Pulp Poem of the Week

All who
knew him
for an hour
regretted it

a lifetime.

Jim Tully

Shanty Irish
1928

Pulp Poem of the Week

Gorilla Haley's skull was fractured.

He became insane. He later became

a member of the Chicago police.

Jim Tully

Circus Parade

1927

Book Review: Jim Tully, Shanty Irish (1928)

Kent State University Press, which has reissued four books by Jim Tully, has hung its hat on Rupert Hughes’ claim that Tully was the father of hardboiled writing in America. Unfortunately, Hardboiled Tully is not much in evidence in Shanty Irish, which veers between pathos and sentimentality in its portrayal of ignorance, poverty, hard work, and drunken blowhards. Grade: D

Pulp Poem of the Week

Ours is but a little stay here,

full of sound and fury, and,

if you will pardon the blasphemy,

signifying not a hell of a lot.

Jim Tully

Circus Parade

1927

Pulp Poem of the Week

It sure is awful

to die in Arkansas

with this circus.

Jim Tully

Circus Parade

1927

Book Review: Jim Tully, Circus Parade (1927)

A bleak portrait of life with a traveling circus, Jim Tully's Circus Parade focuses on anecdotes and character sketches rather than sustained narrative. As a result, the proceedings may sometimes be tedious, especially for readers familiar with the subject matter. Grade: C