I Haven't Understood Anything Since 1962 and Other Nekkid Truths

I just love Lewis Grizzard, his humor is outstanding. Excellent service. Sincerely, Pat Scott

It is truly sad that as he reached the apex of his book writing career (in this book), Lewis Grizzard left us. This book was released in October of 1992, and Lewis died in March 1994. He wrote one more book about the hospital stay that nearly killed him a year later. But Lewis Grizzard went out at his creative peak. Most of Grizzard's previous works had been collections of his four times per week column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. There were a few exceptions, like "Elvis Is Dead And I Don't Feel So Good Myself" (highly recommended), but most were collations of previous material. he made a few exceptions as his career progressed. In 1988, he wrote "Don't Bend Over In The Garden Granny, You Know Them Taters Got Eyes," a book about sex. The next year, he wrote one about golf. In 1990, it was a book written to his late mother (she died in 1989) and his biography, "If I Ever Get Back To Georgia, I'm Gonna Nail My Feet To The Ground." After another collection of columns release, Grizzard wrote this book that primarily expounded upon his political views. For those who are unaware, he was an unabashed right-wing, trickle down, conservative. But it wasn't that simple. He wrote about his politics in the context of trying to get a date in the newspaper want ads. He realized at this point that he was among the most politically incorrect persons in America. He also pointed out that any time he praised something about Southern culture, he was ripped as a racist. He correctly noted (for the time frame) that the New York Times and Washington Post have too much public influence. That has since changed, of course, with Al Gore inventing the Internet for the rest of us. He roars through his views like tax breaks for the rich, get people off welfare, and he really didn't care how hard people had it because he pointed out that charity still begins at home. He did NOT advocate a return to the back of the bus mentality in the pre-civil rights 60s, praising many blacks while pointing out that people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are political opportunists who could really care less about helping out anyone. One of the highlights of the book was his logical review of Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing." He caps it off by noting, after the pizza place is burned down, 'Did these guys ever stop to think, "Hey, where are we gonna get pizza tomorrow?"' He also had fun with Michael Dukakis, the feminists, and even mused about the Atlanta Braves losing the 1991 World Series was proof that life wasn't fair. For those who have not read it, he did reveal that there are two issues on which he does not have a right-wing conservative view: abortion (he was reluctantly pro-choice) and gun control (he favored it). And it wasn't revealed until his next book but, yes, Grizzard was a Dittohead. What does LG mean when he references 1962? It goes back to the Cuban Missile Crisis. He notes that in 1962, he was 16 and slept well, had a pretty girlfriend and all was

What can one say about Lewis Grizzard. I wasn't born in 1962, but grew up in the South. I can't get enough of Grizzards stories and humor. He gives insights into the Southern way of life like no one else can. He will be dearly missed and nothing that I can say in this small space would do him justice. I am not old enough to have lived through all the things he writes about, but they make me laugh and think about where my family comes from (he even got me to try fried green tomatoes that I had refuse to try at my mother insistence). I laugh and send each copy of his books home to my Mamma. I have bough three more of his works and can't wait to get started.

All Yankees should read this book so you know what we think of you. All Confederates should read this book for a good laugh at them Yankees :) Seriously, this book is excellent, and its got some stuff in it that you might not want your kids to read...these days maybe you don't care. They'll hear it anyway. But this book is so funny and you will love it. One of his best.

...but after some years spent living in Slidell, Louisiana, I'm thankful to see a commentator of intelligence and piercing insight blow through the baloney and tell it like it is. This is the closest we're likely to get to an autobiography of Grizzard's early years, and I'm glad to have it in my hands, because it allows us to see what kind of mind produced the stuff the late great man wrote.