“Not a Damn Thing”
“I’m gonna shoot ya or I’m gonna see you hang, which will it be?” Rooster Cogburn the famous character played by John Wayne, once stated, from the movie True Grit, while playing the role of an old southerner with grit and determination, most of us “everyday folk” do not find very often in our suburban surroundings. Tom “Tejano,” or Tom Bird in John Graves’ “The Last Running,” is familiarly characterized with the strong rugged individualist we often see portrayed in old black and white westerns, with famous actors such as Clint Eastwood. Tom Bird is a rugged individualist, even the Comanche Indians find hard to compute with. His characterization is not only that of out-right stubbornness, but of true grit most men had during their time. He is depicted as a true –chiseled to th...