The Last Bus to Albuquerque - Hardcover

As the self-appointed spokesman for straight southern white males, satirist Grizzard reached a large and appreciative audience. We know this because his syndicated column appeared in some 450 newspapers and many of his 20 books have impressive track records, including I Took a Lickin' and Kept on Tickin' (And Now I Believe in Miracles) , in which he described his nearly fatal open-heart surgery in the spring of 1993. Sadly, Grizzard never fully recovered and died a year later. To assuage the grief and ease the withdrawal pains for Grizzard's regular readers, his longtime assistant, Gerrie Ferris, put together this illustrated commemorative volume. A series of tributes from friends and colleagues introduces more than 60 previously uncollected columns from the last four years. There's been a Grizzard title in the Upfront section of Booklist every year since 1989, a testament to his enduring appeal--which is also reflected by this book's 125,000 first printing. The title, by the way, is from Grizzard's reply to his doctor the day before his final surgery. The doctor asked if he had any questions, and Grizzard answered: "Just one: When's the next bus to Albuquerque?" Grizzard will be missed by those who loved him as well as those who loved to hate him, another accurate measure of success. Donna Seaman