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Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Bookin -and the Weener is!
From: Foondoggy <wfover@nist.gov>
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 10:36:37 +0100

Thanks one and all for your suggestions, just look at what an
extraordinary collection of titles we got. Thanks too, for those who
e-mailed me with compliments for the idea of reading and discussing
something on the group. I knew we had a lot of lurkers out there willing
to participate.

As with Tim's World Surf Day, there was little consensus. But there was
a clear winner with 5 votes for Kem Nunn's "Dogs of Winter" which
coincidentally I just started. I propose, for those interested, that you
acquire a copy and in a few weeks either I or someone can start a thread
designated as "LIT -Dogs of Winter".

Second place went to "Caught Inside" by Dan Duane. If someone wants to
read and discuss that title too, go at it! Actually the structure of
this thing has got to be a little freeform. John Milliken suggested that
anyone can just propose any title and a few weeks later, just begin a
thread with the preface "Lit" If there are those out there who wish to
join in, do so. If there's no interest in the title, the thread will die
by it's own lack of responses.

For those of you who need more structure: Read the first 100 pages of
"Dogs" by next Monday. Be prepared to discuss the beginnings of Nunn's
plot, specifically how he plans to mix the surfing aspect of the tale
with the murder substory. Also, what about the characters he has begun
to draw, stereotypical surfers, washed up and substance abused surf
photographers,  rugged individualist North Westerners, Indians? What
about his obvious biases against New Age culture and junkfood? Who does
the character Drew Harmon most resemble in the real surfing world? Will
there be a romantic undercurrent? Why is it always raining on the
Northwest Coast?
Are the references and background information regarding surfing and
indian cultures believeable or not? What big wave break is Heart Attacks
based on?  Why are ponytails on aging, balding men unattractive? Would
you get a tattoo like one found on a dead person?

There will be a quiz, anyone scoring less than 65 will be required to
read Corky Carroll's book "Surf dog days and bitchin nights" while
consuming a half gallon of Ocean Spray cranberry juice (a diuretic).

Class dismissed.

-Foon