Ol' Max Evans: The First Thousand Years
Books by Slim Randles
Ol’ Max is a rollicking tale of a powerful, if unconventional, literary figure.
From his childhood in West Texas to his adolescence as a cowboy in
northeastern New Mexico, from D-Day in World War II to the wild world of
Hollywood, Max Evans has truly lived many lifetimes. Peppered through all this
mayhem were stints as a gold smuggler, mining company executive, artist in
Taos, professional calf roper, movie producer, and legendary partygoer.
During these years of havoc and hijinks, Max has remained true to his many
best friends, and to his writing. From The Rounders, which brought him fame,
money, and his first movie deal, to Madam Millie, his biography of a celebrated
New Mexico madam, Max's work has paralleled his own life. In Ol' Max we
witness his friendships, the wild horses, the bar brawls, the discovery of his
place in literature, the laughter, and a mystical world of shadows and mystery,
which date back to the year he spent with his Cherokee grandmother as a boy.
Life, says Max, is both ridiculous and fun. John Milton, in the South Dakota
Quarterly, said that Max had spent a long life charging windmills with a broken
lance, riding a three-legged horse.
". . . an entertaining book, indeed."
--The Santa Fe New Mexican
". . . journalist Slim Randles offers up Max's vibrant tales. . . the book
is full of life as it tells the adventures of Ol' Max Evans."
--The Union County Leader, Clayton, NM
"Ol' Max Evans. . . is devoted to an unconventional literary figure from
the West who was also a gold smuggler, mining company executive,
artist in Taos, professional calf roper, movie producer and legendary
partygoer."
--Publishers Weekly
"Ol' Max is a down-to-earth biography, filled with first-hand accounts
and quotations from Max, his family and friends. It tells the story and
adventures of a professional calf roper, a Hollywood producer, a
successful Taos artist and an acclaimed writer: all named Max
Evans!"
--Enchantment NM
