Fiction Author, Professional Writer, Published Author- Draper, UT

BroncoJockey Books, LLC

4-21-2019 Reviewed by Bob Kiskin for Rope Burns Magazine

Yes Ma’am Just Call Me Slim by Michael S. Robinson

Michael “Boots” Robinson is a four time winner of the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo in the Serious Poet Reciter category. He has released a new book “Yes Ma’am, Just Call Me Slim”. Through the diaries and thoughts of an old fictional rancher, he explains where and what he was doing when the poems were written, and gives a brief background about the poem itself. It is a novel approach and well worth reading. The first section “Mostly Serious” covers ranching subjects such as summer rains, storms, dogs, livestock, saddles, bits, rodeos, dying young, bankruptcy, drought, etc. It is obvious that Boots knows what he writes about. I have included the first poem, Fences, so that you can see the format.

Fences

April 17, 1938, near Donkey Ears Bluff. Written on lunch break. Rode the fence all mornin’, worked my butt off stretching and mending,

The west is a darned-sight different today than it used to be. Back when I was still a young-un, most of the land in our country was open range, and we still drove the herd, twice a year, between the high country leases and our home spread. Freedom was the one word that described the difference between the city and God’s country. That was the meaning of “The West.” Ain’t the same today, a grid of fence posts, wire and complicated rights of way. To move a herd, cross-country, even for a short distance, takes research and permissions, not always so easily obtained. Everyone’s got a goal; at least I figure that’s so. Pa always told me it was a good attitude that made the difference. Without that, you simply wouldn’t make it, cuz there would always be plenty standing in your way. If your view of the work ahead centers on how difficult it’s going to be, you’re already half-beaten, but strong determination and having your head in the right place will get you there.

A fence is a border constructed in order to keep things contained or outside.

It keeps cows from wand’rin’, dries laundry, post-laundrin’, and barbed ones leave scars on a hide.

A fence makes good neighbors and fosters behaviors, harmonious, kind, and benign.

It’s a perch for a bird or a home for the herd or an excellent spot for a vine.

A fence guards the melons, incarcerates felons, keeps chickens from fleeing the coop.

It keeps your yard cleaner, makes neighboring fields greener, and it keeps your best steeds in a group.

There are fences of bricks,  There are fences of sticks. There are ones made of wire and blocks.

There are gates for your pards and recessed cattle guards, for security, latches and locks.

There are times, you may say, that a fence blocks the way to that place you consider your goal,

and the only solution to get where you’re choosin’s becomin’ a bird or a mole.

Fences high, fences low, they control where y’ go, so it’s worth sproutin’ wings, you will find,

‘cause the only un-climbable fence, in a sense, is the one you create in your mind.

My favorite is probably the poem about what a saddle would say if it could talk. My favorite, all time, two lines: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away, But not the obstetrician”. Heck, get the book and find your own. The second section of the book is devoted to puns. I happen to like puns and corn, both kinds. Boots has a strange mind and some verses will prove it.

(1) “…but this horse is just plain stubborn, and it always answers “Nay””. (2) “So if your cowboy is sick in bed, and tells you that he’s dying, just totally ignore him, for you know he’s surely lying.” (3) “I pondered it a moment, then, I answered “What the hell, Cows always wear those bells, because their horns don’t work too well””. (4) “Just thank the Lord beef price is up, and that the chips are down?” As far as I am concerned, the puns are worth the price of the book and the rest is free and gravy. The third section, Travel Memories, consists of a few poems about the rancher’s travels after he sells his ranch. Be sure to read the poem, “Dog Tags”, The rest of the book consists of poems and musings on trail drives, early death, moldy hay, line shacks, Mexican culture, cap guns, cowboys, night watch, levis, etc., The book, for me, humanizes the cowboy. One can leave it on a table, pick it up and read a few poems, and then go back to what one was doing, satisfied and enjoying the break.. Get the book, you will not regret it.

……..Bob Kisken

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Book Review by Rich Huff

Reprinted from the “Western Way” magazine, Summer 2019

MICHAEL S. ROBINSON“Yes Ma’am Just Call Me Slim”

ISBN-13: 9781 7221 1055 01

ISBN-10: 1722 1055 0X

It’s pretty safe to say Michael S. Robinson has brought us something unique here! The book’s back cover notes will introduce you to the “Slim” of the title as being Mickey “Slim” Robbins, Sr., “a successful New Mexico rancher who developed his Rockin’ Robbin Ranch into the largest in the state.” In a truly unusual mounting for a poetry collection, the works are said to have been written by Slim at various points in his winding life. There are exotically detailed mini-essays about his adventures with commentary from Robinson on both essay and verse. Since grandson Mickey Robbins III saved and annotated Slim’s poems, what would that make Robinson in the flow of things...the editor? It may also align Michael Robinson with Rod Miller’s fanciful creation “Rawhide Robinson” since the whole thing is a creation of one fertile imagination! It makes for a good yarn but, lest you be strung along, yarn it is! However, the details of the cowboying life as depicted are real and accurate, and the poems and lyrics themselves are particularly well crafted...thoughtful, expansive and poignant. In the final analysis, the book comes off as being a very literate combination of verse and short story. And in a way doesn’t all fiction purport at some level to be fact, if only to further engage its reader? As Slim often does, I’ll use a double-edged pun to sum it up: It’s a “novel” approach....and I’ll recommend it highly. 398 pages. Softbound book: available through www.broncojockeybooks.com or by mail from Bronco Jockey Books, P.O. Box 592, Draper, UT 84020 phone (801) 403-6450.

NOT YOUR RANK-AND-FILE BEDTIME STORY

Failure of Fish is a refreshing newcomer to those relatively few novels qualifying as fine literary works. Addressing the age-old problem of individual moral responsibility, author Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr. explores the mind of a fatherless teen boy, who watches helplessly as his childhood community descends into moral ruin, ending up, literally, as the smoking remains of a once-thriving town.

Robinson’s voice is the young Billy Potter, who struggles in his own challenges of dealing with the loss of his father, the apparent duplicities of his mother, the clash of religious piety and scientific learning, and his own uncharted transition from puberty to manhood.

Set in Western British Columbia during the early days of Hitler’s first rise to power and the “war that would end all wars,” Billy faces the uncertainties of a changing world and the realization that even the remoteness of Stella’s Cove, B.C. doesn’t provide protection against the terrors of war. It is the loss of his closest friend that crystalizes his understanding that home is not really so isolated after all.

Written in a markedly older style, Robinson recreates the heartaches, fears, and disintegrating realities of a true coming-of-age hero. One of the books first reviewers had this to say: “I have just finished reading “Failure of Fish” and found it an excellent read. I loved teaching 10th grade English and coming-of-age literature. Billy’s character deserves status along-side Holden Caulfield, Huck Finn, Phineas, and the lads in “Lord of the Flies” in their elusive search for identity and manhood. Were I still teaching, I certainly would have added “Failure of Fish” to my reading list.”

While not at all a suspense thriller, Robinson nails the sometimes shocking behavior of his characters, creating a final summary judgment for those who abdicated their moral responsibility to the will of a group. If you’re tired of bodice-rippers and the same-ol’-same-ol’, you will find this book a refreshing read.

https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Fish-Michael-Sorbonne-Robinson/dp/0692736417

Failure of Fish
Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr.
BroncoJockey Books, LLC (2017)
ISBN 9780692736418
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt (03/17)

“Failure of Fish” by Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr., is the riveting story of the people and town of Stella’s Cove, a beautiful rural fishing community set against the backdrop of a majestic glacier off the Pacific Coast, in British Columbia. Over the course of time, Stella’s Cove goes through several economic ups and downs, with three major periods of prosperity. In between each economic boom, Stella’s Cove becomes like a ghost town with very few inhabitants remaining.
The town’s religious leader, Rev. Cromwell, plays a large role in the demise of Stella’s Cove. Cromwell is an angry, judgmental man, who seems to delight in the misery of others. Cromwell leads his Methodist congregation into a dark place where, instead of evolving spiritually, the people of the town regress, adopting a mob mentality united in hateful behavior toward people considered outsiders.
Most of “Failure of Fish” is told through the disappointed eyes of Billy Potter. Billy, just a teen when everything falls apart in Stella’s Cove for the last time, struggles with remaining true to his childhood loyalties as he develops his own moral compass. Ultimately, Billy suffers from the loss of close friends as the result of Cromwell’s influence on the town.
“Failure of Fish” is an incredible tale. Beautifully written, I felt like I was actually seeing the story unfold, rather than reading about it. The harshness of dwelling in such an unforgiving place was interesting in itself, yet the fictional inhabitants make it an even more compelling novel, one I truly found hard to put down.
The author does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. It was eye opening to follow along as the “sheep” allowed themselves to be led down the wrong path, time after time. Knowing that mob mentalities like these have actually occurred historically, and with devastating results, made the story even more realistic. When the characters suffered, I felt like I was right there with them, and at times it was gut wrenching. Due to the depravity described in some of the scenes, I would suggest that this story is best for mature readers.
Overall, I would highly recommend “Failure of Fish” by Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr., to people who enjoy historical fiction, especially with heavy psychological undertones. This story will not disappoint.

FAILURE OF FISH, by Michael S. Robinson, Sr., 328 pages

NOT YOUR RANK-AND-FILE BEDTIME STORYFailure of Fish is a refreshing newcomer to those relatively few novels qualifying as fine literary works. Addressing the age-old problem of individual moral responsibility, author Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr. explores the mind of a fatherless teen boy, who watches helplessly as his childhood community descends into moral ruin, ending up, literally, as the smoking remains of a once-thriving town.Robinson’s voice is the young Billy Potter, who struggles in his own challenges of dealing with the loss of his father, the apparent duplicity of his mother, the clash of religious piety and scientific learning, and his own uncharted transition from puberty to manhood.Set in Western British Columbia during the early days of Germany's first rise to power and the “war that would end all wars,” Billy faces the uncertainties of a changing world and the realization that even the remoteness of Stella’s Cove, B.C. doesn’t provide protection against the terrors of war. It is the loss of his closest friend that crystallizes his understanding that home is not really so isolated after all.Written in a markedly older style, Robinson recreates the heartaches, fears, and disintegrating realities of a true coming-of-age hero. One of the books first reviewers had this to say: “I have just finished reading “Failure of Fish” and found it an excellent read. I loved teaching 10th grade English and coming-of-age literature. Billy’s character deserves status along-side Holden Caulfield, Huck Finn, Phineas, and the lads in “Lord of the Flies” in their elusive search for identity and manhood. Were I still teaching, I certainly would have added “Failure of Fish” to my reading list.”While not at all a suspense thriller, Robinson nails the sometimes shocking behavior of his characters, creating a final summary judgment for those who abdicated their moral responsibility to the will of a group. If you’re tired of bodice-rippers and the same-ol’-same-ol’, you will find this book a refreshing read.

KIRKUS REVIEW

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FAILURE OF FISH, by Michael S. Robinson, Sr., 328 pages, paperback and Kindle

A debut novel chronicles the rising and falling fortunes of a Canadian gold mining and fishing town through the eyes of a local boy.

After spending five years in college and earning two degrees, Billy Potter returns to his hometown on the northwestern British Columbia coast during World War I. He’s a passenger on the Aniak, a supply ship that makes a monthly journey to Stella’s Cove, an isolated village that is now almost deserted. His mother, a religious fanatic and alcoholic, is ailing and Billy plans a one-month stay. During Billy’s journey, the town’s tumultuous past is described, including its first rise to glory as a center for the fur trade, another run at prosperity during the gold rush, and a later boom after a salmon-processing plant becomes successful. Prosperity never lasts for long (“like the instability of the glacier that hung menacingly over it, the town of Stella’s Cove was always on a precipitous footing”). When the fur and gold are gone, the Aniak stops coming and desperate residents attempt escapes by land and sea, usually with unfortunate consequences. Billy flees to a university at age 18, but not without having suffered for years at the hands of the Rev. Miles Cromwell, the strict Methodist preacher and schoolmaster whose violent ways leave several students permanently injured. At Cromwell’s direction, the moral code of the town lacks kindness and honesty, which results in several tragic outcomes. The anti-science fervor that rages leads to conflict with a new schoolteacher and eventually poisons Stella’s Cove’s economy. Robinson’s historical novel is packed with illuminating tales about this remote town’s misfortunes, many of them compelling and beautifully described, no matter how dire the situations. While the sapphire-blue glacier hovering over Stella’s Cove remains a source of wonder, the author conveys the fear that Billy and the other residents have of its deadly potential. More than just a boomtown story, the novel makes a strong statement about morality, revealing the different ways that gossip and rigid and unfeeling religious views spark the village’s eventual upheaval.

An insightful tale that digs deep into the rugged history of British Columbia.

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FAILURE OF FISH, reader review:

First of all, a word or two of introduction. I graduated from Harvard, received two master’s degrees and taught English and Literature for years in both the U.S. and Europe.

I have just finished reading “Failure of Fish” and found it an excellent read. I loved teaching 10th grade English and coming-of-age literature. Billy’s character deserves status along-side Holden Caulfield (J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”), Huck Finn (Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn”), Phineas (John Knowles “A Separate Peace”), and the lads in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” in their elusive search for identity and manhood. Anyway, were I still teaching, I certainly would have added “Carnivorous Sheep” to my reading list . . . Although Billy’s extensive use of the Sears catalog (not to mention his mother's extra-curricular activity in the living room) may have cost your book’s being published by Deseret Book (a Mormon publishing company), it certainly empathizes with the emotions and hormones that raced through us as teenagers.

I absolutely loved the way you presented the conflict between what really constitutes being a" good Christian" and the dangers of judging others. Your plot and major conflict reminded me of the Whiskey Priest in Graham Green’s “Power and the Glory”. After studying this work in class, I had only one question on the final: “Was the Whiskey Priest a Saint? Support your answer from his actions in the text”. It is interesting that most Catholics in my classes condemned him for his actions (because they went against standard Catholic dogma) while most others sainted him (because they thought his actions exemplified a good Christian)

Anyway, were I still teaching, I certainly would have added “Failure of Fish” to my reading list . . . Deseret Book be damned!

K. Hales

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FAILURE OF FISH,

Review by Jack Magnus

Michael Sorbonne Robinson's historical coming of age novel, FAILURE OF FISH: When the Flock Becomes a Pack, is massive, enthralling and intense. The history of Stella's Cove unfolds beautifully in this powerful and compelling work. The sapphire-blue glacier that isolates the town seems to become an organic presence that sings to the defrocked Reverend Mills and lures continental climbers to their doom. Robinson's heroes are humanists with balance and kindness as their prime motivators; his villains stoop to innuendo and callous mistreatment of those who defy or even dare to disagree with them. However, it's not a mere matter of religion versus agnosticism. Robinson's theme goes much more deeply than that. His style has gravitas and maturity and an elegant playfulness that reminded me quite often of Robertson Davies' Deptford Trilogy and his other literary works. FAILURE OF FISH is seriously good literary fiction. I found it to be gorgeous, poetic, powerful and profound, and I most highly recommend it.

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FAILURE OF FISH reader review

By "Oscar the Great" on Amazon

Was turned onto this book by a local book club, and not sure why more people aren't talking about it. Exceptional novel full of subtext, creativity, and valuable lessons about the flaws in human nature and the pack mentality that can bring out the worst (and best) in our various social cultures. Bravo!

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Reviewed by K. C. Finn

…..FAILURE OF FISH was an unexpectedly enjoyable read, for despite the dark themes and philosophical overtones on the inherently wicked nature of mankind, there was an overwhelming warmth in Billy’s narration of events. I found that Michael Sorbonne Robinson’s writing flowed effortlessly from chapter to chapter, which kept me reading and totally immersed in the historical style of storytelling. Billy’s experiences of Stella’s Cove feel harrowingly realistic, and this slow burning plot kept me intrigued, especially as it began to include other colourful characters like the ‘ruffian’ Harry, Miss Hardwick the schoolteacher, and of course the inimitable George Murphy. Failure of Fish is certainly a harrowing read overall with a very important message, and I’d recommend it to fans of deep historical detail, philosophical viewpoints, and character driven stories that don’t necessarily have a happily ever after

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Failure of Fish
Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr.
BroncoJockey Books, LLC (2017)
ISBN 9780692736418
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (03/17)

“Failure of Fish” by Michael Sorbonne Robinson, Sr., is the riveting story of the people and town of Stella’s Cove, a beautiful rural fishing community set against the backdrop of a majestic glacier off the Pacific Coast, in British Columbia. Over the course of time, Stella’s Cove goes through several economic ups and downs, with three major periods of prosperity. In between each economic boom, Stella’s Cove becomes like a ghost town with very few inhabitants remaining.
The town’s religious leader, Rev. Cromwell, plays a large role in the demise of Stella’s Cove. Cromwell is an angry, judgmental man, who seems to delight in the misery of others. Cromwell leads his Methodist congregation into a dark place where, instead of evolving spiritually, the people of the town regress, adopting a mob mentality united in
hateful behavior toward people considered outsiders. Most of “Failure of Fish” is told through the disappointed eyes of Billy Potter. Billy, just a teen when everything falls apart in Stella’s Cove for the last time, struggles with remaining true to his childhood loyalties as he develops his own moral compass. Ultimately, Billy suffers from the loss of close friends as the result of Cromwell’s influence on the town.
“Failure of Fish” is an incredible tale. Beautifully written, I felt like I was actually seeing the story unfold, rather than reading about it. The harshness of dwelling in such an unforgiving place was interesting in itself, yet the fictional inhabitants make it an even more compelling novel, one I truly found hard to put down. The author does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. It was eye opening to follow along as the “sheep” allowed themselves to be
led down the wrong path, time after time. Knowing that mob mentalities like these have actually occurred historically, and with devastating results, made the story even more realistic. When the characters suffered, I felt like I was right there with them, and at times it was gut wrenching. Due to the depravity described in some of the scenes, I would suggest that this story is best for mature readers.
Overall, I would highly recommend “Failure of Fish” by Michael Sorbonne
Robinson, Sr., to people who enjoy historical fiction, especially with
heavy psychological undertones. This story will not disappoint.