Sit back and let it flow with Tom Morrison's newest novel

Salibury’s Tom Morrison is back with another novel,”Who Put the Bots in the Tort$”

Described by the author as a legal farce, the new book picks up the ongoing saga of ambitious and creative lawyers Pap and Pup Peters, who specialize in class-action lawsuits.

The clients are larger-than-life — and twice as crazy.

And the lawsuits?

Well, this time around we’ve got artificial intelligence encroaching on the world of adult entertainers and political action committees. (Apparently AI makes connections mere mortals cannot grasp.)

We’ve got high-dollar fences handling jewelry stolen from the great and the good.

And we’ve got people fighting with zoning boards about lawn mowing ordinances. (Never mind hot air balloon-landing regulations.)

As usual, Morrison has fun with names. One of his more memorable characters, the redoubtable Mona Lott, is doing battle with the Planning and Zoning Commission over when lawn mowing is allowed.

There’s an investment firm that might sound vaguely familiar: Goldman Slacks

There’s a mention of an important legal case: “Ruth v. Gehrig, decided by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis of the Southern District of New York.”

And there’s an artist. A famous, important artist. This artist is also a pig, named “Pigcasso,” who is “the first animal to host a solo art exhibit.”

The flow of jokes and gags — some one-offs, some extended — can get overwhelming if the reader spends too much time considering the merits of each one.

The best way to enjoy Morrison’s cockamamie world is to just sit back and let it flow.

You can always go back later and figure out which joke most strongly resembles which recent headline.

Latest News

Clyde Perham Weed
Clyde Perham Weed
Clyde Perham Weed

CORNWALL — Clyde Perham Weed, 74, passed away peacefully at his home in West Cornwall, Connecticut on Sunday, August 17.

Clyde was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Jeanne and Herbert Weed. He was the grandson and namesake of Clyde E. Weed, Chairman of the board of Anaconda Copper.

Keep ReadingShow less
Backgammon series begins at Hotchkiss Library of Sharon
Backgammon lessons kicked off Wednesday, Aug. 13, at The Hotchkiss Library. Instructor Roger Lourie works with Pam Jarvis of Sharon, while his wife, Claude, assists at a second board with Janet Kaufman of Salisbury.
Leila Hawken

In light of rising local interest in the centuries-old game of Backgammon, Wednesday afternoon backgammon instruction and play sessions are being offered at The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon. The first such session was held on Wednesday, Aug. 13, attracting two enthusiastic participants, both of whom resolved to return for the weekly sessions.

Expert player and instructor Roger Lourie of Sharon, along with his equally expert wife, Claude, led the session, jumping right into the action of playing the game. Claude chose to pair with Janet Kaufman of Salisbury, a moderately experienced player looking to improve her skills, while Lourie teamed himself with Pam Jarvis of Sharon, who was new to the game.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dugazon opens in Sharon, blending Southern roots with global style

Pantry essentials at Dugazon

Jennifer Almquist

You are invited to celebrate the opening of Dugazon, a home and lifestyle shop located in a clapboard cottage at 19 West Main Street, the former site of The Edward in Sharon. The opening is Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m.

After careers in the world of fashion, Salisbury residents Bobby Graham and his husband, Matt Marden, have curated a collection of beautiful items that reflect their sense of design, love of hospitality, and Graham’s deep Southern roots. Dugazon is his maternal family name.

Keep ReadingShow less