The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race by Paul Krassner 1997, Paperback: items on eBay.com

Publisher's Note
Now in paperback, unforgettable stories -- part fact, part fantasy -- by America's foremost counterculture historian After newscaster Harry Reasoner wrote in his memoirs that "(Paul) Krassner not only attacked establishment values, he attacked decency in general", Krassner named his one-person show "Attacking Decency in General". The same irreverence is apparent in The Winner of the Slow Bicycle Race, the acclaimed collection of Krassner's most recent stories as well as his most famous satirical pieces from past years, all presented in reverse chronological order. Child prodigy violinist, Mad magazine contributor, Lenny Bruce's obscenity coach, cofounder - with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin -- of the Yippies, and writer/publisher of The Realist since 1958, Paul Krassner endures as an intrepid, unrehabilitated counterculture torch-bearer. His writings, Swiftian in form and contemporary in subject matter, seamlessly blend factual reporting and flagrant misstatement. "Truth", says Krassner, "is Silly Putty". In Krassner's world, Lyndon Johnson chuckles over the corpse of JFK, a Senator's aide reveals "Why I Leaked the Anita Hill Affidavit", and when Krassner "interviews" Nancy Reagan, "Just say no to drugs" becomes "if anyone tries to sell you an ounce of marijuana for $500, that's way too expensive, so just say no". "Krassner has the rare ability to alter one's perception permanently". -- Los Angeles Times

Industry Reviews
Stretching back to 1958 in reverse chronological order, this book selects Krassner's satire from the Realist (which he founded in 1958 and resumed in 1985 after an 11-year hiatus) and other publications. However, unlike his well-tuned memoir, Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut, satire ages, making for an uneven collection. What was outrageously insightful in 1967-Krassner's acceleration of LBJ's boorishness into a necrophilia scene with LBJ crouching and panting over JFK's corpse-is less funny now. On the other hand, Krassner's equally infamous 1988 piece on snorting cocaine with the Pope, "Always let the Pope snort first," remains hilarious. Among the hits are a faux interview with Nancy Reagan and a parody of Nixon's memoirs, as well as turn-of-the-'60s bits on race and contraception. Sometimes Krassner is less funny than biting, as in his putative exchange between Spike Lee and Tom Wolfe, who attacks the filmmaker's Nike commercials with "Just do the right sneaker." Though Krassner's style lacks the arch elegance of the best prose parodists, his ongoing career as a stand-up satirist suggests that his words, when given voice, still hit home. Author tour. (June)
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