“Quite simply, this is the best book I’ve read in ages” – was our verdict on Eric J. Smith’s memoir Not a Bad Ride: Stories from a Boomer’s Life on the Edge.
Published at the end of last year, the memoir is delivered in wry vignettes and concentrates on the sixties and seventies as the author drifts through a swarm of conflicts and regrets. Smith’s writing is evocative of life in Maryland and Virginia and his skill is to make the ordinary seem extraordinary in much the same manner as Alan Bennett and, before him, Joyce Grenfell.
The book has more than 30 reviews on Amazon – the majority of them five star, with comments such as “a level of honesty that few autobiographies achieve”, “nails what it was really like to grow up in the 60s and 70s”, and a “fantastic, entertaining read”.
Born in New Orleans, Smith grew up in Maryland, lived for many years in Virginia, and most recently has been a long-time resident of St. Mary’s County on Maryland's western shore.
He now has begun a novel and writes flash fiction pieces--very short stories (you can read examples of his flash fiction here). Before re-launching his writing career in 2012, he worked for thirty years as a proposal editor and writer. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park.
You can buy Not a Bad Ride at Amazon here. The book is also available on Kobo, iTunes and Barnes and Noble.
Published at the end of last year, the memoir is delivered in wry vignettes and concentrates on the sixties and seventies as the author drifts through a swarm of conflicts and regrets. Smith’s writing is evocative of life in Maryland and Virginia and his skill is to make the ordinary seem extraordinary in much the same manner as Alan Bennett and, before him, Joyce Grenfell.
The book has more than 30 reviews on Amazon – the majority of them five star, with comments such as “a level of honesty that few autobiographies achieve”, “nails what it was really like to grow up in the 60s and 70s”, and a “fantastic, entertaining read”.
Born in New Orleans, Smith grew up in Maryland, lived for many years in Virginia, and most recently has been a long-time resident of St. Mary’s County on Maryland's western shore.
He now has begun a novel and writes flash fiction pieces--very short stories (you can read examples of his flash fiction here). Before re-launching his writing career in 2012, he worked for thirty years as a proposal editor and writer. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park.
You can buy Not a Bad Ride at Amazon here. The book is also available on Kobo, iTunes and Barnes and Noble.
