Bud Shrake
A Texas literary outlaw who turned a simple golf coach's notes into the best-selling sports book ever published.
1931–2009 (age 78)·American writer·Birthday: September 6·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bud Shrake was a central figure in the loose collective of Texas writers known as the Mad Dogs, a hard-living crew that included Dan Jenkins and Larry L. King. His career sprawled across newspapers, novels, and Hollywood screenplays, but his legacy was cemented by a friendship. Golf coach Harvey Penick had spent decades scribbling advice in a red notebook; Shrake recognized its homespun wisdom and helped shape it into 'Harvey Penick's Little Red Book.' Its unprecedented success surprised everyone, making a technical sport feel personal and profound. Shrake's own novels, like 'Strange Peaches,' captured the dark, satirical undercurrents of Texas society. He moved through the worlds of sports, politics, and film with a wry detachment, leaving behind a body of work that defined a certain rugged, intelligent Texas sensibility.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bud was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bud Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Bud's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Died at 78
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Co-authored 'Harvey Penick's Little Red Book,' which became the best-selling sports book in publishing history.
- Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame for his contributions to screenwriting.
- Received the Lon Tinkle Award for lifetime achievement from the Texas Institute of Letters.
- Wrote the screenplay for the 1972 sports film 'J.W. Coop,' starring Cliff Robertson.
Did You Know?
He was a close friend and frequent collaborator of journalist Dan Jenkins.
Shrake was once hired by Rolling Stone magazine to cover the Ali-Foreman 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight in Zaire.
He briefly worked as a speechwriter for presidential candidate George McGovern.
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