Tickling Catfish: A Texan Looks at Culture from Amarillo to Borneo

Tickling Catfish is a romp through the weirder aspects of Texas as seen through the eyes of Jerry Craven, a good old boy turned college professor. Using many of the typical devices of the tall tale, Jerry presents a laid-back series of short essays that tell us about some interesting and strange Texas beliefs and practices. To make the book even more interesting, he throws in accounts of the many other places he's lived, including Malaysia and South America. Beyond that, he explores the netherworld of English, with such items as palindromes and how to speak Texan with correct grammar and pronunciation. I've known Jerry for over 20 years and have always appreciated his keen eye for detail, his sympathetic appreciation of all kinds of nonsense, and his love of irony. I think you will, too.