Book Synopsis
Tiki Solitaire: Paintings & Cocktail Napkin Reflections
By Tony Arnold
Part memoir, part fever dream, part illustrated field guide to a subculture most people only think they understand — Tiki Solitaire is the sequel to Notes From Flake Harbor in the Whisanant Mythos, and it doesn't so much tell a story as pour you one.
Writing under his alter ego Dr. Crabbe Rangoon, "Tiki Misanthropologist" and self-described veteran of a hundred forum bannings, Arnold blends genuine expertise on the exotica revival — Donn Beach, Trader Vic, Martin Denny, and the craft-cocktail canon — with surreal, R-rated flashback narratives that veer from small-town Southern bars to interdimensional strip clubs without ever losing their footing (or their sense of humor). Original paintings punctuate the text throughout, the visual counterpart to a voice that's equal parts barstool philosopher, disgraced cultural critic, and unrepentant provocateur.
This is not a coffee-table Tiki book. It's for readers who want their exotica history served with teeth — opinionated, profane, occasionally profound, and never, ever polite. If you've ever wanted to know the difference between authentic Tiki and the fake stuff from someone who's lived (and been thrown out of) both worlds, pour a mai tai and pull up a stool.
Not for the easily offended. Perfect for everyone else.