Trenchmouth Revisited

Chicago author M. Glenn Taylor is nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award for his debut novel, The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart. It's a deserved honor. Taylor is a true tale-teller whose command of the written word is inspiring.

The B.O.T.T. itself is a work of cinematic depth and scope; a novel steeped in history but timeless; a fast ride with restraint enough to examine details; an adventure spiked with musings philosophical and profound. It's also funnier than shit.

The NBCC prize-winners will be announced tonight, and Facets Features wishes Taylor much luck (not that he needs it). In the meantime, let's revisit a FF post from last October on Trenchmouth, Taylor and the author's favorite films.


Straight from the Author's (Trench)mouth


One of Facets Features favorite new books is The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart, by Chicago author M. Glenn Taylor. The epic tall tale follows the life adventures of Trenchmouth Taggart, a wild, sly, disease-mouthed iconoclast straight from the West Virginia hollers who's as skilled with a gun as he is at pleasing the female nether-regions.

I love this book. It's honestly one of the best I've experienced in some time. Yes--experienced. However, I must be honest. For full disclosure: Glenn and I are close friends; former college housemates; occasional musical collaborators; appreciators of fine outdoor grilling--the list goes on and on. Simply: we're tight.

My biases notwithstanding, The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart is truly a wonderful read. I understand suspicions to my praise, though. So, if my word is not enough, consider accolades from Barnes and Noble. The national bookchain chose the book as one of its Fall 2008 Discover Great New Writers Selections--a designation given to only a handful of books each year. Believe it.

Glenn has graciously shared with Facets Features a list of his favorite films, which we're happy to add to our ever-growing collection of celebrity film lists. The diverse selections are a telling reflection of both his writing and personality, despite what he says otherwise...

"In no way does (this list) fully represent my true top ten (note: actually it's 11), but it's the best I can do right now with a dumb brain..."

Here goes:

The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman, 1975)
Harlan County USA (Barbara Kopple, 1976)
Mo' Better Blues (Spike Lee, 1990)
Leolo (Jean-Claude Lauzon, 1992)
Abre Los Ojos (Alejandro Amenabar, 1997)
Soft Fruit (Christina Andreef, 1999)
Rushmore (Wes Anderson, 1998)
Joe Gould's Secret (Stanley Tucci, 2000)
Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2000)
Reprise (Joachim Trier, 2006)


The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart is published by West Virginia University Press.

Buy it. Read it. Immediately.


- Phil Morehart