Skinny Legs and All: A Novel

6/15/09 Skinny legs and all is aunclear what the book is about but one of the major themes is world religions which is fascinating. The story of Isaac and Ishmael’s generation may as well be an allegory. Abraham has two sons, one who continues in the Hebrew religion and the other who is exiled and finds his own religion in the middle east. This would predate the profit Mohammed so it is probably inaccurate to suggest Ishmael founded islam but naturally he would likely have joined or founded an opposing religion to the Jews. The author uses various inanimate objects as characters and demonstrates a matriarchal religion that predates the worlds current dominant patriarchal denominations. The book also gives some description to the character Jezebel who’s reputation is oddly harsh and negative despite some very innocuous limited descriptions of her in the bible. It is obvious that such a reputation was originally created to rival the power of a queen not favoring the patriarchal religion. The whimsical characters of painted stick, conch shell and silver spoon add perspective on world religions as they tell their tales. Oddly while silver spoon and conch shell are female and painted stick and dirty sock are male, can o beans is neuter and intellectual. The constant dual pronouns assigned to can o beans is annoying but one has to wonder why this character is androgynous. Perhaps intellectualism is a method for avoiding being drawn into gender dominated religions. Maintain ideas, not dogma. Dogma becomes obsolete and irrelevant in a changing world while less formal ideas often remain valid over the course of human existence. Further themes include art and the artist, southern Baptist dogma, sex, and family relations. One character pursues Armageddon by attempting to prepare for the third temple on the dome of the rock. Such location presently houses a mosque but apparently scripture contends that when the third temple is built the kingdom will come. This approach doesn’t meet with my understanding of prophesy. One doesn’t research a prophesy and then try to carry it out. Prophesy occurs on it’s own for reasons mystic or supernatural. Anyway the preacher Buddy is a bit more practical in his approach. He never commits him self but it is hinted he will blow up the mosque and start world war 3. The author contends that if people were not focused on the afterlife we would be much more caring and less destructive in our own lives. The climax is delivered when a belly dancer by the name of Salome agrees to dance the dance of the seven veils. To call this a striptease act would cheapen it without due appreciation. The writer gives great reverence to this dance even if the language to describe it is vague. During the performance an awestruck crowd forgoes the super bowl to watch a teenage girl dance her dance. The protagonist is struck by seven secular revelations as the veils fall which is a bit contrived but a decent metaphor. The audience and the reader alike were shocked when the first veil to fall was covering the crotch. I could list the revelations but I think one must read them for them self. I read a few of TR’s interviews posted on the web. He retains much of his flippant language and reveals the inspirations for some of his characters and plots. He insists that while his books contain plot they don’t depend upon it. I would have to agree they focus much more on theme though the plot does follow some logical progression and it also contains some random elements.

I seem to read SLaA, Jitterbug Perfume, Another Roadside Attraction, Still Life w Woodpecker and one or two others every few years. Each time, I'm delighted.

Watch as your veils drop away, revealing unvarnished reality.