The actor best known for his portrayal of B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H
<\i>demonstrates that book tours are every bit as tedious as
imagined.In May 2008, Farrell (Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to
Actor and Activist<\i>, 2007) rented a Prius (nicknamed
"Mule") and looped across the United States on a 25-city book tour.
Reading about his cross-country trip is like thumbing through a
stranger's travel diary - it's chock full of meandering,
superficial observations that ultimately don't add up to much. Even
though each event was co-sponsored by individuals or groups
dedicated to social justice, Farrell rarely reflects on the
progressive nature of his tour - how it was conceived, what he
hoped to accomplish, how it could serve as a model for other
authors. Rather than weaving his involvement with these
organizations into the narrative, the author includes dry summaries
of their missions in boxed-off spaces. Moreover, he often undercuts
his stance as an activist with his condescending tone. He sneers at
right-wing radio hosts and their audiences ("I truly worry about
the people who listen to this crap all the time") and resorts to ad
hominem attacks against former President Bush, referring to him as
"President Stupid" and a "the pathetic, smirking narcissist who
occupies our White House." The larger problem, however, is that
Farrell too often glosses over the unique aspects of his tour. In
New Orleans, he met with Sister Helen Prejean, a renowned opponent
of the death penalty, and instead of offering vivid scenes or
telling anecdotes, he simply notes that they had a "great dinner
and wonderful conversation." In contrast, Farrell dedicates nearly
an entire chapter to getting an oil change at a Firestone dealer in
New York City. Despite his forced attempts at whimsy - largely
through unconvincing conversations with Mule - what his chronicles
inadvertently portray is the mundane, repetitive nature of the
modern book tour, where authors skip from city to city with little
time to explore individual communities or interact with
readers.Slapdash and inessential. (Kirkus Reviews)
Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. "Mike Farrell's OF MULE AND MAN is a
one-of-a-kind American road trip. It's a quite enjoyable ride with
an observant and generous friend who is at home crisscrossing the
country with a rental hybrid he calls Mule. Farrell travels through
both the beautiful and busted landscape from desert to bayou, urban
to rural, listening in and arguing silently with conservative talk
radio found in even the most remote places, and ending each day at
bookstores and community organizations to have conversations with
activists, friends, and family who are doing the hard work of
social justice in every neighborhood. 'Heroes abound in this
world,' Farrell writes. He is one of them"--Walter Mosley.
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