When you open this book, there's no wimpy title page or introduction to the third edition or anything like that--no, Saunders jumps straight in on the the book's first available scrap of paper with a rant about how many books he's written and how misunderstood he is and how he is the most significant writer in the English language since Jack Kerouac. This rant seems to occupy the entire length of the book, as best as I can tell without actually reading it.
His problem, as he defines it, is that his mind-boggling talent has been completely ignored by the world. His problem, as I define it, is that he is mad as a hatter.
A friend of mine, Mike Stratton, who is obviously more open-minded than I am, has a different take on the Jack Saunders phenomenon. Here's what Mike has to say:
Jack Saunders has been writing for three decades, and as well as anyone who toils at the task. But you don't know who he is. I found his books myself only by dumb chance. The first time was at Dawn Trader Books in Ann Arbor in 1987, the second at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, a decade later. In between, I found nothing at all, despite extensive searching. Only with the rise of the Internet was I able to track down Mr. Saunders again.
He calls himself America's greatest un- or underpublished writer. He wrote a 186-book series called The 30-Year Run. He finished that body of work this past August, commemorated it with Jack Saunders Day, and soon began working on his next stack. An avid cadre of readers, calling themselves the Buzzard Cult, and his belief in his own talent are all that appear to sustain Saunders. It is certainly not wealth, publically procliamed accolades, and, hell, not even a publisher. He is certainly America's greatest something.
When I first read Jack Saunders, his writing packed a powerful a wallop. I read Common Sense, Full Plate, Blue Darter, and Lost Writings. All were short books, read in one sitting, and all were part of a bigger story: his. I have treasured those four books. They are honest, without a jacket blurb declaring them to be so.
In Saunders' words, "How do you write honestly and openly, about subjects that matter, in plain speech, when the people you send your writing to are Buzz Word Managers, who want euphemism, cant, vogue topics, with-it catch-phrases, tokens, false prophets, whited sepulchers, and Potemkin villages." His writing could be shelved with autobiography, but among the liars on those shelves, he would be an anomaly.
His autobiographical writing reflects the fact that he does not make a living through his writing. Some of his work has been published by small presses, some self-published, and more serialized online. Rather than pay his bills, his writing has cost him jobs, money, and comfort. Yet he carries on.
Accomplished writers talk about their great love for their craft, and how they would continue even if they were not recognized. Would they? I liken Saunders' efforts to those of the Christian mystic from Ethiopia who is carving churches by hand out of the side of a mountain. Neither receives great accolade. Nobody else would take on either task. And each has created lasting beauty that few might ever see.
Sauders has been rejected by most of the larger commercial risk publishers, and most of the regional, fine arts, or university presses in the Southeastern United States. He was declined representation by all of the literary agencies to which he has inquired. He was not welcome at any of the arts colonies, writing seminars, or retreats for writers to which he applied. He has been turned down for grants from the State of Florida, the National Endowment for the Arts, Guggenheim, and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund. He has not won the Faulkner, Hemingway, or Nelson Algren Awards. He is not in (or has been expunged, after having been included) in the following directories: Directory of American Poets & Fiction Writers, Florida's Artist Residency Directory, Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series, and Contemporary Authors.
Just in case Jonathan Swift's maxim about genius being met by dunces in confederacy is true, check out the writing of Jack Saunders. He made his case that he is a talented writer decades ago. He has not wavered in telling his story, a story that grows more absurd each passing day that a publisher does not disseminate his work to a much wider audience. Look for the following:
Screed, Vagabond Press, 1981.
Common Sense, Mixed Breed, 1985.
Full Plate, Mixed Breed, 1985.
Blue Darter, Mixed Breed, 1985.
Lost Writings, Mixed Breed, 1985.
Evil Genius, Mixed Breed, 1986
Open Book, Mixed Breed, 1986
Or Contact Jack Saunders:
Garage Band Books
PO Box 930064
Norcross, GA
30003-0064
Fabulous book cover of the month