The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race collects both Krassner's later stories, as well as his most famous satirical pieces from past years. Swiftian in intention and contemporary in subject matter, the book reveals Krassner to have the heart of a muckraker and the spirituality of a seeker after truth. In Krassner's world, Lyndon Johnson chuckles over the dead corpse of J.F.K., a psychiatrist hypnotically regresses a woman who shot her television set, and Nancy Reagan's "Just say no to drugs" becomes "If anybody tries to sell you an ounce of marijuana for $500, that's way too expensive, so just say no." Kneading fantasy into reality, Krassner ferrets out the higher truths that spotlight the absurdity all around.
“Get ready for another innocently subversive (or subversively innocent) gem from humor radical/stand-up comic/publisher Paul Krassner … Krassner makes readers question reality and dig for the truth, a lesson that, even today, is still a radical act.” –The Advocate Literary Supplement
“Krassner has the rare ability to alter one's perception permanently.” –Los Angeles Times
“An expert at ferreting out hypocrisy and absurdism from the more solemn crannies of American culture.” –Stephen Holden, New York Times
PAUL KRASSNER cut his teeth as a journalist at Mad magazine, worked with Lenny Bruce, and with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin founded the Yippies. In 1958 he founded the satirical magazine The Realist and has published it discontinuously ever since. His autobiography, Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut: Misadventures in the Counter-Culture, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1994. More recently, The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race, a collection of his best satire, was published by Seven Stories Press in 1996. His album We Have Ways of Making You Laugh is available from Mercury Records. He lives in Venice, California with his wife Nancy.
The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race collects both Krassner's later stories, as well as his most famous satirical pieces from past years. Swiftian in intention and contemporary in subject matter, the book reveals Krassner to have the heart of a muckraker and the spirituality of a seeker after truth. In Krassner's world, Lyndon Johnson chuckles over the dead corpse of J.F.K., a psychiatrist hypnotically regresses a woman who shot her television set, and Nancy Reagan's "Just say no to drugs" becomes "If anybody tries to sell you an ounce of marijuana for $500, that's way too expensive, so just say no." Kneading fantasy into reality, Krassner ferrets out the higher truths that spotlight the absurdity all around.
Praise
“Get ready for another innocently subversive (or subversively innocent) gem from humor radical/stand-up comic/publisher Paul Krassner … Krassner makes readers question reality and dig for the truth, a lesson that, even today, is still a radical act.” –The Advocate Literary Supplement
“Krassner has the rare ability to alter one's perception permanently.” –Los Angeles Times
“An expert at ferreting out hypocrisy and absurdism from the more solemn crannies of American culture.” –Stephen Holden, New York Times
Author
PAUL KRASSNER cut his teeth as a journalist at Mad magazine, worked with Lenny Bruce, and with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin founded the Yippies. In 1958 he founded the satirical magazine The Realist and has published it discontinuously ever since. His autobiography, Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut: Misadventures in the Counter-Culture, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1994. More recently, The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race, a collection of his best satire, was published by Seven Stories Press in 1996. His album We Have Ways of Making You Laugh is available from Mercury Records. He lives in Venice, California with his wife Nancy.
