Beloved American storyteller Philip Gulley evokes a time when life revolved around the front porch, where friends gathered, stories were told, and small moments took on large meaning. In today's hurry-up world, Gulley's observations are frank and funny, reminding us of the world we once shared, and can again.

With poignancy and humor, Gulley writes about small-town life, things he thinks about while sitting in his Quaker meeting, and why Donald Trump should pay more taxes. Porch Talk is a tribute to common folk, including Charlie the hardware priest, the Bettys at the newspaper, and other paragons of decency not many people know, but should.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 12 reviews)

Gulley delivers again

10 years after "Front Porch Tales," this book could just as easily have been appended to the end of the first one. Many of the same characters, even a couple scenes duplicated, and the styles match. The intervening years have not caused cynicism or sourness to infiltrate Gulley's homespun tales, and the read, though quick, is refreshing to the human spirit.

Gulley has a way of pulling you in close, making you feel like you share these memories, almost as if you were there - but then he reminds you that the world isn't quite Mayberry these days, that Aunt Bee isn't next door baking a pie, although she darn well should be.

A dash more political commentary is in the book, but whether Democrat or Republican or Independent, it isn't so much to put you off and he doesn't dwell on it.

I don't think anything in particular distinguishes this book from others that Gulley has written, but that is fine for this reader. You know what you get with him, and how the book will make you feel, and this one delivers just that - heartwarming tales, uplifted mood and renewed faith that there are still nice people out there, and that maybe, if you're lucky, one of them will have a front porch with a couple rocking chairs and invite you on up.

June 19, 2008

Loved this book

This is the first thing I have ever read by Mr Gulley... and all I can say is WOW! It was so wonderful to read. It is written like he is talking to you. Lots of the essays are funny little jaunts, but others are serious and very thought provoking... like "The Compact" about our social compact in this country, and "The Death of Freedom" about close mindedness and religion, and "Contentment" about being content with what you have.
I am now off to the library to see if they have any more of these Porch talk books. LOL I ate this one up in one day.

May 20, 2008

The wit and wisdom of Philip Gulley

There's a lot of nostalgia and a bit of philosophy in this latest of Philip Gulley's books. The Quaker pastor longs for the days when porches were the social center of the neighborhood and home-owned hardware stores were a refuge and gathering-place for the men of the community. He touches on everything from the Tooth Fairy to his efforts to maintain a pond in his yard. He has a gentle wit which sees through the absurdities of life and his chief target is often himself. His religious ideas are very liberal for a clergyman, but his sense of decency and his caring spirit come shining through in these short essays.
December 04, 2007

More from the mind of Philip Gulley

This is a second collection of musings from the mind of Philip Gulley, the same type of work that made Front Porch Tales a catalyst for his career as a writer. I did enjoy this book because each essay leaves the reader thinking about the topic he discusses.

But I didn't enjoy it as much as his other writings which is a continuing series of the goings on in his fictional town of Harmony and the characters I've come to love. Hopefully, he won't disappoint his fans, and is working on the next book so we can "catch up" with his "interesting" congregation.
October 06, 2007

A pleasant surprise

I had never heard of Phillip Gulley before I was handed this book, and I have to admit the title was a little off-putting for me. I'm not an outdoorsy person and I immediately got the picture of sitting on an evening porch being eaten alive by mosquitoes. It didn't make me very enthusiastic. But I read it anyway.

Several of the essays sparked a healthy dose of nostalgia (which at 30, I'm just beginning to appreciate) and most were coated with a subtle humor that I loved. I felt a little smile on almost every page. He has a way of teaching little lessons while at the same time making you feel like you just realized something on your own. The book is fairly small and the essays short enough that it would be great to carry around for those downtimes when you could use a distraction or a little pick-me-up, like sitting in the dentist's waiting room or in line at the DMV.

Two of my favorites are the one about Thanksgiving and the one about the pond, though that one made me choke up a little at the end.

September 14, 2007

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Hometown Tales: Recollections of Kindness, Peace, and Joy
by Philip Gulley

For Everything a Season: Simple Musings on Living Well
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Almost Friends: A Harmony Novel
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Front Porch Tales: Warm Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love
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Home to Holly Springs (Father Tim, Book 1)
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