When you think about it, a songwriter is really a natural at writing a short story.
After all, a song does tell us a story - especially country songs.
A Guitar and a Pen is a collection of twenty-five short stories written by some of country music's greatest songwriters.
The book is edited by Robert Hicks and has a forward written by Vince Gill.
There are a variety of stories - some are true and some are fiction.
Some of those who made contributions to this collection are: Tom T.
Hall, Charlie Daniels, Kris Kristofferson, Hal Ketchum and many others.
Some of the stories relate to country music.
The reader will also see a variety of different writing styles.
Each story is unique and brings something special to the collection.
A couple of my favorites are "Gathering Together" which relates to a Southern family's Thanksgiving meal and "The Care and Treatment of Camp Cooks" which is about a hunting club's cook who goes on strike.
Admittedly, I am a loyal country music fan.
A Guitar and a Pen is a delightful read and shows the reader just how truly creative a country songwriter can be.
Vince Gill is exactly right in the forward when he states, "In less than three minutes, songwriters manage to create a lifetime of emotion.
" That explains why they also do such a great job of writing the short story.
Be sure to add this book to your reading list.
You don't have to be a country music fan to enjoy this wonderful collection of short stories.