got written。"There he was， Tom Waits。 He wore a hat and he held his cigarette like it was a magic wand。 An old and short magic wand， worn down from doing too much magic。"This is also the part were Tom Waits appears。 It is also the part where heroin abuse appears。 The two are connected， but not in what might seem the most obvious way。"Human or divine， family sings a song no one else can hear， and if you will only listen， they will sing it each night until you are fast asleep。"Jones writes lyrical， flowing prose， dropping bits of lyrics in。 It's a moving story， but even more it's very witty and funny。 You instantly get the feeling how personal this is， how she's letting you in on a secret。I wish she had written a bit more about the later period， when her fame was waning， how her music started to explore new avenues， but I'll happily take what I can get。（Thanks to Grove Press for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss） 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for an advanced copy of this memoir。The troubadour Rickie Lee Jones has written her first memoir Last Chance Texaco and the writing is as loose， full of imagery， quirky， and yet can still leaves a mark in your memory and soul as any one of her many songs。 Ms。 Jones led the life， trying not only to keep the music real， but her life and experiences just as real， sometimes to the better， more to the worse。 From buyer hitchhiking ， loves， drugs and oth My thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for an advanced copy of this memoir。The troubadour Rickie Lee Jones has written her first memoir Last Chance Texaco and the writing is as loose， full of imagery， quirky， and yet can still leaves a mark in your memory and soul as any one of her many songs。 Ms。 Jones led the life， trying not only to keep the music real， but her life and experiences just as real， sometimes to the better， more to the worse。 From buyer hitchhiking ， loves， drugs and other adventures Ms。 Jones holds nothing back， try ing to share what she learned， sometimes the hard way， some in simple acts of acceptance。 For fans of Ms。 Jones and her music， for those interested in the California scene， musically and culturally。 Dreamy in some instances， but interesting throughout。 。。。more
Michael Burke
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Ricki Lee Jones broke music in 1979 with the freshest， coolest， emotionally charged work unlike anything else out there。 As a young record store clerk I was lucky enough to score a promotional copy of her debut album and was blown away。 This was an original voice。 I was happy to see Ricki was publishing her autobiography， Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour。 I am always anxious to read music bios， even if often left with an empty disappointment after slogging through the ch Ricki Lee Jones broke music in 1979 with the freshest， coolest， emotionally charged work unlike anything else out there。 As a young record store clerk I was lucky enough to score a promotional copy of her debut album and was blown away。 This was an original voice。 I was happy to see Ricki was publishing her autobiography， Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour。 I am always anxious to read music bios， even if often left with an empty disappointment after slogging through the childhood years and then enduring endless self-congratulatory accomplishments with little real insight。 Ricki is not just a songwriter， she is a writer。 She tells her story， her family's story， with skill。 There's a magic to her early childhood and the chord she strikes is so easy to identify with。 You are jolted when the hardships hit and you pull for her when she struggles or stumbles on her journey， all the time getting insight into the songs she has set out for us。 We see Ricki make it， we see her wrestle with heroin， and we see her conquer her demons and put her career into perspective （we get Tom Waits， too）。 She says show business is the business of showing your life to the world。。。 and she does this impressively。 Five out of five stars。 Thank you to Grove Atlantic， NetGalley， and Ricki Lee Jones for the Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for this review。 #LastChanceTexaco #NetGalley 。。。more
Nancy Murdock
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I am not finished yet， but am so enthralled with her writing， I thought I'd weigh in now， and again when I finish。 Rickie Lee has a foot both in childhood and blossomed teen at this point in my reading。 She tells her family's troubled past with insight， understanding， hope， and grief。 I loved when she said， "I spent most of my life angry， a chip on my shoulder， afraid。 At some moment I simply changed my mind。 I decided to be happy more or less， no matter the circumstance。 Whatever I have to work I am not finished yet， but am so enthralled with her writing， I thought I'd weigh in now， and again when I finish。 Rickie Lee has a foot both in childhood and blossomed teen at this point in my reading。 She tells her family's troubled past with insight， understanding， hope， and grief。 I loved when she said， "I spent most of my life angry， a chip on my shoulder， afraid。 At some moment I simply changed my mind。 I decided to be happy more or less， no matter the circumstance。 Whatever I have to work with， and that’s not a lot really， I tell myself: imagine you are on a ship to the outer solar system—every single experience on this earth would be welcome， good or bad。 Be on that ship， for one day this will all be over。 Treasure it all。 Be a joyful noise。" She examined the situation， found a context that provoked gratitude， and used it to filter hardships into light。 Who couldn't admire that approach？ Likewise， these words showed her empathy for her mother， who grew up in an orphanage。 Anyone who has lived in an unstable household will see the rarity of her wide open heart that understood and forgave her mother for not being able to give her child the consistency and predictability all kids need。 "To say my mother was unpredictable is to say that the ocean is salty。 It was a given， but you went in there anyway， hoping to float on top of the waves。 One day Mom would fight for me like a lioness， the next she would slap me across the face for spilling my milk。 She was a storm of her own， reckoning with her inhumane past as she tried to create a human being to mother her children。" Rickie Lee and I are contemporaries。 I have admired her voice， her style， her intelligence， her storytelling and her courage for most of my life。 Her autobiography is a stellar example of all of these traits， and I am grateful for her spirit and self。 P。S。 Rickie Lee， my mother， a child of the Depression， would also get angry with me for spilling milk。 When my niece spilled her sippy cup， my sister just wiped it up， and gave her more。 35 years later， I am still in awe of her easy grace in walking a different road。 。。。more
Trish
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I've loved Rickie Lee Jones since I was a kid， and I'm fascinated by women who were successful in the music industry before the music industry began to embrace women， so I was eager to read this book。 As a songwriter， I assumed she'd also be a good writer， but this book had me alternately laughing， angry and weeping as she recounts her tumultuous childhood and equally tumultuous life in music in vivid prose。 Highly recommended for music lovers and anyone interested in the lives of remarkable wom I've loved Rickie Lee Jones since I was a kid， and I'm fascinated by women who were successful in the music industry before the music industry began to embrace women， so I was eager to read this book。 As a songwriter， I assumed she'd also be a good writer， but this book had me alternately laughing， angry and weeping as she recounts her tumultuous childhood and equally tumultuous life in music in vivid prose。 Highly recommended for music lovers and anyone interested in the lives of remarkable women。 。。。more
Alice
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Reading this memoir was like taking a long drive down Highway 101 in California with a lover - not the long-term kind though， the May-to-December type。 The words on paper are much like her songs， wistful and dreamy and very tangential。 Much of her upbringing was unknown to me until I read this。 Rickie Lee came from a long line of hardscrabble folks with their fare share of poverty， heartbreak and triumphs too。Her life with Tom Waits and others was as you could imagine and fascinating for music-l Reading this memoir was like taking a long drive down Highway 101 in California with a lover - not the long-term kind though， the May-to-December type。 The words on paper are much like her songs， wistful and dreamy and very tangential。 Much of her upbringing was unknown to me until I read this。 Rickie Lee came from a long line of hardscrabble folks with their fare share of poverty， heartbreak and triumphs too。Her life with Tom Waits and others was as you could imagine and fascinating for music-lovers to absorb and live through her vicariously。Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC - it was a delight for dreary days （and all others too）。 。。。more
Diane Ferbrache
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While I'm not really a Rickie Lee Jones fan， I found her memoir quite interesting。 Really more a chronicle of life beginning in the late 60s， this is more about growing up and pursuing your dream than a typical rock star memoir。 Rickie's endless pursuit of her own personal lifestyle and musical style takes her through homelessness and drug abuse to success to near oblivion。 Her storytelling both in her music and her prose is an example of her poetry。 Every sentence is well though out and her wor While I'm not really a Rickie Lee Jones fan， I found her memoir quite interesting。 Really more a chronicle of life beginning in the late 60s， this is more about growing up and pursuing your dream than a typical rock star memoir。 Rickie's endless pursuit of her own personal lifestyle and musical style takes her through homelessness and drug abuse to success to near oblivion。 Her storytelling both in her music and her prose is an example of her poetry。 Every sentence is well though out and her word choice is very reminiscent of her lyrics。 This is a must read for fans， but I would recommend it for anyone who is a student of the 60s/70s or anyone who wants to get a clear picture of how the music industry works。 Is this a "great book"？ Not really。 There are moments， certainly， but the memoir is （again） like her music -- gritty， truthful， and just a little "out there"。 My husband asked why I was reading this， since "Rickie Lee is weird"。 I would agree， she is definitely outside the "norm"， but that's certainly the appeal。 Plus this is a clear picture of just why she is such a unique personality。 NOTE: Not surprisingly， there are LOTS of references to sex， drugs， and jazz （not rock-n-roll）， but nothing is overly graphic， just an honest look back at her life。 。。。more
Steve Essick
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Quite simply， Rickie Lee Jones’ new autobiography，#Last Chance Texaco， is a triumph ！ Appropriately subtitled “ Chronicles Of An American Troubadour “， this turbulent tale is riveting from start to finish。， proving that not only is Ms。 Jones a terrific songwriter， she is a terrific writer， period。 From early childhood， through her “ hippie” teen years to her break into show business and stardom， we are treated to an intimate portrait of this iconic legend’s life from highest highs to lowest lows Quite simply， Rickie Lee Jones’ new autobiography，#Last Chance Texaco， is a triumph ！ Appropriately subtitled “ Chronicles Of An American Troubadour “， this turbulent tale is riveting from start to finish。， proving that not only is Ms。 Jones a terrific songwriter， she is a terrific writer， period。 From early childhood， through her “ hippie” teen years to her break into show business and stardom， we are treated to an intimate portrait of this iconic legend’s life from highest highs to lowest lows。 Being of Ms。 Jones generation and spending most of my adult life in the music business， the book was of special significance to me， but these attributes are not necessary to savor the story。 No matter your age or musical preferences， #Last Chance Texaco is a book that will linger with you long after you complete it。 。。。more
Don Gorman
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（3 1/2）。 Rickie Lee Jones was always an enigma， a creature of so many different pieces。 This memoir really gives us some insight as to why we see her that way and how she came to be。 Her sight lines are different， her talent overwhelming， and her humanity all too evident。 No frailties or weaknesses are unobserved here， I just wish she had probed a little more deeply into a few things。 But if nothing else， this book give us all the best reason ever to revisit her wonderful music。 What a treat tha （3 1/2）。 Rickie Lee Jones was always an enigma， a creature of so many different pieces。 This memoir really gives us some insight as to why we see her that way and how she came to be。 Her sight lines are different， her talent overwhelming， and her humanity all too evident。 No frailties or weaknesses are unobserved here， I just wish she had probed a little more deeply into a few things。 But if nothing else， this book give us all the best reason ever to revisit her wonderful music。 What a treat that is to pull up some of these songs as she is writing about them。 Very cool。 Good stuff。 。。。more
Elizabeth Kissling
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I loved reading this。 I didn't expect to， even though I'm a fan。 Celebrity memoirs often disappoint， especially when half the book focuses on their childhood。 But Rickie Lee Jones' writing captivated me immediately， which shouldn't have surprised me – Pirates got me through college， after all。 It remains in my Top Five albums。 （Just so you know， I was a freshman when it came out！）I especially enjoyed reading about her musical influences and writing processes。 I related to this sentence about her I loved reading this。 I didn't expect to， even though I'm a fan。 Celebrity memoirs often disappoint， especially when half the book focuses on their childhood。 But Rickie Lee Jones' writing captivated me immediately， which shouldn't have surprised me – Pirates got me through college， after all。 It remains in my Top Five albums。 （Just so you know， I was a freshman when it came out！）I especially enjoyed reading about her musical influences and writing processes。 I related to this sentence about her relationship with Laura Nyro's music: "Somehow， the moment I fell in love with Laura I loved myself just a little more。" That's how I felt about the women musicians I listened to on repeat as young woman， like Joni Mitchell （Blue） and Rickie Lee herself， but never had put into words so succinctly and eloquently。 The book is a mostly chronological autobiography， somewhat less linear as she moves through her life， drawing connections between past and present and memories， with more detail about RLJ's early years。 I'm biased enough of a fan so I can't predict whether those unfamiliar with her work would enjoy as much as I did， but the writing and story are engaging enough that I hope they'll give it a shot。 It'll surely make you want to listen to her music！Thanks to NetGalley for ARC。 #LastChanceTexaco #NetGalley 。。。more
Tex
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Just shy of 5 stars。 This recollection by Rickie Lee Jones had be recollecting my own life because Rickie Lee was a part of my new-to-adultness。 I just didn't know how long she had been adulting when I met her music。 More than any other book about a musician， I needed to listen to her music while I read。 And， the emotion and the desperate-ness of trying to get it right was felt。 It was there。 I learned more about this Troubadour of a jazz singer stuck in a disco time。 And， I heard her again。 May Just shy of 5 stars。 This recollection by Rickie Lee Jones had be recollecting my own life because Rickie Lee was a part of my new-to-adultness。 I just didn't know how long she had been adulting when I met her music。 More than any other book about a musician， I needed to listen to her music while I read。 And， the emotion and the desperate-ness of trying to get it right was felt。 It was there。 I learned more about this Troubadour of a jazz singer stuck in a disco time。 And， I heard her again。 Maybe there should be 5 stars。 She is a lyricist， after all。 （changing to 5 stars）。 Thank you netgalley。com for the advanced copy for a fair and unbiased review。 。。。more
Niklas Pivic
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I've never listened to Rickie Lee Jones's music， so， what drew me in with this book？ Her celebrity friends and lovers？ Finding out about her life and music more？Neither。 It's her writing that drew me in。 Check this out:When I was twenty-three years old I drove around L。A。 with Tom Waits。 We’d cruise along Highway 1 in his new 1963 Thunderbird。 With my blonde hair flying out the window and both of us sweating in the summer sun， the alcohol seeped from our pores and the sex smell still soaked our I've never listened to Rickie Lee Jones's music， so， what drew me in with this book？ Her celebrity friends and lovers？ Finding out about her life and music more？Neither。 It's her writing that drew me in。 Check this out:When I was twenty-three years old I drove around L。A。 with Tom Waits。 We’d cruise along Highway 1 in his new 1963 Thunderbird。 With my blonde hair flying out the window and both of us sweating in the summer sun， the alcohol seeped from our pores and the sex smell still soaked our clothes and our hair。 We liked our smell。 We did not bathe as often as we might have。 We were in love and I for one was not interested in washing any of that off。 By the end of summer we were exchanging song ideas。 We were also exchanging something deeper。 Each other。 There's something beautiful about somebody writing in a near-dream state。 It's open and fun and you connect with somebody writing about what it's like to be a young adult on the cusp of losing your childhood more than you feel comfortable with， while wanting your independence。Still， there's a lot of stories from Jones's adolescense， and this book travels chronologically。Coming home from visiting Good Shepherd， my mother sometimes whipped out a warning out of nowhere。 “Don’t you ever be like your sister。 Do you hear me？ Don’t you grow up to be like Janet。” Every time she said this to me I was devastated。 I was nothing like my sister。 I was me。 Didn’t she even know me？ It was a seed of doubt inadvertently planted by my mother。 I began to wonder if I was adopted， and so began the year known as， “Was I adopted？” Each week I’d ask a family member， “Seriously， was I adopted？” Finally Danny said， “Yes， you were adopted。 Go away。” Nothing they could say could make me stop doubting my place in our family。 Another paragraph:To say my mother was unpredictable is to say that the ocean is salty。 It was a given， but you went in there anyway， hoping to float on top of the waves。 Some of the best stories are from Jones's girlhood， when she writes about everything mundane to deeply traumatical。Sugarfoot was my pet cat but also my surrogate mama and best friend。 For the last five years I came to pet her quietly when life was too hard to bear。 When she was thirsty she drank out of the next-door neighbor’s pool。 He did not like our cat drinking from his pool。 My mother found Sugarfoot dead while I was at school one day。 I came home and she said， “I think your cat is sick。 She may be dead Rickie。 She’s lying there in the garden。” I did not believe her。 Not Sugarfoot！ Not dead！ I had to see for myself。There was Sugarfoot lying in the garden where she always liked to sleep， but when I bent over to pick her up she was stiff and her fur was covered with green vomit。 I picked her up gently， wiped off the vomit， and rocking her body in my arms， I cried。 God， not again， don’t take her from me too。 It wasn’t God who had done this， it was the next-door neighbor， a man who saw us every day with our wheelchaired teenager， struggling to have some kind of normal life。 A man who passed our broken-hearted house every day， he poisoned Sugarfoot。 A monster lived next door。 I still don’t know how he managed it， but Danny dug the hole。 He had always buried our pets and the continuity of this burial task was important to all of us。 We buried Sugarfoot in the garden， right where she died。 I sat there with her as long as I could， singing and crying。 Her later years， finding music via The Beatles， getting involved with Dr。 John， starting to write her own music， getting into the music business， making an album， meeting and getting romantically entangled with Tom Waits， are interesting， but to me not as interesting as her initial years。Sadly， my interest in the book waned after the initial strides that Jones took。 The rhythm of the book took a far less strong path after a third and I wish she'd have maintained it。For me， again， somebody who's not heard Jones's music， it's not a strong story， but the start is interesting， almost touching on Faulkner。 If you're looking for a much stronger writer where it comes to music， I suggest you try Patti Smith or Lester Bangs。 。。。more
J Earl
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