The Official Rodes Fishburne Hub

Now in San Francisco

03.12.10

08:54 am

Time’s Arrow
Baffling
Guinness
Only in Ireland
Surf Report
At OB
Drinking Conditions
Belligerent

“Delightfully visual, full of whimsy, adventure, and blithely caustic social commentary
… [a] smart, frolicsome, and charming first novel. ”

Booklist (Starred Review)

“Zany and entertaining… a generous and whacky story in the tradition of Tom Robbins.”

Publishers Weekly

“Going to See the Elephant” has been selected as one of the “7 Best Books” of the New Year.

Amazon.com

“Going to See the Elephant” is a vivid, giant mash note to the city by the bay. It’s an adventure story, a love story and a story about growing up.”

San Francisco Chronicle

“Rodes Fishburne has no interest in front-page realism — magic realism is more his thing. He’s a fantacist, and his sweet comic novel is as light as a bright balloon, and just as appealing.”

USA Today

“… a debut novel that’s hilarious, unpredictable, and lovely.”

Meaghan Leenaarts, Island Bookstore, Corolla, NC

“Going to See the Elephant” has been selected as a January 2009 selection of the Indie Next List!

IndieBound

“Slater Brown… is just the man I’d want to lead me through the streets of San Francisco…. Going to See the Elephant is a rollicking good tale… one can’t help falling in love.”

Michelle Richmond

“Going to See the Elephant will delight anybody who has ever written a first novel, wanted to write a first novel, and especially those who cherish reading unforgettable first novels. It is both funny and wise.”

James Patterson

“Rodes Fishburne is a marksman hunting down first-novel fame, and he never misses”

Tom Wolfe

The Pickle Principle

For a long time now I’ve been working on a theory that I believe will have a major impact on the world. Like Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, my theorem rests on a very simple observation: How good are the pickles at the restaurant you are considering for lunch?

Could it be an accident that some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted have been accompanied by really great pickles?

It could not.

Could there be a hidden corollary between quality of food served and quality of pickle served?

There could.

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A Very Northern California Thing to Do

San Francisco Chronicle Magazine

On this early holiday morning, even the Golden Gate Bridge is swept clean of traffic. I’m meeting the jeweler at his house at 5:30 a.m. to participate in an annual ritual: abalone diving on Thanksgiving day.

The jeweler, Jay Cresalia, is a fifth-generation San Franciscan and an avid abalone diver, having chased Haliotis rufescens for the past 36 years. The term “chasing abalone” is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as this shellfish is not known for speed.

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