Business & Tech

Carlsbad Author Writes 'Gross' Bathroom Humor Booked For Pre-Teen Boys

Rich Grudman tells about book recently ranked in the top 20 on Amazon.com.

Rich Grudman, a Carlsbad resident and father of two recently self-published his first book, "The Essence of EEEW," a funny and gross book for middle school boys.

Carlsbad Patch asked Grudman to tell us more about the book that was recently ranked in the top 20 on Amazon.com and why he decided to write about topics that make most people say, "ewwww!"

Carlsbad Patch: 
Tell us about your book.

"The Essence of EEEW" is a funny yet gross poetry book about farts, poop, boogers, vomit and other bathroom related antics. It is presented in the spirit of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. This is the kind of book that people will open because of the title and be captivated by the content...a little bit of, “I can’t believe there is a book like this” and a little bit of, “That’s happened to me too!”  The humor is timeless and subject matter is relatable to everyday regular people.  "The Essence of EEEW" will make readers smile and want to read more. It is most fun when read aloud. The book is 108 pages and consists of poems, most of which are mini stories. It is perfect pick me up reading; it’s quick, easy and fun. Although the subject matter is “two scoops of yuck,” this book is “PG-13” and does not cross over to raunchy or address any topics or use language that would make it “R”. 

I am not aware of any other books that cover bathroom humor in this fashion. Most books that could be categorized as similar are encyclopedic in nature. “The Essence of EEEW” tells mini stories that people will relate to and visualize.

Carlsbad Patch: 
Why did you decide to write this book?

I had a hard time finding books for my middle school age son that could keep his attention and interest. Like many other boys his age, I noticed that he found poop jokes fun.  I consistently saw this in the TV shows and movies that that he likes. When I went to the bookstore and library to find things for him to read…most stuff was uninteresting to him and too long to keep his attention. When I started writing this, I tried out the material on my family. My wife was hesitant but supportive, my son loved it and my fifth grade daughter also surprisingly seemed to really enjoy them. She was even inspired to start writing her own stories and poems. I’m always looking for ways to make my kids laugh and think…to me that is an important part of my relationship with them. This project helped me do both. As for me…my career is in IT Management, which as you can imagine is not usually a laugh fest. I must admit that I didn’t just write this only for the kids. It may have started off that way, but I do find this stuff amusing. That part isn’t really unbelievable…who could come up with a book of poop poems if they didn’t find it enjoyable themself? My dream job as a kid was to be a writer for Saturday Night Live, but that didn’t happen…so here I am now taking a shot. 

Carlsbad Patch: 
Is writing your full time job?

I am in IT Management…So yes writing is a big part of what I do, but not writing like this. For work I mostly write project charters and business justification documents. I was an English major in college and have always been drawn to interesting creative writing. My favorite author is Charles Bukowski. 

Carlsbad Patch: What else do you want Patch readers to know? 
The Essence of EEEW is available on amazon.com 


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