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Relevance remains in Trust Me On This
By Derryll White
Westlake, Donald E. (1988). Trust Me On This.
In another lifetime, 50 years ago, I used to publish books. One writer I published said he once worked for the ‘National Enquirer,’ which at that time ruled the check-out aisles in every supermarket.
His specialty was Jackie Onassis stories and two or three times a week the Enquirer writing pool would collectively drop acid (LSD) and produce the paper’s weekly content. That’s the situation Sara Jocelyn finds herself in at the ‘Weekly Galaxy.’ It’s a weird world that makes a LOT of money from five million readers a week.
In this book Donald Westlake sends up the whole world of trash journalism. In his polished way he invites the reader to laugh at the celebrity – alien – three-headed animal stories of the ‘Weekly Galaxy’ while pointing out the hurt that often occurs behind these stories.
And the questions he raises, the antics he exposes, encourages a careful reader to give serious thought to the stories Fox News and other outlets are telling regarding Trump, Putin, the Ukraine and other acts of world domination and aggression commanding ‘news’ space 24 hours a day.
‘Trust me On This’ may be old, but the theme is still relevant and the book is definitely worth reading.
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REPORTERS – Jack’s attitude toward Ida contained all the ambiguity of anyone who employs a mad dog because of the mad dog’s useful qualities. At work, Ida was fast, dedicated, smart and utterly without pity. Behind the harsh expression and watchful eyes, she was a very good-looking woman of thirty-four, for whom sex was merely another weapon in the arsenal of reportorial techniques. Given her speed and single-minded dedication, she was the most resourceful and reliable person on Jack’s team, more responsible than anyone except Jack himself for the team’s success.
AMERICA 195? – Whitcomb, Indiana, on a Tuesday in mid-July. Even the dogs were bored. A couple of them lying around in the shade under Edsels and LaSalles didn’t even look up when the Trailways bus groaned to a stop in front of the Rexall store, farted shrilly, snd opened its door to release the big-bellied sweat-stained driver and the Down Under Trio.
FLORIDA – Even the state of Florida helped; anyone who managed to sing the glorious rocks and rills of that sunny butt can needed psychiatric care.
– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them. When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org.