Less than a year of blogging and already I must write a command post for the Queen. Queen of the Kasbah, that is. The one, the only, Tami Clayton.
Tami tagged me, and I am duly honoured, and yet, I’m not fond of being tagged. On the one hand, blog fodder has been handed to me on a silver keyboard. On the other, I feel obliged to respond within preset parameters.
I do twists, I do turns, but parameters? Not so much.
And so, I respond to this command from the Queen of the Kasbah with, as you may have guessed, a twist.
To me, quotes are borne of poignant prose, pretty lines that move me or make me look at a situation in a different light, words that enlighten, verses that offer an impetus to change. Lines like these are worth noting and remembering, printing out and pinning to the fridge.
And then there are the lines that make you snort soda out your nose while orange bubbles of laughter burst between pursed lips.
Ah, but that isn’t much of a twist. (Or, I’m making excuses because I don’t have enough quote fodder for this post…)
So.
I’ll spread the snorts, er, quotes, across the weeks, months, eons–whatever it takes–to achieve the requisite seven and meet the Kasbah Queen’s command.
Perhaps I won’t stop at seven.
So here we go, memorable, snortable, quotable book line number one, brought to you by Robert B. Parker, School Days. I feature this Spenser novel for two reasons:
1. I was in mid-read of this Spenser novel when I paused to peruse the Kasbah Queen’s Command, and
2. At the precise moment when I read this killer line, the blogger fairy in me jumped up and shouted, Yippee Ki Yay!
Put down the orange soda, readers. Ready or not, here it comes:
Yes, I was a poetic devil, but at issue here, actually, was how well could I shoot.
Killer, right? I love a line that makes me snort out loud. And a little farther down the paragraph Robert B. makes me laugh again, more of a quiet ka-snorttle than a snort, but laughter all the same:
My gun would have to do. It’s a poor workman who blames his tools.
Love Robert B.’s voice, and though this is my second novel of his, his punchy style is making this author a fast favourite.
Ka-snorttle!
[Reminds me of Tim Conway's Siamese Elephant skit, but I digress...]
A master at one-liners whose voice and books I haven’t yet discovered? Say it isn’t so. I should have spent more time perusing your book shelves and less time
goofing offdiscovering the back story of total strangers while in The Land of the U Hogs, Sherry.I’m certain The Queen of the Kasbah will fluff a pillow for your clever noggin.
Right after you clean orange-soda-spittle from her Kasbah couches.
I loved this line. “And then there are the lines that make you snort soda out your nose while orange bubbles of laughter burst between pursed lips.” You have such a way with words.
Congratulations on blogging for a year now.
If you get a chance I would love it if you pop back over to my new and improved blog and have a peek. http://www.tracycampbell.net/blog
Thanks Sherry
Been and done, Tracy. Your worlds, artist, writer, lover of children and puppies, collide, making a striking and colourful montage!
I forgot about our Brian Henry connection! Must see what the Quick Brown Fox is up to.
Thanks for taking a peek and for your lovely comments. I hope you’ll be back.
Yes, do keep up with Brian Henry. I love all the information he offers.
Have a happy day!
What a great way to do the requisite 7, Sherry! I, too, am pleased to be thought of but wonder where I can squeeze out a few drops of time to organize a big drink of 7 favorite quotes. I am the type who reads it, loves it, maybe mentions it to my husband in wonder, and moves on. Rarely do I keep a list. One more thing to improve on my long list of self-improvement projects! I’ll never live long enough…
And then there will be the day when we are referring to lines from your books, Sherry. You are so adept at crafting ‘quotables’ – and more ‘snortables’ than anyone I’ve met so far … okay so maybe in that latter respect you and the irrepressible Gloria Richards are in a dead heat … Please don’t stop!
Looking forward to at least six more quotes. And spread out over months? I’ll have to be vigilant to snare every one of the precious words.
Good stuff to read first thing in the morning. It’s got that Indiana Jones flavor – from the scene where Indy has a gun, and the other guy is doing fancy stuff with his sword and bang!
Way to buck convention Wildflower! Great quote from an awesome author.
Ka-snorttle is now my new favorite word. For reals.
I love it when my subjects, um, I mean my peeps think outside the kasbah, get down with their bold selves and do their own thang! I’ll be ka-snorttling all day whenever I remember those quotes.
Thanks for the shout out and for letting me dwell in the delusion that I am so powerful as to command others to write posts.
Delusion, Tami? Nay. Tis fact.
I don’t know about Robert B Parker, so now I will have to investigate his writing. If he is good enough to ignite ka-snorttling from you, then he must be great!
Well, this is quite the picture: The Queen of the Kasbah ka-snorttling orange bubbles of laughter over her hapless blog posting Subject–through pursed lips, of course.
Although it would seem impossible to one-up such merriment, I have to say that those are some mighty hoot-n-nanny hilarious quotes you’ve collected. I especially love the second selection. Robert B is a hoot for sure!.
Alas, Robert B. Parker is no longer with us. He passed in 2010, but his cool humour lives on in his work.
Sherry, this is what happens when I move, lose contact with the outside world and then return … return to one of my fav writers. Loved Robert Parker’s characters. Did you know his editor and wife have selected someone to carry on with his work?
He will be sorely missed … but the legacy of his work will please us for a long time.
Look forward to more of your quotes … what was that about orange soda? How about grape nehigh or rootbeer?
Purple or gold bubbles? Thanks for another fun post
I’m so excited Ginny connected us; I can tell I’m going to enjoy your blog! My all-time favorite quote is framed on my office wall. It goes back to 1902 and Owen Wister’s The Virginian: “Forgive me asking you to use your mind. It is a thing no novelist should ask of his reader.” Cracks me up every time!