Bill Richardson (1) (1955–)

I always enjoyed listening to Bill Richardson on CBC particularly when he had his own radio show. His quirky brand of humour is shown off in this small collection of poems that he wrote when he was a frequent guest on the Vicki Gabereau show. Listeners would write in with requests for poems and Bill would oblige.

My favourite is The Teutonic Plague on page 72. The gist of the poem is that a man and a woman set off on a lovely summer day to have a picnic. Here's a few stanzas to show Bill's show more take:
You spread our woolly afghan out; I cracked the Chardonnay;
You disabused the hamper of its dishes;
We spread our feast before us raised a glass up to the day
And praised whatever gods had heard our wishes.

The picnic we devoured fast--the food scarce grazed our forks;
The Chardonnay we likewise quickly guzzled.
The cool Champagne was warming so we freed it of its cork:
One glass then two and we began to nuzzle.

If there are children present I'd advise you send them out:
For just as sowing seeds must lead to threshing
When wine-drenched grownups start to nuzzle there is little doubt
They're on the twisty path to full-scale meshing.

The title refers to the busload of German tourists who stop by to take pictures to the dismay of the nude couple.

In a tribute to Bill's birthplace the picnic feast included Winnipeg cream cheese!

Good fun for all (at least if they are adult). show less

After reading this collection of brief reflections on and reminiscences of life, literature, family, and community, bibliophiles everywhere will want to pack their bags and head for rural Canada and the Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast. If they can find it. For most guests, their first visit to the B & B happens by chance since the proprietors, middle-aged fraternal twins, have never advertized their accommodations. The guests that do find their way there share a love of reading, and many show more return again and again. Letters from satisfied customers are interspersed with stories written by each twin, recommended reading lists, poetry, and more. Virgil, the more melancholy twin, provides a list of books to read when you're feeling low. His brother, Hector, shares his list of favorite authors for the bath. There's a glaring omission in both lists. To Virgil's list I would add Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast, and to Hector's list I would add Bill Richardson. show less

When I first read it, a few things stood out - the Lesbian Mechanics, and the tree house. I found myself thinking about this over the years, and was delighted to find it in my Mom's library. On a re-read, a few things stood out, first, its very much ahead of its times. Published in 1996, it has men who are comfortable with who they are - not trying to show anybody up, for example, they fully admit they are mechanically inept. Their deceased mother, an interesting lady in her own right, is as show more much as a personality as the brothers. However, she raised Virgil and Hector to be their own people, and it shows.

My only complaint is that the different characters in this book sound the same. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone apart if their name wasn't listed at the beginning of the chapter.

Regardless, this is a book that sits at the sweet spot of cozy, but not saccharine, sarcastic, but with respect, and general small town shenanigans. This really is a place I'd like to visit. show less

I went into this book not knowing what to expect, and goodness it was delightful! Definitely character-driven rather than plot-driven, but these characters are so endearing you don't want the story to end. I'm so grateful to have been introduced to Virgil and Homer and spent a few days in their world. Recommended.