It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books is a 1988 American road film written, produced, and directed by Richard Linklater, who also stars in it.

Plot

The protagonist (played by Linklater) receives a cassette tape from a friend, with a recorded message encouraging him to "blow off school" and leave Austin. The protagonist goes about his daily activities, including shooting a gun from his window. He gets on a train and after a long journey, meets his friend in Missoula, Montana. They visit Glacier National Park and walk through town, before the protagonist leaves to visit West Coast cities such as San Francisco, also by train. He arrives back in Austin, only to travel to a family reunion and his mother's house. Finally, the protagonist returns to Austin once again.

Production

Richard Linklater began making short films upon moving to Austin, Texas in the late 1980s, where he also began running the Austin Film Society. The film was shot on Super 8 film over the course of a year.

Release

The film never received a widespread release, but was made available as a bonus feature on the DVD and Blu-ray release of Linklater's film Slacker (1990) by The Criterion Collection.