Alas, Poor Elvis, I Knew Him, Bubba

ALAS, POOR ELVIS, I KNEW HIM, BUBBA (nonfiction, 50,000 words) examines the impact of Elvis Presley on the culture of America and the rest of the world. Its editor/commentator is Howard Denson, one of the leaders of the Florida First Coast Writers' Festival, which sponsored a whimsical contest similar to the Best of Bad Hemingway and the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contests. Entrants invariably wrote about themselves as they recalled their encounters with Elvis in concerts or performances. Often they recalled when their daughters first encountered the animal energy of Elvis as part of the girls' awakening sexual awareness. The submissions range from adoring to cynical, from complimentary to judgmental. The submissions came from all over North America. The collection also includes the insights of the late Steve Allen, who featured Elvis on his comedy-variety show. Did the "hound dog" section humiliate Elvis? ALAS, POOR ELVIS, I KNEW HIM, BUBBA gives a different perspective.