HOT ROD... I was in the second grade when I first read it.. It was the first book that I couldn't put down until I finished it.. Went back and read it again several times..It was a great source for a little day dreaming...
Way back when I knew Hank Felsen (aka Henry Gregor Felsen). He was a mentor. Hank was living in West Des Moines with his family when I knew him. In the mid-1960's I was a journalism student at Drake University in Des Moines and took Hank's creative writing class. For a year or two he allowed me into his life, urging me to pursue the life of a novelist. I, however, went the more ordinary route, going to work for the "Des Moines Register" which led to a 40-year career in newspaper journalism. I long ago left Iowa where I was born and grew up (Chariton). After a while we drifted apart. From the tone of your opening post, I take it Hank has died. For that I am deeply sorry. I have many fond memories of your father. He was most helpful to me in my formative years. I remember Hank had at least a son (he wrote a book about "Letters to a son in Vietnam" or something like that) and a daughter (who attended Drake at the same time as me and whom I never knew). I have entered my 60's, the kids have left home, and I find myself surfing the web for people from my past. That is how I wandered in here, searching for current information about Henry Gregor Felsen. I would be most interested in seeing the Henry Gregor Felsen website when it is up. You had a wonderful father.
I'm 17, a senior in high school. I first read hot rod last year after stumbling upon it in our school library. I literally read it all in one night. The first book I've ever read all the way through without wanting to put it down.
Welcome to the world of being a hotrodder!!I started the same way in the mid 60s.....and here I am at 52 still livin it,and Im only one of thousands that started the same way
I am 58 years old and read Hot Rod then his whole series as a teen. Back about 15 years ago I was able to buy the full set through one of the major magazines. Not only did I re-read them again, my son got to enjoy them as much as I did.
I remeber what a pleasant surprise it was find some of your father's books in my grade school's small library. And I'm sure that my parents were surprised to see me reading something other than CARtoons or Mad Magazine. If you were any kind of gearhead at all it was very easy to get absorbed in your father's writing. Now I'm going to stick my neck out a little bit. Was it one of his books that had a character named Worm? I remember it being an abbreviation of the name William Orville Randolph McNess.
I just turned 67 last month and I first discovered your father's book about 1955. Like many others, I de voured them and savored every word. They were wonderful reading and painted some great pictures in the theater of my mind that have remained as fond memories. I read Hot Rod, Street Rod, Crash Club & Rag Top. He really knew how to connect with young men of that era. Some years ago I was in a used book store and came across a 1st edition of HOT ROD that had been autographed by your father. That is one of my more treasured posessions. I am sorry to hear that he has passed on but he will always remain as one of my favorite authors. Please let us know when his website is up.
Clay Mart--- Nope. WORM was in the wonderful "Black Tiger" series. http://www.iblist.com/series652.htm Thanks for prompting me to go look them back up!
After my pops passed away I had found a bunch of Henry Gregor Felson Books. Hot Rod, Street Rod, Rag Top... The list goes on. My pops had them all in Hard Covers (stolen from the library looks like) paper backs, and a box set. The top of the box set is signed by Henry to my Father. I also have to say I have read every book from cover to cover. The only books I have ever read in my whole life cover to cover. I was glued to the books from the minute I found them. I would have liked a happier endings, but for the time, it was like a after school special. I wish I would have found them before my pops had passed away. I would have loved to have asked him about them, and how they effected him as a kid. I think it is great that you are bringin your fathers books back to life.
Read and re-read and re-re-read all of them. Try reading his books and surviving catholic school at the same time. I had to find a hiding place when I read 'em and that contributed greatly to my adolescent hot rod behavior. Where can I get copies? Mikey www.MikeysPinstriping.com "I Do Bad things to Good Cars"
All of the Henry Gregor Felsen books should be reprinted and be put in every intermediate school, and high school in America, just like they were in the old days. His writing about boys and cars inspired many to become involved in the automotive hobby and even make their careers as mechanics, engineers, car dealers, etc. The underlying moral lessons of the books were, and are, relevant to life as a young person. I still have many of the HGF books I purchased in school and others I have found here and there in used book stores and garage/estate sales. AND I still read them once in a while for the pure joy of escape they offer.
I never read these books, but this thread piqued my interest so much, that I went out and found some second-hand copies. They are next on my list to read. Thanks for this, the books sound great!
I read them when they first came out, infact they saved my passing english class. as I hated reading. These books started my interest in reading which continues today, read alot now. Every young motor head can relate to the cars and girls!!
It sounds like I'm in with the majority of older guys posting here. One of the fellows I went to school with had a copy of Hot Rod and let me take it home to read. I was probably 14-15 years old and my mind back then was like a sponge when it came to hot rodding. I read that book in 1 evening and it sure made a lasting impression. About 6 months ago I bought a copy on Half.com and sat down and read it again after 50 years. Although this time I didn't devour in in 1 night since I knew the story. None the less, it was enjoyable going back. I remember reading about your Dad passing away in 1995 and it saddened me to read that. Keep us all posted about the proposed web site.
Our high school library (rural upstate New York) had the books - can't figure out why. They were so popular that we would look up who had them and hound them to hurry up and finish so someone else could check them out. I must have read all of them 3 or 4 times. Still remember some but its a little fuzzy now - it was 45 years ago. Gonna re-print? There was an author names William Campbell Gault who wrote similar books. When you get older, you only remember the important stuff.
I started a thred once upon a time asking the authors name of the books since its been several years since I was in school. I read and re-read them every chance I got and would absolutely LOVE to find original harbound copies of them. I remember the ones in school being smaller yellow bound books. I tried at one point to purchase the copies that my school has but it was no dice.
At first I didn't know what you guys were talking about. Then I went to Amazon and caught a glimpse of the cover. I think I read the '63 printing of Hot Rod. Beautiful cover shot. Was that the story where the Buick crashed, jambing the engine back into the passenger copmpartment, and the two kids wound up in a pool of blood? If that's the book, parts of it were fun, but that crash was a real downer for me. That sad scene overshadowed the rest of the book. I think it may have been 5th grade for me in the early 70s. Maybe now that I'm older and more caloused, I should try it again.
My take was, moral to the story: That even though you had fun hot rodding, there could be a price to pay if you weren't careful !!
I read your dad's books several times in the 80's and still have them today sitting on my book shelf. A lot of my books have gone to the big library in the sky, but these never will.
Dunno if it matters much but I was just reading Jerry Titus editorial over on the KKOA website and they had a little contest going...the question was what kind of car did Woody drive in the book Road Rocket? The answer was a 47 Ford 2 door......damn I love those books
I just bought a first edition hardback on Epay for my grandson. He's 2 1/2, so I guess I'll have to read to him.
My younger brother just bought Hot Rod at a yardsale. The guy thought he was nuts the way he carried on with his new found "Treasure". I'd love a full set HJ, please persue this dream.We will support you , no doubt in my mind!
I bought the paperback in school in the 60s and still have it today, well worn but still one of my favorites...
I went to a rod run about 10 years ago in Rhode Island. I won a raffle drawing............my prize... The full collection of Henry Gregor Felsen Hot Rod books. All six of them , brand new in never opened condition, in a nice binder too. The tiles they presented to me then were............................... 1 Crash Club 2 Rag Top 3 Fever Heat 4 Hot Rod 5 Road Rocket 6 Street Rod I keep them in a safety deposit box at the bank. I've never had them out of the box. They're keepers. The only other time I ever saw his books was one summer in the early 60's when I was attending summer school on Cape Cod where we lived. I had an assignment in French class and while rummaging around the Brewster public library I found 2 of his books on the shelf there. I checked them out and read over and over for the rest of the summer.
HOLY-SH*T!!!! I remember coming to the University Library when I was in Jr. High, so I could read the Felsen books they had. Now I work at the same library, and have those very books checked out... My son loves them.
These books were /are the best if you are a hot rodder, young or old. Henry Gregor Felsen really captured the feel for the era. I have a whole set that I inherited off a good friend of mine who passed on. I still buy copies whenever I come across them. Many of them have school library stamps inside.
The Jalopy Journal
