Ready for a riot?
Strap in for a fast, sharp, funny, savory romp from one of America’s underground scribes. With more than 80 original works, Thick, Thin, What the Dragon Let In: Stories, Rhymes, and Reveries offers a bouillabaisse of unconventional stories, poems, lyrics, and ideas.
From sad sack vandals, broken down hoods, and an assassin fighting tooth decay to deep sea ventures, breezy lullabies, and enchanting dreamscapes, this captivating and surprising collection will have you bursting with laughter one minute, haunted moments later, and wondering what unexpected turn Doworth Howard will deliver next.
Doworth Howard started as an artist known for his wire sculptures of people before taking up the pen. Twenty years on, he’s shaped a new approach to books.
From 5 Star Readers' Favorite review: "His ability to reveal delicate tipping points and uncover darker aspects of human nature makes Doworth Howard's work move past creativity into a term not yet defined. His writing feels alive and layered, producing reactions from laughter to surprise and horror."
Ready for a riot?
Strap in for a fast, sharp, funny, savory romp from one of America’s underground scribes. With more than 80 original works, Thick, Thin, What the Dragon Let In: Stories, Rhymes, and Reveries offers a bouillabaisse of unconventional stories, poems, lyrics, and ideas.
From sad sack vandals, broken down hoods, and an assassin fighting tooth decay to deep sea ventures, breezy lullabies, and enchanting dreamscapes, this captivating and surprising collection will have you bursting with laughter one minute, haunted moments later, and wondering what unexpected turn Doworth Howard will deliver next.
Doworth Howard started as an artist known for his wire sculptures of people before taking up the pen. Twenty years on, he’s shaped a new approach to books.
From 5 Star Readers' Favorite review: "His ability to reveal delicate tipping points and uncover darker aspects of human nature makes Doworth Howard's work move past creativity into a term not yet defined. His writing feels alive and layered, producing reactions from laughter to surprise and horror."
“You don’t want any cream or sugar?” Clancy asked Chuck after being served coffee by a waitress at Nick’s Diner off the Ditmars stop in Astoria, Queens.
“I like my coffee like I like my women,” Chuck said.
“How’s that?”
“Hot and black.”
Clancy chuckled. “I guess I like my ladies sweet and creamy then. But seriously what the hell can we do?”
“I know,” Chuck said shaking his head before blowing on his coffee. “We have to come up with fifty large by Saturday night and all because of that douche Milos fucking us over.”
“That doesn’t matter now,” Clancy said. “We’ll deal with Milos if we get out this hole. Getting 50k to the Denali Brothers keeps us alive and that’s all we need to think about doing. I don’t know how we’re going to do it.”
“What can we do to get that kind of money? Who, what, where can we score fifty grand from like now?” Chuck asked before taking his first sip.
“I got nothing,” Clancy said.
“My cousin Jermaine has a security job at the Museum of Modern Art. Maybe he would let us in and we take a piece of fine art and sell it.”
“What do we know about art? And besides art is the stuff you have to let cool, lay low. That would be a big heist in the news at a place like MOMA. And we’d have to find a buyer.”
“I got my boy, Trevor, who is hustling over in the Diamond District, maybe he knows how some jewels could go missing.”
“Everyone knows everyone over there, and we’d have to go up to Canada, somewhere far, to sell whatever we get, so no one in the city knows and there’s no time.”
Both took sips from their mugs contemplating.
“What about a bank?” Chuck said.
“Nah, I’ve robbed banks before,” Clancy said. “If you want to do a quick and easy, in and out robbery with one teller, you get like what? A few grand at most. That’s too many banks to rob. If we go for the big score, with heavy guns and everything for the kind of cash we need, then we’d have to worry about cops giving a damn and being all over our asses fast. Plus, there’s the risk of the whole dye pack shit and I don’t want to have to kill anyone over this bullshit, except Milos maybe.”
“All right,” Chuck said leaning forward cupping his cup. “I know this guy Carlos who is in deep with this Mexican crew that slings meth and coke. I bet we could give him some cabbage to get his fix and he’d show us a safe house and look the other way. Those safe houses always got mad money. We scope it out and hit it up fast.”
Contemplating, Clancy took a big gulp of his coffee and then said, “Do you want to get in trouble with another crew that we know nothing about or who they are in order to pay the Denalis? We don’t know what they are in to or who they’re connected to. Those bastard Denalis have their fingers in everything. For all we know, we’d be robbing one of their outfits to pay them back, and we’d be even more fucked than we are now, which is already fucked.”
“There’s a big party at Cipriani’s with a lot of singers and celebrities for some fundraiser for kids with cancer. They must have some cash and jewelry to take.”
“Too big and high profile. Hard to control the crowds and not get noticed. Plus, it’s kids with cancer.”
“Fine Mr. Morality,” Chuck said and drank deep.
“We must be overlooking something,” Clancy said.
“What about that strip club where Linda works? She could let us in at the end of her shift and we get the manager to take us to the safe. He’s a dummy anyway, right? There’s got to be some serious loot moving in and out of that club.”
“Absolutely not,” Clancy said. “I don’t want Linda involved. I owe her two-months child support and she won’t be in to robbing no boss. Plus, they got some heavy bouncers on Friday nights I wouldn’t mess with. They are some mean sons of bitches. Once I saw them break a guy’s nose for rubbing up against some stripper’s titties too long.”
“I got a guy I’ve known since high school who’s out at the Aqueduct, Cowboy Steve. He usually has a good line on the horses. We could talk to him. Get into the horses good, you know, and see what we can win on. Maybe hit a few trifectas. Plus, they got that casino out there.”
“My luck is decent, but it ain’t that good. Christ with the odds of any bets working, we’d be better off buying a bunch of lottery tickets.”
“Damn son, what’s with the negativity?” Chuck said pushing his cup aside. “I mean, Clancy, here I am coming up with all of these ideas to get us out of this shit, which ain’t easy. And all you’ve got is negativity with everything. Stop it man. We need some positive waves up in here or we’re dead. Don’t be so negative and say no to everything. Besides what the hell kind of ideas do you have that are so great to be shooting down every damn one I got?”
“You know I know you’re right man, but I don’t know,” Clancy said looking at his empty cup, shaking his head.
“We best get thinking,” Chuck said finishing his cup.
“I need another coffee,” Clancy said and nodded to the waitress for a refill.
“Me too.”
“Black, right?” the waitress said to Chuck.
“You know it.”
Rando if you don’t know (I)
Suspicious
Suspicious, vicious fishes make delicious, nutritious dishes.
And You
Something evil and nimble comes
Something evil and nimble comes, again
Go get your friend
Whipping wind
Then tapping tin
Clattering around the bend
From way up there on the other side
Wait too late for your pride
And you
Feathers left of birds and shells of turtles
Mists don’t resist nor tempt the wicked too
And you
All that’s left is your loose screw
And maybe that suede shoe
And you.
I thought this would be a really good opportunity to start diving into short stories as I can not say I have read that many previously. It was a delight to enter a book with over 80 different stories inside. This is the first short story book that I have read in a long time and I really enjoyed my time with this.
As expected, some stories are more enjoyable than others but they all provided a really entertaining few hours of reading. Some were a bit odd and left me confused as I felt like they didn't lead anywhere, but maybe that was the point?
Random if you don't know but VI.5 is among my favourites. This one is so short but amusing, entertaining and fun. It's a beautiful message that I won't spoil but encourage people to read. I feel like this story in particular is the one that spoke to me most. It contains a different look on grief, loss and a positive outlook that made me change my thoughts and perspectives on these topics, in simply two lines. I do not know how something like that is possible but this story really stuck with me and has become a favourite story slash quote of mine.
But then you go from this to a story called backpacking, which is again short but contains a lot of whimsy and fun and provides a feeling of adventure and positivity and enthusiasm. The range of emotions you feel going through these stories is definitely a whirlwind as you can read something so profound that makes you stop and ponder aspects of life before reading something that makes you chuckle, then one that makes you confused, then one that is just fun.
Overall, I had a really good time with this read and it is definitely one to give a go. There's something in here for everybody that is for sure.