What do you think?
Rate this book
Baja Oklahoma
Dan Jenkins' second best-known novel, Baja Oklahoma, features protagonist Juanita Hutchins, who can cuss and politically commentate with the best of Jenkins' male protagonists. Still convincingly female, though in no way dumb and girly, fortyish Juanita serves drinks to the colorful crew patronizing Herb's Cafe in South Fort Worth, worries herself sick over a hot-to-trot daughter proving too fond of drugs and the dealers who sell them, endures a hypochondriac mother whose whinings would justify murder, dates a fellow middle-ager whose connections with the oil industry are limited to dipstick duty at his filling stationâ and, by the way, she also hopes to become a singer-songwriter in the real country tradition of Bob Wills and Willie Nelson. That Juanita is way too old to remain a kid with a crazy dream doesn't matter much to her. In between handing out longneck beers to customer-acquaintances battling hot flashes and deciding when boyfriend Slick is finally going to get lucky, Juanita keeps jotting down lyrics reflective of hard-won wisdom and setting them to music composed on her beloved Martin guitar. Too many of her early songwriting results are one-dimensional or derivative, but finally she hits on something both original and a tribute to her beloved home state, warts and all.
299 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 1982
39 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jenkins
82 books55 followersDan Jenkins was an American author and sportswriter, most notably for Sports Illustrated.
Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played on the varsity golf team. Jenkins worked for many publications including the Fort Worth Press, Dallas Times Herald, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated. In 1985 he retired from Sports Illustrated and began writing books full-time and maintained a monthly column in Golf Digest magazine.
Larry King called Jenkins "the quintessential Sports Illustrated writer" and "the best sportswriter in America." Jenkins authored numerous works and over 500 articles for Sports Illustrated. In 1972, Jenkins wrote his first novel, Semi-Tough.
His daughter, Sally Jenkins, is a sports columnist for the Washington Post.
Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played on the varsity golf team. Jenkins worked for many publications including the Fort Worth Press, Dallas Times Herald, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated. In 1985 he retired from Sports Illustrated and began writing books full-time and maintained a monthly column in Golf Digest magazine.
Larry King called Jenkins "the quintessential Sports Illustrated writer" and "the best sportswriter in America." Jenkins authored numerous works and over 500 articles for Sports Illustrated. In 1972, Jenkins wrote his first novel, Semi-Tough.
His daughter, Sally Jenkins, is a sports columnist for the Washington Post.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 14, 2023
I read this book in the 80's and found it very amusing. To this day, some 35 years later, I can still quote the ten stages of drunkenness -- from Witty & Charming Part 1 (#1) all the way to Invisible (#9) and Bulletproof (#10). I saw one friend whip through the 10 stages in an evening ... more than once. He met his wife in stage #8. They are still together, although he's found the rooms of AA.
But my favorite stage has always been #7, "Crank up the Enola Gay!". I had to look it up at the time. Now I have just finished Bill O'Reilly's "The Day the World Went Nuclear" and all the details of the Enola Gay took me back to this book ... which has the afterlife of a nuclear bomb.
But my favorite stage has always been #7, "Crank up the Enola Gay!". I had to look it up at the time. Now I have just finished Bill O'Reilly's "The Day the World Went Nuclear" and all the details of the Enola Gay took me back to this book ... which has the afterlife of a nuclear bomb.
September 23, 2025
I remember my brother laughing out loud as he read this book, and so, four decades later, needing a little pick up in my life, I decided to give it a try. Dan Jenkins’ take on north Texas life in the 80’s didn’t match mine by a long stretch, and the book never raised an audible chuckle here, but it was entertaining.
The characters are too many and overdrawn and there’s not much of a plot. It’s raunchy but not offensive. And it’s a shade too long. I think both of us, the author and me, were happy to see this thing finally come to an end.
But, overall, it reached its objective; several hours of innocent pleasure.
The characters are too many and overdrawn and there’s not much of a plot. It’s raunchy but not offensive. And it’s a shade too long. I think both of us, the author and me, were happy to see this thing finally come to an end.
But, overall, it reached its objective; several hours of innocent pleasure.
January 31, 2026
One of my dad’s favorites that I finally got around to reading. Funny with a great female main character. I think I’d appreciate it more if I grew up in my dad’s generation, though.
February 11, 2020
Here's an odd thing: this book is, perhaps, my favorite of all time. That's particularly strange because the author, engaging and funny though he is, is primarily a sports writer, and I general don't read that sort of book. However, he has the best ear for the voices of Texans I have ever encountered, and reading this book transports me back to my roots in Northeastern Texas. It's funny, it's touching, it's just quirky enough to keep me coming back. I don't re-read many books, but this one just hasn't lost its appeal, even after many readings. Mr. Jenkins, I salute you.
July 23, 2020
Dan Jenkins was a great sportswriter for many years, mainly known for his work with Sports Illustrated. He was also a novelist, and wrote two famous works about sports--Semi-Tough, about football, and Dead Solid Perfect, about golf. He wrote several others, including Baja Oklahoma, which is about a group of people in Fort Worth, Texas. Judging by this one, I don't care to read any others.
Baja Oklahoma isn't so much a novel as a string of one-liners. The characters, save for one, are not really human beings but types--the crude former football star, the rich guy toting around a trophy girlfriend, a professor of English who speaks like no professor I've ever heard, and so on. They all hang out at Herb's, a bar and grill in Fort Worth, and exchange wisecracks. This is all well and good, but when every character has the same sense of humor it becomes tedious. I almost quit this book a few times.
The only character with any depth is the main one, Juanita Hutchins, who tends bar at Herb's and writes songs. She longs to become a bona fide songwriter, and the very thin plot has her giving some songs to a guy in a band who promises to listen to them. Jenkins writes the lyrics for these songs, and they don't seem half bad, but it's hard to imagine them without hearing the music.
Published in 1981, the book also features only white characters who freely express their racism and sexism. The N word is liberally thrown around, without any judgment. And women, despite Juanita's presence, are merely sexual objects. Consider: "A steel-bellied airhead was a young woman with a butt like a baby robin, a frightening set of homegrown jugs, and a stomach flatter than the stainless-steel door to the safety deposit boxes." Jugs, really?
Juanita has a man-hungry best friend who seems straight out of a sit-com, and a daughter shacked up with drug dealer (this doesn't seem to bother Juanita much, and she actually helps). Jenkins seems to be thumbing his nose at any notions of political correctness, but this is beyond political correctness, it's just mean and nasty.
As I said, every character cracks wise like a comedian on Hee-Haw. One section has it a raw day and every patron of Herb's has a metaphor: "Tommy Earl Bruner hung up his sheepskin jacket, and said, “No offense, Juanita, but it’s colder outside than a snowman’s cock.” "Shorty Eckwood came in with Herb. “I wish you’d look at me,” he said. “I’m shakin’ like a dog shittin’ peach seeds.” And so on.
There were a few good lines. I liked "In only twelve years of marriage, Bonnie fancifully transformed herself from Rita Hayworth into Joseph Stalin." But otherwise, I found this book boring and not funny. Guess you have to be from Texas.
Baja Oklahoma isn't so much a novel as a string of one-liners. The characters, save for one, are not really human beings but types--the crude former football star, the rich guy toting around a trophy girlfriend, a professor of English who speaks like no professor I've ever heard, and so on. They all hang out at Herb's, a bar and grill in Fort Worth, and exchange wisecracks. This is all well and good, but when every character has the same sense of humor it becomes tedious. I almost quit this book a few times.
The only character with any depth is the main one, Juanita Hutchins, who tends bar at Herb's and writes songs. She longs to become a bona fide songwriter, and the very thin plot has her giving some songs to a guy in a band who promises to listen to them. Jenkins writes the lyrics for these songs, and they don't seem half bad, but it's hard to imagine them without hearing the music.
Published in 1981, the book also features only white characters who freely express their racism and sexism. The N word is liberally thrown around, without any judgment. And women, despite Juanita's presence, are merely sexual objects. Consider: "A steel-bellied airhead was a young woman with a butt like a baby robin, a frightening set of homegrown jugs, and a stomach flatter than the stainless-steel door to the safety deposit boxes." Jugs, really?
Juanita has a man-hungry best friend who seems straight out of a sit-com, and a daughter shacked up with drug dealer (this doesn't seem to bother Juanita much, and she actually helps). Jenkins seems to be thumbing his nose at any notions of political correctness, but this is beyond political correctness, it's just mean and nasty.
As I said, every character cracks wise like a comedian on Hee-Haw. One section has it a raw day and every patron of Herb's has a metaphor: "Tommy Earl Bruner hung up his sheepskin jacket, and said, “No offense, Juanita, but it’s colder outside than a snowman’s cock.” "Shorty Eckwood came in with Herb. “I wish you’d look at me,” he said. “I’m shakin’ like a dog shittin’ peach seeds.” And so on.
There were a few good lines. I liked "In only twelve years of marriage, Bonnie fancifully transformed herself from Rita Hayworth into Joseph Stalin." But otherwise, I found this book boring and not funny. Guess you have to be from Texas.
February 3, 2013
Country music doesn't do much for me, but the cheerful bleakness of this style of humor does. Or bleak cheerfulness. One of the two.
Yes, there's humor here that won't fly with modern sensibilities. The racism of the characters (not the work itself) is going to be too much for some readers, who expect all character flaws to be punished or at least explicitly condemned by the narrative.
Folksy and funny.
Yes, there's humor here that won't fly with modern sensibilities. The racism of the characters (not the work itself) is going to be too much for some readers, who expect all character flaws to be punished or at least explicitly condemned by the narrative.
Folksy and funny.
August 23, 2013
Few authors make me laugh as hard or as consistently as Dan Jenkins (Fast Copy the exception - i don't know what happened there). His twisted Texas characters are nothing if not intriguing and wacked-out in their own right. But the good kind of wacked-out, like Daffy Duck vs. the Hell's Angels. Baja is like being invited to a crazy party of old friends you've never met.
August 4, 2021
I read this book for the setting — Fort Worth in the early 1980s. Being familiar with Fort Worth now and the area, it was very entertaining. The characters hold up as people reminiscent of some I've known and run into even now. But it's funny and clever in a way that will appeal more broadly even if you're from not from a place where you "can ask a question and get a plot."
October 8, 2020
Read in 1986. Jenkin's books are always a hoot.
May 15, 2018
I read this in 1982 and thought it was one of the best books I had ever read. I found it again recently and, maybe because of the passage of three and a half decades, found the book to be dated and not as funny and great as I once had. Maybe it's just me.
I love Jenkins' stuff - both his fiction and his sports writing. Baja, unfortunately, didn't resonate with me as well this time around. It's extremely chauvinistic, politically incorrect, crass and crude. Sort of like a Donald Trump speech, I guess.
There are some good things in Baja. Juanita's character shines. But mostly, it seemed like the other characters were foils for Jenkins' jokes. Again, maybe the 36 years difference between reads influenced me. It's still entertaining and it's Dan Jenkins, so it ain't all bad.
I love Jenkins' stuff - both his fiction and his sports writing. Baja, unfortunately, didn't resonate with me as well this time around. It's extremely chauvinistic, politically incorrect, crass and crude. Sort of like a Donald Trump speech, I guess.
There are some good things in Baja. Juanita's character shines. But mostly, it seemed like the other characters were foils for Jenkins' jokes. Again, maybe the 36 years difference between reads influenced me. It's still entertaining and it's Dan Jenkins, so it ain't all bad.
October 18, 2019
The characters in this book are epic. They come alive and aptly represent life in ft worth. Cowtown USA. The bar scenes were as good as the tv show cheers. You just don’t want the book to end and take the characters with it. I would recommend this book to all with a sense of humor. 🗣
The characters in this book are epic. They come alive and aptly represent life in ft worth. Cowtown USA. The bar scenes were as good as the tv show cheers. You just don’t want the book to end and take the characters with it. I would recommend this book to all with a sense of humor. 🗣
The characters in this book are epic. They come alive and aptly represent life in ft worth. Cowtown USA. The bar scenes were as good as the tv show cheers. You just don’t want the book to end and take the characters with it. I would recommend this book to all with a sense of humor. 🗣
October 27, 2018
Hilarious. Not much of a plot, but the one-liners made it worthwhile.
Also, be warned: It took several pass-throughs to understand the author's underlying sarcasm when referencing matters of race (lots of uncomfortable references to the "N" word) and domestic relations, like this gem: "Whapping the shit out of a woman on the morning after the wedding night let the woman know how it was going to be."
If you can understand the author's intent raw character dialogue, and you don't mind plowing through plentiful references to football, gambling and infidelity in small towns, then you might find this book to be entertaining.
Oh, and the book was much better than the movie...
Also, be warned: It took several pass-throughs to understand the author's underlying sarcasm when referencing matters of race (lots of uncomfortable references to the "N" word) and domestic relations, like this gem: "Whapping the shit out of a woman on the morning after the wedding night let the woman know how it was going to be."
If you can understand the author's intent raw character dialogue, and you don't mind plowing through plentiful references to football, gambling and infidelity in small towns, then you might find this book to be entertaining.
Oh, and the book was much better than the movie...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2019
In Baja Oklahoma you'll read all about the bawdy shenanigans of the regulars at Herb's Cafe. Featuring a budding songwriter, sex fiends, coke dealers, gamblers, alcoholics, good ol' boys, the women's auxiliary, and a chicken fried steak or two. What more could you ask for? Classic Jenkins. Good read.
February 14, 2023
Not his best.
"But a man always needs to remember one thing about a pretty girl. Somewhere, somebody's tired of her."
"I wouldn't go see TCU play football again if the ticket office gave Sophia Loren an upperdeck seat on my face."
"But a man always needs to remember one thing about a pretty girl. Somewhere, somebody's tired of her."
"I wouldn't go see TCU play football again if the ticket office gave Sophia Loren an upperdeck seat on my face."
February 1, 2019
Enter the Fort Worth of the 1970s as a native...well maybe.
April 12, 2019
Very funny at times.
April 22, 2019
This is a very funny book!
Read
March 14, 2024like confederacy of the dunces if that book was actually funny
September 26, 2024
One star for blatant racism throughout.
January 10, 2011
"Shorty drank Lone Star beer, starting at breakfast. By being among the living, Shorty offered a convincing argument that the best cure for a hangover was getting drunk again."
That line cracked me up, much like the rest of this hilarious Dan Jenkins book. Baja Oklahoma is about barmaid and would-be songwriter Juanita Hutchins and the crass yet comical group of patrons who frequent her place of employ, Herb's Cafe. Juanita is exactly the kind of bartender I dream of, yet will never meet because God has not deemed this world worthy of such perfection. She hits an unprecedented 5/5 on my "top qualities of a gin slinger" list: attractive, clever, funny, tolerant, and works at a place with great chicken fried steak. What I wouldn't give for a trip to Herb's Cafe.
Beyond the hilarity, I don't really have much to say about Baja Oklahoma. However, I did find it interesting that Pete Hamill was quoted on the back cover of my very old copy of the book as saying "Raunchy...macho...outrageous...The best time I've had since I gave up drinking." First of all, loyal readers will note that I read Pete's autobiography, A Drinking Life, in early 2010, which is a fun bit of symmetry. Wasn't that fun? Glad we could all enjoy that together. However, more importantly, I thought it was humorous that they would publish a quote like that from a recovering alcoholic on the back of a book that basically glamorizes a bunch of degenerate (superficially, at least), philandering drunks. Fantastic. It makes me sad that today this would spark PC outrage...if anyone still read books, that is.
I recommend this book to those who are looking for a more Texas, lower class, Liza-Minnelli-free, literary cousin to the movie Arthur. So basically, anyone who enjoys fun should go ahead and give it a read.
That line cracked me up, much like the rest of this hilarious Dan Jenkins book. Baja Oklahoma is about barmaid and would-be songwriter Juanita Hutchins and the crass yet comical group of patrons who frequent her place of employ, Herb's Cafe. Juanita is exactly the kind of bartender I dream of, yet will never meet because God has not deemed this world worthy of such perfection. She hits an unprecedented 5/5 on my "top qualities of a gin slinger" list: attractive, clever, funny, tolerant, and works at a place with great chicken fried steak. What I wouldn't give for a trip to Herb's Cafe.
Beyond the hilarity, I don't really have much to say about Baja Oklahoma. However, I did find it interesting that Pete Hamill was quoted on the back cover of my very old copy of the book as saying "Raunchy...macho...outrageous...The best time I've had since I gave up drinking." First of all, loyal readers will note that I read Pete's autobiography, A Drinking Life, in early 2010, which is a fun bit of symmetry. Wasn't that fun? Glad we could all enjoy that together. However, more importantly, I thought it was humorous that they would publish a quote like that from a recovering alcoholic on the back of a book that basically glamorizes a bunch of degenerate (superficially, at least), philandering drunks. Fantastic. It makes me sad that today this would spark PC outrage...if anyone still read books, that is.
I recommend this book to those who are looking for a more Texas, lower class, Liza-Minnelli-free, literary cousin to the movie Arthur. So basically, anyone who enjoys fun should go ahead and give it a read.
February 8, 2017
Read in 1983
July 14, 2014
(Fiction 1981) Saw the TV version several years ago, guess I bought the book too. I liked the movie better, I think. Juanita Hutchins works at a cafe, has a grown daughter who makes interesting life choices, and Juanita wants to be a country song writer. Her life is filled with work, friends, relationships, and music. It was an interesting slice of life from that era compared to today's life. Worth reading once.
March 11, 2012
I adored the movie (with Lesley Anne Warren and Peter Coyote) when I was a kid, but the book was a let-down. Characters and situations differ from the film, but the real problem was that Jenkins' story and sometimes his humor seem dated.
April 5, 2013
Juanita Hutchins is one of Dan Jenkins' best characters. She's a tough woman who's creative, smart, and has not given up her dreams even though life hasn't exactly dealt her a full deck. This novel captures not only a person coming into herself, but a whole culture. Kudos to Mr. Jenkins.
April 16, 2013
I read this years ago, but recall it as hilarious and full of the sort of spirited Texas humour that I gravitate toward - the HBO movie version with Lesley Ann Warren, Swoozie Kurtz, and a young Julia Roberts is equally whomp, and has an appearance by Willie Nelson as Willie Nelson.
December 1, 2014
If you are a Texan and remember the days when the Southwest Conference existed, then this is a "must read." Must admit, reading Jenkins' book brought back old memories...memories that have been buried in my past until Baja Oklahoma resurrected them.
May 12, 2008
When I'm homesick, I turn to Dan Jenkins. His stories are a funny, if politically incorrect, look at middle-aged hellraisers in Texas. If you know Fort Worth, read this book!
February 12, 2024
Juanita is a respectable character even if you don't agree with her. Doris is just skanky.
September 20, 2008
It is absolutely worth reading this book just for the chapter where Tommy Earl comes into the cafe drunk and places an order.
I laughed for three solid days.
I laughed for three solid days.
November 5, 2009
Any book containing the perfect list "The Ten Stages of Drunkenness" cannat be all bad, or even a little bad. Chauvinistic, be warned, but funny despite that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews