SON, YOU TURN A GOOD PHRASE

 

Think back...to when you were a kid and you first learned how to read. Days of warm sunlight on your face and the braided rug in the living room with a book in your lap.  But, before you even learned to read, you had a friend, a grandfather, someone you looked up to who told you a story.

 

Son, You Turn a Good Phrase is a collection of the stories I have read, the stories that I've lived, and most important of all, the stories that have been told to me.  I'm both delighted and compelled to tell them to you.  It is my hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I have had living it.

 

TWISTS AND TURNS IN THE ROAD

 

These stories are, simply put, recollections and perspectives on life in a rural county.  This second offering by Mr. Holden is another adventure to read, enjoy and treasure, providing a first-person account of local popular culture, living with nature, and perspectives on life.  This book is a continuance of his previous book, Son, You Turn A Good Phrase. Culled from his collection of columns written for a small, rural newspaper, some of the stories have been almost completely rewritten, some only reworked a bit and a few as is.  All of them are classic Holden...short, to the point, and the absolute truth.

 

Whether recalling an afternoon with a reputed boxer, lamenting the loss of suet to feed the songbirds, or writing about an environmental concern and combining it with a bit of history, Todd's stories are indeed the twists and turns of life.  The language and syntax flow along smoothly and it is as though Mr. Holden is in the room with you, telling the story.

 

LOADED FOR BEAR

 

Few, if any, books, journals, or local chronicles can provide entertaining stories of rural life with such historical accuracy and straight shooting as Stockton Todd Holden's latest offering, Loaded For Bear.  From wrestling with the complex nature of groundhog karma to meeting old friends and finding lost things, Mr. Holden's travels continue on with adventures at his home, Rustica, as well as a deeper side trip through Delta and the surrounding area.

 

These stories presented here are everything that you've come to expect from Mr. Holden...and then some.  Recounted here are stories of personal triumph with double-knee replacement surgery and the long, slow walk that comes after.  There are recollections of old landmarks, as well as old friends who long ago became bigger than life to many.

 

This porch swinger of a book delivers an appreciation of life, of community, and the strong spirit that comes from always being ready for the big adventure...living with commitment and purpose, Loaded For Bear.

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BIOS AND FAREWELLS

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Long ago, life was different.  The feed store, post office and the corner

fence post was where you would take care of business, perhaps run into 

friends and neighbors.  Casual acquaintances were the exception...time

moved a bit slower.  You kept your eyes and ears open to learn from

those who came before you and knew better how to get along.  There were storytellers and more than a few characters who would serve as guides to this thing called life.

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This book is about local people, some you may know or have known,

some you may know of.  Bios and Farewells is a book both intimate and

informative.  It speaks in conversational tones, historically and with

flavor, in describing adventures of friendship, the relationship of student and teacher, and personal character studies delivered with humor and 

insight by Mr. Holden.

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Bios and Farewells rolls along as a folksy ballad being sung by an old sage.

Mr. Holden gives us an amazing glimpse into his personal observations and conversations with some of the most amazing people you could ever meet...leaves you with a solid feeling that you would have liked to have met them as well...and this is your chance.