A mere half century ago, when Millie Helper, who lived next door to Rob and Laura Petrie, told Laura that her creative writing teacher thought that she looked like Joyce Cary, Laura could get a knowing laugh by pointing out that Joyce Cary was a man. Cary is no longer as well-known as he used to be. If you’ve never read him, you’re missing out on one of the best novelists of the last century. The Horse’s Mouth might well be his best book; it’s certainly the best introduction to his work. Here’s a single sentence:
“It was as dark as the inside of a cabinet minister.”
And here’s Charles Mingus and his band, live at Antibes, playing “Better Git It In Your Soul”:
