O The Clear Moment

(Paperback)

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Description

If "memoirabilia" were a word, it would perfectly describe O the Clear Moment. In this enormously appealing "implied autobiography," Ed McClanahan has assembled a gathering of stories that are both quirky and cutting, all told in the inimitable voice of one of his generation's best Southern chroniclers of American life. McClanahan launches his tale in 1950, the year he turned 17 and had his "Personal Best Great Moment" -- one that involved Lucky Strikes, a Tony Curtis forelock, a pretty girl named Bernice, and several raw eggs. From there, McClanahan is off and running, describing characters from his eventful life with affectionate and precise detail. Like "escapees from the cover of the Saturday Evening Post," McClanahan and his stories come alive as American souvenirs, enchanting readers with his signature prose.

Reviews

"[O the Clear Moment is] classic McClanahan: the tale of the perennial underdog who, despite all odds, redeems himself in the end, snatching a moment of dignity from the clutches of humiliation." --San Francisco Chronicle "O the Clear Moment is a vivid expression of this aesthetic, an 'implied autobiography' ... a perfect encapsulation of what McClanahan's been up to all along." --Los Angeles Times "Playful, self-deprecating and wickedly sharp, McClanahan's nine autobiographical short stories delve into youthful shenanigans and poignant first love in the 1940s ... McClanahan muses on the writing life and classic Americana with giddy nostalgia and gently barbed humor." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

Author Bio

Ed McClanahan, a native of northeastern Kentucky, is the author of several books, including The Natural Man and Famous People I Have Known. He is the recipient of a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, two Yaddo fellowships, and an Al Smith Fellowship. He has taught at Oregon State University, Stanford, the University of Kentucky, the University of Montana, and Northern Kentucky University. He lives in Kentucky with his wife.