Research Catalog

Lake of the Ozarks : my surreal summers in a vanishing America

Title
Lake of the Ozarks : my surreal summers in a vanishing America / Bill Geist.
Author
Geist, William
Publication
  • New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
  • ©2019

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StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
TextUse in library JFD 19-3652Schwarzman Building - Milstein Division Room 121

Details

Description
xii, 195 pages : illustrations; 22 cm
Summary
  • "Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American heartland of the Midwest and traces his evolution as a man and a writer, in the summers between high school and college, before he went off to Vietnam and the country went to Hell."--Provided by publisher.
  • "Before there was 'tourism' and souvenir ashtrays became 'kitsch,' the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the sixties during his school and college years, working at Arrowhead Lodge--a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle--in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop. What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest 'slightly twisted') Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News. In [this book], Emmy Award-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American heartland and traces his evolution as a man and a writer. He shares laugh-out-loud anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek observations guaranteed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for 'the good ol' days.' Written with Geistian wit and warmth, Lake of the Ozarks takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places."--Dust jacket.
Subjects
Genre/Form
  • Autobiographies.
  • Anecdotes.
  • Biography.
Contents
The drive down/ now and then -- The strip -- The tourist trappers -- Uncle Ed -- The Chili Pond -- Extreme dishwashing -- Another day, another dollar -- Amateur night in the kitchen -- The great salad bar debate -- Ozark bellhops -- The Pow Wow Room -- La Noche de la Larry Don -- Sisterhood of servers -- I don't get it -- Night desk -- The Ozark outback -- Getting to the point -- Cross-cultural exchange -- The best laid plans -- Autumn leaves.
Call Number
JFD 19-3652
ISBN
  • 9781538729809
  • 1538729806
  • 9781538716373
  • 1538716372
LCCN
2018048035
OCLC
1048944619
Author
Geist, William, author.
Title
Lake of the Ozarks : my surreal summers in a vanishing America / Bill Geist.
Publisher
New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
Copyright Date
©2019
Edition
First edition.
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Chronological Term
1900-1999
Research Call Number
JFD 19-3652
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