Answers to Questions Nobody Was Askin': And Other Revelations

by Tim Sample

Overview

Maine humor icon Tim Sample gives us a new collection of short essays and monologues about his growing up and living in Maine and throughout his long entertainment career. His wide range of subjects include things that could happen “Only in Maine,” how his dad invented the SUV, his long friendship with horror master Stephen King, the pitfalls of Maine’s fifth season (mud), and the right way to eat a lobster. Part whimsical anecdote, part hard-won wisdom, these stories are imbued with Sample’s distinct wry Yankee wit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608933693
Publisher:	Down East Books
Publication date:	01/05/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Tim Sample was born and raised in Maine, but has performed throughout North America and has appeared on numerous national TV shows, including the Today Show and Good Morning America, and Michael Feldman’s hit radio show, Whad’ya Know? From 1993 to 2004, Sample was a regular correspondent for CBS’s Sunday Morning, and in 2013 he received the Maine Journalism Award for his newspaper column “Stories I Never Told You.” His albums, videos, and books of Down East humor have sold more two million copies. He lives in Portland, Maine.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

I Only in Maine

What Mainers Don't Say 3

The Laughter of Clams 5

Going to the Basement 7

Roadside Attractions 9

Moxie Mystery 13

Back to Bean's 17

The Pilot Cracker Incident 19

II To Boldly Go…

To Boldly G… 25

Naming the Band 27

Autographs 31

Passing Venues 35

A Great Audience 39

I'll See You on the Radio 43

My Fabulous Movie Career 45

Spring Water Evangelist 47

Lights, Camera… Lobsters! 51

III You Live Here Year 'Round

For Pilgrim Feet 55

Celebrating Adversity 59

Moonlight in the Afternoon 61

Ah …Mud Season 63

A Rafter Snapper 65

Winter Wonderland 67

Oh! Deer! 69

Cabin Fever Reliever 71

My Coat Rack 73

A Holly Dazed Shopping Guide 77

IV Life is a Road Trip

How My Dad Invented the S.U.V. 83

The Perfect Summer Job 85

Life in the Slow Lane 87

Roadster Redux 89

My Art Cars 93

Maine Reverse Snobbery 95

Going East by Driving West 97

Rebel Without a Clue 99

V A Maine Menagerie

My Maine Moose Hunt 105

A Boy and His Dog 107

A Cats' Tale 109

The Young Man and the Sea 111

The Fish Whisperer 113

Good Dog! 115

Elver Maine-ia! 117

How to Eat a Lobster 119

VI Oh, the People You'll Meet

Stern Man 123

Stories You Tell Me 127

Down East Deadpan 129

Psychic Carpentry 133

Island Stories 135

Dirt Road Christmas 139

One Final Hug 141

Yankees Fans Among Us 143

Wear Out Don't Rust Out 145

One Morning in Maine 149

A Strange Symmetry 153

The King and I 155

VII Zen and the Art of Storytelling

Good With His Hands 159

I coking for Trouble 161

Answers to Questions Nobody Was Askin' 165

Step Back and Squint 167

Where Were You? 169

Across the Pond 173

A Hump on the Head 177

My Stuff 179

It Was Here a Minute Ago 181

Mr. Mellow's Meltdown 183

The Lawn Ranger 185

My Non-bucket List 189

Editorial Reviews

In his new collection of essays, humorist Tim Sample provides a wealth of the quirks that make the state of Maine special. Answers to Questions Nobody was Askin’.. . .features a selection of shorts averaging two pages, with Sample’s trademark humor.

The Quoddy Tides

Tim Sample’s new book is a witty, fun collection of 66 short essays that will have you laughing out loud.

Maine Sunday Telegram

Tim Sample’s new book is a witty, fun collection of 66 short essays that will have you laughing out loud. Among the numerous gems is 'Rebel Without a Clue,' in which Sample recalls how foolish he looked as a hefty teenager riding his beloved but tiny Honda motorcycle.. . .Answers to Questions Nobody Was Askin’ is a defining collection of humorous tales by the man whose subtle, often self-deprecating humor has regaled millions and spotlighted Maine as a place where people wax funny without even trying. This book of punchy little essays is unlike most 21st-century comedy in that its gentle satire doesn’t heap criticism on unpopular people or politics. It’s a convenient book. You can read two or three essays a night. You can enjoy more while drinking a latte at your favorite coffee place, then consume an additional essay waiting for a doctor’s appointment.

Portland Press Herald