John Erickson > John's Quotes

“My parents placed a high value on reading, starting with the King James Bible, and one whole wall of our living room was filled, floor to ceiling, with books. But I was an outside kid and didn’t have the patience to be a reader. That changed, briefly, when I discovered Tom Sawyer in the fourth grade. That was the one book I truly loved. I read it several times, then read Huckleberry Finn. I was fascinated by the way Twain played with language and used regional dialects. But what amazed me most was that Twain allowed the reader to laugh. Reading didn’t have to be drudgery. Twain didn’t allow it.”
― John R. Erickson

“He had a good heart, he wanted to help with the cattle work, he thought he was Head of Ranch Security, but he wasn’t very smart and never understood why the cowboys were mad at him all the time.” (regarding the original Hank the Cowdog)”
― John R. Erickson

“Hank is a dog, not a human dressed up in a dog suit. Humans share some of his flaws, but I get my ideas from watching dogs.”
― John R. Erickson

“Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before.”
― John R. Erickson

“Buzzards don’t make good friends. They always have an interior motive.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“There’s no better way to mess up a good cowdog than to let him discover that goofing off beats the heck out of hard work.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“One riot, one cowdog.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“Don’t take anything for granite. That’s what tombstones are made of.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“When time marches on, it steps on your nose and tail, and leaves boot prints down your back.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“In my job, nobody ever says a word when you do something right, but make one mistake?”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“When I’m alone, I’m in the company of the most interesting dog I know.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“Cats are greedy, whereas I merely want all the scraps.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“When you find a germ of truth, beware. Those germs can make you sick.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“I’ve never been convinced that the sun would come up without me barking.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“I’m flatulent in many languages.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“Confession is good for all of us, but even better for you than for me.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“Bravery and devotion to duty hath no greater reward than to see the cat get into trouble.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“Coyotes can’t expect to keep friends when they eat them all the time.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“When you have nothing to say, one of your alternatives is to keep your trap shut.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“My idea of being a nice dog stops short of getting murdered for it.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog

“The best cure for a broken heart is a dozen eggs.”
― John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog