BOOK REVIEW: Pretty Paper by Willie Nelson with David Ritz

Published 9:30 am Saturday, January 5, 2019

David Ritz worked with Willie Nelson on the country music legend’s memoir, “It’s a Long Story: My Life.”

They worked together again on the Nelson Christmas memoir fable, “Pretty Paper.”

One of the earliest hits penned by Nelson was the Christmas classic “Pretty Paper” about a lonely man selling gift wrapping and pencils on a street crowded with holiday shoppers passing him by. Roy Orbison had an early hit with the song and it’s been recorded by numerous people, including Nelson, since.

The book “Pretty Paper” tells the story behind the song, though it’s hard to tell where the real story ends and the fable begins.

Here, Nelson is inspired to write the song after seeing a legless man in raggedy clothes hawking wrapping paper on a Texas city street during a Christmas in the early 1960s.

In the book, Nelson seeks to learn more about the man who inspired the song. Nelson has a feeling the man, Vernon, is a musician but the man is reluctant to open up. Nelson keeps at it until Vernon shares his story through several pages of writing on a variety of colored paper.

The book splits between Nelson telling his story and Vernon telling his story. Vernon has a sad story to tell but it is the story spun by Nelson that carries real details of his life. And Nelson’s story rings the most authentic.

“Pretty Paper” is a book similar in style, length and tone to a Mitch Albom novel told with a Willie Nelson sensibility. It’s deep on sentimentality and noble intentions. But it’s also a very readable book.

“Pretty Paper” is a quick read for any time of year, Christmas or otherwise.