Well, crap, one of my fave writer heroes has died and I didn’t even know it. I was going to publish a book of his columns! I still hope to…
What a character!
He’s been writing wild, reckless, candid columns about the small boat life (and everything else) for years at “Messing About in Boats” and “WoodenBoat.” He knew what he was talking about. He walked the talk. He built great boats, fixed old outboards.
A big ol’ Southern fried coot.
Of erudition.
And class.
Robb, I was getting to that book as fast as I could! It was just a couple more down the list! It would’ve been great…and great fun!
RATS!
I hate it when my fave writers die before I can do a sweet book for them.
Robb did have a big publisher do a very nice book for him a few years ago. They paid him a lot but then wouldn’t let him sell copies himself…but they wouldn’t promote it either. They only published it because of his famous sister…and when she lost her NPR job they dropped all efforts to push his book. Who cares about quality. …I do! Robb did!
It’s still a fine book. I got some inventory myself and sell it here in my Boat Books section. “How to Build a Tin Canoe.” Great stuff like you never read before about life on a shallow coast.
I’ll have to write a letter to his wife and kids and see if they’ll still let me do that book. Quiet Jane, sitting in the bow of all those boat rides.
Here are some links to info about Robb: www.robbwhite.com, https://wbeditor.typepad.com/rudderpost/2006/05/robb_white_arti.html
