John R. Erickson's Blog, page 11
August 5, 2013
John Graves, Texas Author - Part 2
As promised!
John Graves, Texas Author (Part 2)
by John R. Erickson
...But I kept looking and sending out query letters. At last, five years later, I sent the manuscript to a small press in Austin, Shoal Creek Publishers, which consisted of a young editor named Judy Timberg and the owner-publisher, Luther Thompson, a tall, dignified gentleman in his seventies. Both of them admired my book, but Mr. Thompson, like so many editors and publishers befo...
July 31, 2013
In Memoriam: John Graves, Texas Author, 1920 - 2013
Dear Hank-Fans,
For those of you who haven't heard of John Graves: You've been missing out, until now. Sadly, this legendary Texas author died yesterday at the age of 92. But, to commemorate his life's work, his beautiful writing, we've decided to post (in two parts) an essay written by our very own John R. Erickson about this amazing man:
John Graves, Texas Author (Part 1)
by John R. Erickson
In the early sixties, a young Engli...
July 18, 2013
"The Children’s Books We Still Love as Adults," from B&N's Book Blog
Hi Hank-Fans!
We hope you'll enjoy seeing good ol' Hank on the list of "The Children's Books We Still Love as Adults":
Excerpt:
Nicole Hill recommends John R. Erickson’s Hank the Cowdog series:
“The first chapter of the first adventure has a murder in the first paragraph. Not even George R.R. Martin is audacious enough to begin a book with a chapter titled ‘Bloody Murder.’ Of course, Mr. Martin was ne...
July 16, 2013
Chapter 4: Grasshoppers Taste Yucko (The Mopwater Files)
I did a Visual and Sniffatory Scan of the gravel drive. My instruments zeroed in on a target, bearing 197 degrees and 5.773 megawatts west of the yard gate. It was a smallish green hopper, of the Omega Class.
I shifted into Stealthy Crouch Mode and...
“There’s a nice little one over there, Hank. See him? You probably ought to start with a little one.”
That was Drover. His voice not only broke my concentration but it also alerted the grasshopper to my approach. He hopp...
July 9, 2013
We're HUGE Fans of This Hank-Fan
Dear Hank-Fans,
We hope you enjoy this as much as we did:
June 20, 2013
"The Time It Rained" - by John R. Erickson
Around the middle of May 1995, I assembled a crew of cowboys and neighbors to help round up and brand. While we were out horseback, one of the cowboys told me that he had been getting up extra early in the mornings and re-reading The Time It Never Rained, Elmer Kelton's classic novel about the drought of the Fifties.
Drought was on our minds that year, since we’d just come through an unusually dry winter and spring.
An hour later, it was pouring...
June 11, 2013
Hank's Serial Stories in Newspapers this Summer!
Exciting News!
Starting this week, these three newspapers will be carrying one of the sydicated (not-released-in-book-format) Hank the Cowdog serial stories, "The Kitty Cheater":
The Clifton Record
The Meridian Tribune
Jackson County Herald Tribune
Then, in July, weekly newspapers in these five towns in Texas will also be running one of the stories:
Boston
Atlanta
Pittsburg
Linden
Daingerfield
If any of those newspapers cover your area, keep an eye out for th...
June 6, 2013
"Hank...Popular Means of Encouraging Children to Read", Article in The Amarillo Globe-News
"Hank the Cowdog Popular Means of Encouraging Children to Read," Article in The Amarillo Globe-News
Hi Hank-Fans,
We thought you might enjoy this article, written a few years back, from the Amarillo Globe-News! Link to full article in the Amarillo Globe-News
How about you? Did Hank help you or anyone in your family learn to read?
Excerpts from the story:
..."Hank the Cowdog is part of a cowboy culture that "has fascinated people all over the world, and fo...
May 19, 2013
"Hank in Concert" - Part 2!
Hi Hank-Fans!
Here's Part Two! We hope you enjoy hearing John Erickson read from "The Case of the Perfect Dog," Chapter 7. And, as always, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below!
~The Ranch-hands
(In case you missed it, click here to view Part One.)
Is John coming to your area soon? (Click here to check our list of Upcoming Events!)
Hank #59 is available in the following formats from Hank's Store:
And, also av...
May 16, 2013
Interview with Dr. James Dobson, "Heart of a Cowboy," Parts 1 and 2
May 16-17, 2013
"Heart of a Cowboy," Parts 1 and 2
Click here to hear John R. Erickson's interview with Dr. James Dobson.
From Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk's Website:
"It seems like everywhere you turn, you have to worry about what the kids are watching on TV and listening to on the radio. We talk with a man committed to creating wholesome and uplifting entertainment for kids. He’s a true cowboy who stuck to his vision to write children’s...
