Author **11 books59 followers
Look at the title and that cover who can resist that? EVERYBODY thinks their life is interesting enough for a Memoir BUT Ken Paulson’s ACTUALLY IS. A rich and varied tale with a wide range of humans wandering through. sometimes staying for a visit, sometimes wandering back at seemingly random interludes. That’s life right? And yet ... Mr Paulson has been to places I have never been and in some cases do not wish to go. At times I figured lucky to get out again. He is one fascinating human and, as is often the way of things, he attracts other unique humans some not as they first appear by some margin. I feel like I have sat in the company of a storyteller who enjoys the element of su…
Author **11 books59 followers
Look at the title and that cover who can resist that? EVERYBODY thinks their life is interesting enough for a Memoir BUT Ken Paulson’s ACTUALLY IS. A rich and varied tale with a wide range of humans wandering through. sometimes staying for a visit, sometimes wandering back at seemingly random interludes. That’s life right? And yet ... Mr Paulson has been to places I have never been and in some cases do not wish to go. At times I figured lucky to get out again. He is one fascinating human and, as is often the way of things, he attracts other unique humans some not as they first appear by some margin. I feel like I have sat in the company of a storyteller who enjoys the element of surprise. His gut feelings or pure damn luck led him out the other side. A good book teaches you something and this one certainly did that. It has more twists than a 60s disco and more than a touch of flair. So yes EVERYONE thinks they can write a memoir but this man actually can. I’m glad he did. Excellent for a goldsmith and for an author too.
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Author **9 books138 followers
A super-fun read! Presented as "Hunter S Thompson-lite", and being a fan who can’t remember if or when was the last time I read him, I was intrigued. Early into this memoir, I connected with it; I could see young me getting into shenanigans with a young version of the author. Even teenage troublemaking! Maybe even some young adult, "trying to figure out life" stuff. Who hasn’t lived the girls, booze, and trying to get a foot in the door somewhere, anywhere, lifestyle in his twenties? The entire book is a fun ride in a familiar old pickup truck that might get you to where you want to go, a few places you were afraid you’d end up, and somehow you get to the destination mostly unscathed, only a little worse for the wear, and if you’re really lucky, with a lifelong companion. Mr. Paulson’s got it all covered and then some.
Author **23 books68 followers
One of the most authentic memoirs I have ever read. Ken Paulson’s unique style pulls you into the story of shifting priorities and goals. Yet, despite some of the corners he paints himself into, he remains true to his friends, family and, more than anything, to himself. A good boy/man at heart, he does the right thing when it counts. I remember the 70s well, and though I am a touch older and from a different part of Canada, the themes were familiar. However, this isn’t just a narrative of his life. Ken is a storyteller who takes your hand and walks you through the streets of his memories, which are so vivid that you can see the prairies stretching before you and the cold and heat of the changing seasons. Some of Ken’s life choices will make you laugh, and others will make you shake your head. Yet Ken somehow always gets back to the main street of his desires and ambitions, creating a prosperous future for himself the hard way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; anyone who likes a well-told story should pick this up.
Author **27 books18 followers
“Frog and Alarm Clocks” is a memoir by Ken Paulson. Despite having the subtitle as a “Darkish Memoir,” I found the book thoroughly fun to read. It is very well written and tells of the author’s teenage years in Canada. One will wonder whether he would have survived it had it not been the 1970’s. Honest, robust, entertaining, and in places, somewhat self-deprecating, the book had me laughing and shaking my head at the same time. For those of us who grew up during that time, several incidents will be familiar. This is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.
Author **10 books28 followers
Oh those easy breezy 70s
Really fun memoir to read with several laugh out loud passages written by a terrific and endearing storyteller. The 60s and 70s were such an innocent time, where thank goodness, no one had a cell phone to record your bigger mistakes.
The memoir chronicles Ken Paulson’s youth in Canada as he discovers what he wants to do with his life and along the way finds friends, hitchhiking, hijinks, and drugs.
I recommend this book for a walk down memory lane if you are of that generation; if you’re not, it provides a good window into it.