Kinky Friedman

Richard "Kinky" Friedman was born November 1, 1944 in Chicago, but his parents moved when he was young to a ranch near Kerrville, Texas, in the heart of Hill Country. Both his parents were the children of Russian Jewish immigrants, and he always felt a strong sense of being different as he grew up in Texas.

He wanted to be a country music singer, but from the beginning he preferred satire and making fun of everyone. His songs featured political commentary and sharp-edged humor. His first band was called King Arthur and the Carrots. Finally his band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys became well known, but it was known more for making fun of people and making people mad than anything else. His father and many other people objected to the use of "Jewboys" in the name as that had always been an insult to Jews.

He became well known in Texas and had a lot of important allies. When his music wasn't doing too well he started writing novels and using his friends and people he knew as main characters. Finally he turned his parents' ranch into a shelter for animals, the Utopia Ranch. He ran for many political offices, but never won; still, he was very popular and well known around Texas at least, if not the rest of the country.


___ 1. What does "sharp-edged humor" mean in par. 2, second sentence?
a. It was extremely funny.
b. It hurt some people.
c. There was a large number of jokes.
d. It was racist in nature.

___ 2. Why did his father object to the name "Jewboys?"
a. Because he wasn't Jewish.
b. Because he didn't want people to know he was Jewish.
c. Because "Jewboys" was a slur.
d. Because his father liked "King Arthur and the Carrots" better.

___ 3. What is a feature of his novels?
a. They are best sellers.
b. They are all about country music.
c. Somebody else actually wrote them.
d. The characters are real people who he knew.