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Quote by Philip Kerr

“Farraj looked at me with the clinical distaste of a chiropodist regarding a septic toenail.”

Quote by Philip Kerr

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Philip Kerr

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“The billboards ruin everything. The historical flavor, the old-time architecture, even the beauty of the wooded hillside—all are sacrificed. Pole-lines and wires may be accepted, like fences, as part of the basic American landscape. They do their work without striving to be conspicuous, and often their not-ungraceful curves add a touch of interest, an intricacy of pattern, even some beauty. Billboards are different. . . . billboards blast themselves into the viewer's consciousness. . . . some of the smaller billboards—those advertising local hotels, service-stations, or small industries—seem to have a certain rooting in the soil, and are often modest and comparatively harmonious to the setting. The large billboards—owned by special companies, usually advertising the products of mass-production—are always placed in the most conspicuous spots, and have designs and colors carefully chosen to clash with the background. One feels a difference between a home-produced: "Stop at Joe's Service Station for Gas—Two Miles," or "The Liberty Café—Short Orders at All Hours—Give Us a Try!" and some gigantic rectangle advertising tires or beer. Large billboards are now springing up along U. S. 40 even in the vastnesses of the Nevada sagebrush country. They are an abomination! Personally, I try to buy as little as possible of anything that is so advertised.”

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Book:U. S. 40: Cross Section of the United States of America
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“For the canny traveler, the map is dotted with tourist traps that were once something sincere, something worthy of reverence that gave way to branded merchandise. We follow the billboards that are as accurate as those guiding us to the Corn Palace or the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, kick at the dirt a bit, watch an overinflated PowerPoint or squint at a dusty artifact, peek at the gift shop, and go home with less money but nothing in value gained. These sites are mental stamps that one was in a place where something had once mattered, but the veil between Then and Now is thick and impermeable.”

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Book:Holidays with Bigfoot
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“Billboards Build Freedom of Choice Yegtit? Look See. AMERICA BUILDS BILLBOARDS so billboards kin bill freedoma choice between-yeah between billbores no WAIT its yedoan hafta chose no more between say like trees and billbores lessa course wenna buncha trees is flattint out inta BILLB- yeah yegotit youkin pick between well hey! see! like dat! ALL VYNIL GET WELL DOLLS $6.98 or-watch wasdat comin up? PREPAID CAT? PREPAID CATASTOPHE COVERAGE yeah hell youkin have damnear anythin FREE 48 INCH TV IN EVERY ROOM see! or watchit! OUR PIES TASTE LIKE MOTHERS yeah but look bud no chickenin out because billbores build AM- yeah an AMERICA BUILDS MORE buildbores to build more- sure yougotta! yugotta have FREEDOM TO hey!...”

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Book:One Muddy Hand: Selected Poems
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