Sudden and Accidental Re-education of Horse Johnson

THE STORY: Lacking formal education, Horse Johnson makes his living by working in a warehouse. But Horse's imagination has been ignited by a free-spirited, dynamic, genius-type vagabond named Clint, who roams the West picking apples while spouting poetry, philosophy and (or so it seems to Horse) answers to the deeper questions of life. Taking a leave from his job, Horse has closeted himself with Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman and the like, looking for the key to it all-and straining his long-suffering wife's patience to the breaking point. But the cosmic answers are slow in coming, and Horse is beginning to falter (much to his family's relief) when Clint himself bursts on the scene, sweeping all doubts away with a dazzling display of high-sounding philosophic doubletalk. For Horse it seems now that the meaning of it all must be near at hand, but it is quickly evident that Clint's thoughts are more on Horse's attractive (and engaged) sister-in-law than Horse's mind. Which results in some tense, not to mention disenchanting, moments for our hero. As the play ends Horse is still looking for the answers, but the search is now within the context of his own life and limitations-and there is the happy suggestion that he may be on the right track at last.Taylor, Douglas is the author of 'Sudden and Accidental Re-education of Horse Johnson ', published 1969 under ISBN 9780822210931 and ISBN 0822210932.