A guy wakes up on the Oklahoma prairie and gradually realizes he has lost all memories of his life. Well, almost all. He remembers a phone number. But, when he hitches a ride to the nearest gas station and tries the number he reaches a distorted recording that says, “The number you have reached, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo, is not in service at this time.”
That sets our narrator off on a quest to discover his lost life. With no real plan, he bounces around the country, grabbing rides when the universe provides one. With no fixed identity, he assumes various names and roles in different locations and among a wild cast of characters: an imposing Native American who calls himself “chief” and has a bit of larceny in his heart; a desperate gambler in Las Vegas; a rock star touring in his private jet; and a group of Cajun revelers in Louisiana. The novel is mostly humorous, with a few sad notes.
The book was the first novel ever printed on tree-free paper made from the kenaf plant. It became mildly famous for that distinction. When it was published, Bill Clinton was president and Amazon was in its infant stages. Clinton’s environmental team praised Clearwater for taking the risk and expense of using this paper. Alas, readers weren’t really used to posting reviews yet so it didn’t receive very many.
The other Clearwater titles have transitioned to “print on demand” technology. Because the printers who do that don’t have access to kenaf paper, and that has become strongly associated with this book, unless you are quite lucky, it is only available from folks who have a few original copies.
The author still has a few copies, for example, if you can track him down.
“The Land of Debris is much more than your typical journey of self-discovery. What separates it from its twitching, self-absorbed kin on the shelves is a true poignancy, an insight into what we love and what we hate, what we forget and what we want to be forgotten. Plus, if you read this book you will live like a rock star and ride on the back of a dinosaur.” — Joe Reid
“… a wild ride down the oft pot-hole-filled highway of enlightenment.” — Kendall Bohannon
“The Clinton-Gore administration and the Federal Government encourage the development and usage of alternative technologies, particularly efforts such as Clearwater Publishing Company’s which have the potential to create business and employment opportunities while enhancing national, regional and local economies. I encourage and appreciate your efforts and I hope you will enjoy continued success in this worthwhile endeavor.” — Fran McPoland, Federal Environmental Executive
“I’m glad to see that companies such as Clearwater Publishing are putting forth the effort to produce more environmentally friendly products. We are excited about your work.” –-Kathleen A. McGinty, Chair, Executive Office of the President, Council on Environmental Quality.
“Hilarious and memorable” —The Tattered Cover Presents
“Enjoyably quirky.” —NAPRA Review
Amazon Reviews
“Delightful reading. A simple plot, well defined, written with humor and wisdom. The main character has an amazing resilience to the quirky adventures life throws his way. Very satisfactory resolution. I’d like to have an after-book interview with Malcolm-Merle-Sunshine. Some paragraphs were pure prose, others witty. I will be thinking about this book for some time.” Donna
“I found this book to be quirky and enjoyable. I never could tell where it was going, which was enough to keep me engaged! The storytelling had a descriptive feel, almost Steinbeck-like.”– Alicia Stimmel
“What a GREAT story! I read this book about ten years ago and was thinking about it again recently … enough so that I just HAD to read it again! And yep – I loved it just as much as I did the first time! This edgy, beautifully written story about a lost soul who finds himself wandering down a lonesome highway without a clue as to who he is or how he got there is more than just a novel – it’s somewhat of a metaphor about all our lives. Just what would you do if you woke up not knowing who you were or where you belonged in life? (Actually, maybe some of us SHOULD wake up and start over!) The story line keeps you guessing from chapter to chapter as our hero falls into one tricky situation after another and keeps rolling with the punches, hoping desperately that he finds himself sooner or later. Honestly – I’d love to see this book made into a film! – Mary Jo Fay
“… Its storytelling was superb, and I found it digging deep into me and finding the vagabond hidden in my personality. The book built up to a fantastic ending, but it left me with nothing. I really hated the ending, but the incredible body of the book almost totally made up for the overly demure ending.” —LitPick Reviews (Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews)
Clearwater Publishing Company Inc 