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Clowns and Rats Scare Me

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One columnist’s views on subjects from child abuse to clownophobia
  • 01 May 2009
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San Antonians love Cary Clack for the sparkle of wit and wisdom he brings to them in his column in the San Antonio Express-News. But his style and sensibility make his work equally popular far beyond that city. He offers pithy, probing coverage of national issues such as terrorism, racism, and child abuse, but his keen sense of humor often turns to the stuff of everyday life such as the inexplicable power of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and his terror of clowns. The columns collected here sample the best of 13 years' worth of Clack's amusing and thoughtful commentaries, and begin with an enlightening foreword by noted poet Naomi Shihab Nye.
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Price: $16.95
Pages: 224
Publisher: Trinity University Press
Imprint: Trinity University Press
Publication Date: 01 May 2009
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781595340375
Format: Paperback
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“Cary’s witty, often poignant columns cut to the heart of social and political matters, offering the homespun wisdom he earned growing up on the East Side, studying life lessons and advocating for justice.” — San Antonio Magazine

“Whether it’s reliving the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr. or interpreting the Audacity of Hope to a city that’s witnessing history in the making, Cary has a unique sense of his surroundings. With roots grounded in his beloved city of San Antonio, he brings words to life. No matter the topic, he faces the task undauntedly and welcomes each and every column. Enjoy the literary skills of San Antonio’s own Cary Clack!” — Bruce Bowen, former San Antonio Spur
Cary Clack is a columnist and editorial board member with the San Antonio Express-News, where he was the first Black metro columnist and the first Black member of the editorial board. He has covered local and national news, events, and social issues for three decades. In 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters. The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors awarded him opinion writer of the year in 2021, followed by awards for editorial writing in 2022 and both general column writing and editorial writing in 2023. He is the author of Clowns and Rats Scare Me and More Finish Lines to Cross. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.
— Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and lived in Palestine, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas, where she studied at Trinity University. She is the author of numerous poetry books, including You and Yours, 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, Fuel, and Red Suitcase. Her honors include awards from the Texas Institute of Letters and the International Poetry Forum, the Carity Randall Prize, the Academy of American Poets’ Lavan Award, and four Pushcart Prizes. She has been a Lannan fellow, a Guggenheim fellow, and a Witter Bynner fellow, and she was elected a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 2010. She has traveled to the Middle East and Asia for the U.S. Information Agency three times, promoting international goodwill through the arts. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
— Cary Clack