Tennessee Books

So much of the critical reaction to the work of Tennessee Williams was colored by the prevailing social attitudes toward homosexuality. Michael Pallers GENTLEMEN CALLERS: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, HOMOSEXUALITY, AND MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY DRAMA provides a fascinating critical study of Williamss work in the context of his sexual orientation and the particular time in which he lived. In the 50s he was criticized for being too gay. By the 1970s, he was criticized for being not gay enough and was labeled as a self-loather. Mr. Pallers book puts the arguments into perspective and provides a calm, well-documented argument that Williams never denied that he was gay and never wrote male characters disguised as females. He presented the American theatre of the 1950s only unapologetically gay character in CAMINO REAL. While the unsavory homosexual character in his grim 1970 play SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS was such a smoking gun for the scathing criticism of Williams from gay critics, Paller convincingly argues that the heterosexual characters in that play fare no better.

Parts of the book I consider brilliant, especially the section analyzing Williams's neglected one-act "Something Unspoken," which portrays a power struggle between two latent lesbians. (Now I want to see this play performed!) This section alone makes the book essential reading for any serious scholar of Williams's work, but the whole book offers one eye-opening passage after another. I would highly recommend this book to any theatre artist planning to direct or act in a Williams play as well as to lovers of Williams's work in general. Five stars.

Gentlemen Callers is a penetrating look at the work of Tennessee Williams in the context of his homosexuality and the pervasive homophobia in the midst of which he grew up and created some of the most moving and significant works of drama in the English language. Gentlemen Callers describes in all its chilling reality the emergence of intense homophobia in the mid-20th century, intentionally fostered by government agencies, and discusses how this homophobia impacted his life and his work. Author Paller makes a particular effort to point out the wrongmidedness of latter day gay liberationist critics who pilloried Williams for supposedly creating characters from an internalized homophobia, criticism which failed to appreciate the process of artistic creation and the characters themselves in their dramatic settings. Paller analyzes a number of the most developmentally significant of Williams' plays in the light of the homosexuality that was such an important motif in his oeuvre. Gentlemen Callers is an engaging study, and the most substantial examination of this writer in the context of the homosexuality that so signficantly informed his work.

This book is kind of a mixture. Partly it's a biographical sketch of Tennesee Williams, partly it's a review of the struggles gay and lesbian people had during the 1940's and '50's, partly it's an analysis of the homosexuality in Williams plays, partly it's an analysis of the critics writing about his plays. And all of that is a lot to put in one rather small book.

Strangely enough, even with all that in the book, Mr. Paller pulls it off quite well. He is able to describe the gay-bashing of the time, and the tremendous internal struggles that this created in Williams. His descriptions of the critics analysis of the plays tells us a lot about the critics themselves, more about them than the plays.

It's too much to say that this is a book that you can't put down. Instead I found it's a book that you read for a while, and then you want to think about what you've read before you go on.

Tennessee Williams is probably America's foremost playwright. Some like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire and more are still among the best plays ever done. The anguish in the writer in facing first his own discovery of his homosexuality and then finding it in the opressive eyes of the time make for quite a story.

Going Down Jericho Road is an excellent history of the sanitation workers' strike in Memphis and Martin Luther King's involvement in the spreading of the social gospel among America's poor. Michael Honey uses a lot of first-person recollections to bring this story to life and to unearth the racism and classism that defined so much of the nation, not just Memphis, in the 1960s. Behind this excellent tale are ongoing nagging questions. How would we react to the same situation today? Which side would we have supported in 1968? Have things really changed that much in forty years?

In Memphis, we now have a very visible middle class African American community with a black mayor and most public offices held by African Americans. Does this serve to mask the injustices which still plague the poor in this and many other communities? Has the rise of the middle class made the working poor and unemployed even more invisible? Is there any more community now between the white and black communities than there was in 1968?

I don't pretend to have definitive answers to these questions. However, just asking the questions and considering them in light of Michael Honey's historic journal makes one look twice at the comforts we enjoy in this world. If all books could get the reader thinking along these lines, this would be a much better world.

This might be the finest book written on Martin Luther King: it certainly is the best one that I have read about him. Honey is a splendid writer, with a style that I find more accessible than Taylor Branch's. No doubt that Branch has written the seminal history of King and his times, but his writing can become tedious due to too much detail and meandering sentences.

Honey is an award-winning historian who has written two previous excellent books that demonstrate his skill as an oral historian. The outstanding feature of this book is the numerous interviews he conducted with important figures, which keep the book always absorbing.

King receives much attention, but Honey shows that the Memphis strike was led by local workers and union officials who were fighting to escape the living hell of dangerous working conditions (the strike grew out of the deaths of two sanitation workers who were mangled in a malfunctioning garbage truck when they sought shelter from a rainstorm).

In addition to the stories about the local workers and organizers, King is portrayed as an important influence who was struggling with internal fighting among black civil rights groups, includng the NAACP, the Urban League, SCLC, and SNCC, the FBI, Lyndon Johnson, who was angered by King's anti-war proclamations, and most whites who thought King was moving too fast. Any reader who questions King's leadership and selflessness, needs to read this book to have those views dispelled.

Ultimately, the Memphis strike paved the way for labor improvements throughout the South.

This superb book should be considered for all major book prizes. For King scholars, it is essential and for all other informed readers, it is an excellent narrative of King and his times.

As one who lived through the history recalled in this book,I found it excellent.It is great to read a book in which you personally knew all the people written about and recall all the events.Michael Honey has done an excelllent job.I highly recommend this book to all students of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King jr. Especially I recommend it to all residents of Memphis and Tennessee.May we never allow this history to repeat itself

I have other books on Appalachia folklore, and this is at the top of the list. It's fun, colorful, and gives you the creeps! Like the late Charles Edwin Price, Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have compiled a rich array of stories from East Tennessee; the perfect book to read -- whether to yourself or to others -- on those "dark, stormy nights."

This is a great book I love ghost stories and think they are really good I read this book about 5 times and was scared eveery time! (a REALLy good book will do that u know!!)

First of all, I like ghost stories rooted in history and place. All 25 stories in this collection are wonderful examples of folklore and of the people of the Cumberland and Blue Ridge mountains of Tennessee. You can almost touch the trees in the forest and hear the water moving over rocks. Did you know you can tell your future by counting the number of seeds in an apple? One story here tells you how. More importantly for me as professional storyteller, I found the authors had a very good ear for dialogue and *voice*. I havealready used two of the stories, Footprints in The Snow (Pigeon Forge)-- and the title story Granny Curse, and both met with very good success! Great for reading aloud -- but don't read them alone at night.

I first read this book 35 years ago, while in college. I kept a paperback copy all these years, re-reading it every few years. I just finished it again, and found that, as I grow older, I see it from a different perspective, and come away with a different message. The Green Kingdom has more depth than any book I have read in my lifetime. I love it, and am happy to have found a new printing before my paperback fell apart!

I too read "The Green Kingdom" long ago in paperback, loaned it to all my friends until it finally fell apart! Its magical atmosphere stayed with me, and when Amazon.com offered the possibility of looking for it, I jumped! and was so pleased to find the new edition (expensive though it is). Read this book and enter into a totally new world that combines a new landscape, music, love and loss, resembling ours in many ways, but exotically different too.

The Green Kingdom is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. To think that this book was written by a young author and it was begun in 1912, her perceptions of people is very mature. The relationships are varied and real and the descriptions she gives of the Green Kingdom allows you to completely recreate every animal and plant in your own mind. I recommend this book to everyone whom I know likes to read. I would like to thank Nancy Walker for reprinting Mrs Maddux' work for a new generation. I first read the book in 1969, many times, loaned it out and never got it back. I spent the next 20 years trying to find another copy. Thanks to Ms Walker's reprints, I was able to locate one at the Strand in NY and now I have purchased one from Amazon.com. I never want to be without one in my possession again.

I have used the Harbrace College Handbook for 31 years. My first was the 5th Edition, which I keep on the top in one of my desk drawers. I used it throughout college. I bought this edition for my father, who gave me the first one, and seems to have lost his own copy (he's 86!). This edition is much thicker than the 5th one -- these books are not exactly "reading material," but a reference guide; so I haven't read it from cover to cover. This book comes with a computer CD to install the entire book on your computer.

I have been using it for years, also - and when I lose it, I feel as though I've lost my right arm! (Oh, OK, well maybe as though I've lost my purse or something!) In fact, this paragraph is probably filled with grammatical and style errors because I can't find my Harcourt Brace (that's what it used to be called)! :- )

Excellent reference if it is necessary to constantly bibliograph infomation off the internet and other electronic sources

"Hidden Tennessee" like all the other Hidden books are really great for the traveler looking for something different. In our travels, we always attempt to avoid the commonplace and crowds, and the Hidden guides help us find the unusual.

I purchased this book as a birthday gift for my son-in-law who is an avid hiker and prefers naturalist areas that are less traveled. He was very pleased with the content in this book

We used this book to tour the whole state of Tennessee for our Anniversary. Every time we went to a "hidden" recommendation, we found exactly what the book said. We were never disappointed. We also used the AAA book of Tennessee. "Hidden" gave us a better idea of things to do and see. It had general descriptions of areas in addition to city information. We only used the AAA book when we wanted to stay in a chain hotel. The "Hidden" book only suggest non-chain lodging

Jacona is the story of the Mestas family's experiences and love for New Mexico, especially Jacona, in the early years of Spanish exploration and colonization of the new world. Jacona has everything: adventure, hardship, battles, romance, family, politics and religion - a well rounded view of Spanish life and customs in the harsh but beautiful terrain of New Mexico. Growing up in Jacona myself, I was deeply touched by the story which brought to life a bit of my history and reinforced my opinion that Jacona is and always has been one of the most beautiful and enchanting places on earth.

This is an excellent novel that was very well researched. The author knows his history and apparently thought this one through before putting pen to paper. Highly recommended!!

This novel is very well researched. It covers the early Spanish settlements in Mexico and New Mexicao from 1540-1680, and is the story of a fictional family based on the author's own ancestors. The writing is formal and somewhat stiff, but many times you can't put it down. And I learned a lot.

Blues music fans who enjoy solid writing and insights will relish JOOK RIGHT ON: BLUES STORIES AND BLUES STORYTELLERS, a survey of blues life from oral stories collected by person for thirty years, told in blues musicians' own words. Pearson interviewed over a hundred such musicians, and JOOK RIGHT ON introduces their experiences in sections that cover learning blues music and styles, working in the blues world, and living the blues. The first-person narrations provide an intimacy third-person reporting could never equal and make JOOK RIGHT ON an important addition to the vast realm of blues literature.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"Jook Right On" is described by the author as a "blues quilt," a collection of anecdotes told by blues men and women. Loosely organized by subject, the result is a closely interwoven chorus of authentic voices that achieves the honesty and clarity of the blues itself.

You may not recognize half the names of the storytellers, but you cannot help but know their humanity.

Years ago, Barry Lee Pearson wrote about the storytelling tradition that is a big part of blues music. In his first books, he documented and presented good stories by numerous blues players. This book is widens the scope of his previous work. It is a collection of numerous stories from well over 25 years of his own research. After an interesting introduction, the book consists of stories about a range of factors that are relevant to the blues musicians' lives. He includes interview material from some fairly prominent blues musicians, but many of the musicians are not the more famous artists. They all offer important histories and memories about playing, and it's interesting to read about their accounts of blues legends such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Howling Wolf, Robert Johnson, and other better known players. The stories are compelling reading. I especially like the descriptions of how the blues players got their start, and I found it especially interesting how many of them had parents who discouraged them from playing. There are also great descriptions of jook joints, house parties, and life on the road, all of which provide a fine context for understanding blues. It is particularly interesting how the stories are simply presented as interesting texts. Many of them read like great short stories and have an inherent interest on their own. If readers want to find more about the music and musicians, they can consult the excellent bibliographic materials that Pearson provides.

Ladies of Legend: Finding Home by Janet Eaves, Magdalena Scott, Maddie James & Jan Scarbrough

The town of Legend Tennessee has been brought to vibrant life by these four wonderful authors.

From a picturesque downtown to a beautiful lake, the settings only enhance the stories of the residents of Legend Tennessee. From the town hero/football coach to the owner of the local Bed and Breakfast, the residents find true love no matter how hard they fight against it.

Whether trying to get a new start on life or to preserve your way of living, the residents that make up Legend Tennessee make you feel like you are coming home.

Heart warming stories with plenty of spice make this book an extremely enjoyable read and I recommend it highly. It's definitely going on my keeper shelf.

The authors of the anthology, Ladies of Legend: Finding Home wanted to share a review from Coffee Time Romance. You can find the entire review at the Coffee Time Romance website.

5 Cups for Ladies of Legend: Finding Home

Ladies of Legend: Finding Home are four terrific stories by four great talented women. I like the way the ladies are not all young spring gals but instead mature ladies. These delightful stories are sure to please any reader. The banter, wit and simmering romanceadds to some great creativity behind the minds of four gifted artists. I was spellbound with
every turn of the page. The story allows the reader to feel a part of Legend, TN and it is such a lovely town that just blooms with love everywhere the ladies of Legend step.

Whatever you do, do not miss this extraordinary read that is a rare and precious gem indeed!

Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

This is beautiful! Four wonderful, sweet novellas about finding love and hope in a small town. These enchanting tales will leave you feeling good and thinking about the people of Legend, Tennessee long after you've closed the book.

The four stories are...

--"Claiming the Legend" by Janet Eaves... Lilly Peach is running from something so frightening it finally takes a whole town to cover her back.

--"Midnight in Legend, TN" by Magdalena Scott... Lovely Midnight Shelby finds Legend on the Internet after becoming tired of being one of her now ex-husband's "beautiful things."

--"Bed, Breakfast, and You" by Maddie James... Suzie Schul finds home only when the "fling" she had many months earlier shows up with a plan on her B&B doorstep.

--"The Reunion Game" by Jan Scarbrough... Plain Jane Smith reunites with her long lost love by playing a game of "bait and switch" with her famous twin sister.

Prof. Moore has for many years been one of the best academic scholars of American Freemasonry. His reseach is now at long last in published form. I can not recommend this book high enough. He now offically joins such other great academic scholars as Bullock, Jacob, and Clawson. This is what Masonic history ought to be and how it should be written.

MASONIC TEMPLES provides an excellent introduction to the structures American Freemasons erected over the sixty-year period from 1870 to 1930, analyzing their design, construction, and history and considering the surrounding milieu of Masonic sects and American culture of the times. This is a pivotal title recommended for any collection which already holds some more general Masonic titles: it offer analysis of four sets of Masonic ritual spaces and provides fine details on Masonic beliefs, rituals and architecture.

Masonic temples with external and internal features to evoke King Solomon's temple in ancient Jerusalem built throughout New York state from 1870 to 1930 were intended to "anchor [Freemasons] within a cognitive framework as they faced the existential crisis of being American men" in this period of profound, challenging, and often perplexing cultural change. New York state serves as an instructive example of the architecture of Masonic temples throughout the United States and the types of rituals and other activities they were built for because of this state's diversity embracing urban, suburban, and rural areas. The author is also familiar with New York Freemasonry from his one-time position as director of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library in New York City, though he is not himself a Mason. This Masonic Library also contains an incomparable amount of Masonic literature for study. The main chambers of a Masonic lodge are built and furnished to define--and thus to anchor--different facets of masculinity as these are recognized by the different stages of Freemasonry's initiations and rituals. The four principle chambers known as the Masonic lodge room, armory and drill room of the Knights Templar, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Shriners' mosque correspond respectively to the masculine facets of the heroic artisan, the holy warrior, the wise man, and the jester. Moore moves back and forth from physical aspects of these rooms, the relationship of these aspects to the different facets of masculinity, and how Masonic rituals, lore, values, and practices work to define these aspects and keep them in proper balance in the formation of the ideal Freemason.