Tennessee Books

History can suffer at the hands of its practitioners, but that is certainly not the case here. Lytle can write and Forrest is the beneficiary of his talent. Lytle seeks to communicate the essence of the man and his time and largely succeeds. Although a vivid portrait of Forrest the man emerges, my one word impression of Forrest after reading this book is Warrior! I found it hard to put down. But I wouldn't want to run in to him in a dark alley wearing a Yankee uniform!

Cunning as the Devil was Nathan Bedford Forrest and this book indicates just how quick and clever this military genius was. Little wonder then that Lee considered this dark knight to be his finest soldier, above even the legendary Stonewall Jackson.

Andrew Lytle was the dean of Southern writers, and in this work -- one of his earliest -- he not only brought to life America's greatest military figure, but an age and a people as well. It was Lytle's aim to make the times of Nathan Bedford Forrest come alive for the reader. He devoted himself to intensive research of the Tennessee where Forrest was born and the Mississippi where he lived.

In reading this book we not only learn about the marvellous -- indeed, often incredible -- feats of a military genius, but we learn at the same time about the people, the places, the morals, the values, and the way of life of a people long gone now. (Lytle's subsequent book, A Wake for the Living, deals more pointedly with how much of the good of those days we have lost.)

This book, although a worthy history, reads like a novel. It truly is one that is hard to put down once you get started.

I never fully appreciated the intellect of Forrest until I finished this book. It peels away the myths about the man, and tells about what he was really like. I loved it, and often flip around in it from time to time. A must for Civil War buffs!

In terms of his impact on modern warfare, no general of the Civil War had more than Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Not Grant, not Lee, not Longstreet or Sherman. This is the man. No less a general than Erwin Rommel studied Forrest's tactics and implemented them with modern weaponry when his Afrika Korps marched all over Libya and Egypt in World War II.

The reason I say this book isn't for the "politically correct" is that it was written some 70 years ago, by a man of the old South who obviously idolized Forrest and everything he stood for. As you know already, not everything Forrest stood for was good. He was 100 years ahead of his time as a soldier, but stuck in 1860 in his personal beliefs.

But...getting into the book. He was a brilliant commander who never had enough men under his command to turn the war in the South's favor. Still, he was a hero to the people of the Tennessee river valley where he won most of his victories, with good reason. When the Union troops overran these areas and placed them under military rule, Forrest made sure they treated the citizens decently. Once he even saved a group of innocent men from a flaming death at the hands of vengeful Union soldiers whom he was defeating in battle. Reading these and other stories makes you understand why he was such a hero to the author, who would have heard first-hand accounts of Forrest's exploits.

Lytle believes that the South would have won the war if Forrest had been placed in command of the main Confederate army in the west, and he's probably right. Forrest was an extraordinary individual who had more impact on the 20th century than any other Civil War general.

"It had its Broadway premiere on March 19,1953, at the Martin Beck Theatre. The production was directed by Elia Kazan, with the assitance of Anna Sokolow."

Yes, perhaps I'm biased, because I was in this play at my university and so the characters were all too real for me because my friends were playing them, but I really loved this story. The symbolism is just great and there's a lot of food for thought. Many people who came to see our production didn't understand the work, and I must admit, it is obscure and fairly difficult to understand. Don't let that get in your way. This is a must read, if only because of those cooky and creepy street cleaners, and a bunch of cameos by some very famous characters.

all i have to say is:

make voyages, attempt them, there's nothing else

Anyone expecting Camino Real to be anything like the other plays Tennessee Williams wrote during the same period, such as Summer and Smoke or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, will be puzzled. This is unlike anything else Williams wrote; it's nonlinear, overtly symbolic, lacking a conventional plot, and filled with images that don't make literal sense even as they speak directly to the subconscious. I think it could be Williams' most brilliant work, but others will prefer his more accessible plays and I don't dispute that. "Camino Real" is unusual and will not be for everyone.

In the play Williams deals with end-of-life issues in a very stark way; he also explores how a person's own fears can keep him or her from moving beyond the comfort of the familiar into unknown territory. I have to confess: I read the play after seeing it and being bowled over by the production (at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington), and the question may be whether those who haven't seen it will find it equally powerful just to read it. This is a case where I think they may; the plays' symbols and images come alive in the imagination. Even if you don't like it, you'll find it thoughtful and challenging.

Its surrealistic "dream within a dream" stylings makes "Camino Real" (pronounced "Kam-uh-no Reel") one of Tennessee Williams' more difficult plays to read (e.g., Don Quixote and Lord Byron both pass through the Camino Real - a weigh station for lost souls). However, this play (which I first encountered in a college literature class when I was 24), more so than any of his other works, offers us the biggest glimpse into Williams's soul.

For my money, the theme of this play is coming to terms with the thought of growing older and possibly becoming irrelevant/obsolete. For Williams, such concepts terrified him on both professional and personal levels: (a) he wrote this play at a time when his "star" had already fallen, and he was no longer the "golden boy" of Broadway; (b) additionally, Williams was an aging member of the homosexual community (which emphasizes youth and beauty to a fault). Thus, as he explores such themes, Williams (whether intentional or not) offers us a ringside view into his fears and emotions as he wrestles with such inevitabilities and resolves to look for reasons to remain positive about life regardless.

Side note: on a lyrical level, the play is filled with dialogue that is at times poetic (e.g., "Make voyages!- Attempt them! - there is nothing else.")

Not necessarily easy reading, but definitely worth reading!

Wow!!! What a powerful, inspiring piece of work. I had the pleasure of meeting Lucas Johnson and Mr. Montgomery while touring Alex Haley's museum approximately 3 years ago and words could never express the emotions I felt being a part of history in the home of Alex Haley. Prior to the tour, I had been briefed of a great guy named Lucas who wrote a book about Alex Haley; however I had not been given the full story (or I may not have been listening carefully). The moment I entered Alex's home and met Mr. Montgomery (and Lucas), I began to cry uncontrollably for reasons at the time that I could not explain. I was speechless, breathless, and moved by all around me including Lucas. After taking the tour and fully understanding Mr. Montgomery, Alex Haley, and Lucas' role in this entire project, I began to "Find The Great" in all they had done to make this world a better place. Throughout the book, Lucas passionately touches on many things: Challenges of overcoming racism, slavery, the power of faith (God) and love, education, the importance of family and friends, strength, courage, and Finding the Good. Lucas not only speaks to the challenges Mr. Montgomery faced growing up as the son of a sharecropper, but he also speaks truthfully about his own challenges. One of the greatest take-a-ways that Lucas demonstrates in the book is that "Nothing is too big" and we must "Find the Good" in EVERYTHING including ourselves. Outstanding work on your part Lucas and I am forever grateful and blessed to have met such an inspiring, focused, and determined person like you. Thanks for sharing your stories, but most importantly, thanks for continuing to focus on the things that matter most that impact our lives and our communities. Thanks for being YOU!

I picked up this volume thinking it wasn't really "my kind of book," but I was pleasantly surprised by the author's genuine account of Fred Montgomery, the son of a sharecropper, who went on to become mayor of Henning, Tennessee. Along the way he also inserts vignettes from his own life. The parallels are effective in helping the book appeal to readers of several generations.

In Montgomery's days, a big challenge was overcoming the oppression of racism. He also went through the pain of losing a child, and some other relatives through a couple of accidents. He battled depression for a time and even attempted suicide twice. Gen-X Johnson had to deal with a rough neighborhood, where drugs and crime were commonplace. He also describes a college pregnancy scare and the substance abuse rampant in his own family.

At times, the writing borders on the cusp of preachy, with frequent Bible quotes, but because the author is so forthcoming, direct, and unabashedly optimistic, he largely avoids that fate. Montgomery, who was a contemporary of Roots author Alex Haley, has a universal and inspiring life story. Besides, it's hard to come up with too much criticism of a book called Finding the Good.

What can I say but that this work is magnificant. Mr. Johnson not only writes candidly and truthfully, but compassionatly/passionately about the relationship shared with Mr. Montgomery. Readers can not help but be wrapped up in the warmth and tenderness of his words and sentiment. Not only does Mr. Johnson tell us of a story about the transforming power of faith and love, but he tells us a story rich with history and culture. Bravo to you Mr. Johnson. I look forward to reading your next powerful and motivating novel.

I appreciated the biography of Malcolm X. I believe Finding the Good to be of importance to not only Alex Haley fans, but to anyone who has a sense of passion for making this world a better place. I loved Finding the Good simply because it is genuine; nothing is fake or contrived. Lucas Johnson's writing flows, and through his art, there shouts spirituality and love. I am neither religious nor Black, yet Mr. Johnson's book succeeds because I came to care warts and all about Fred Montgomery, a "twentieth-century slave" and childhood friend of Mr. Haley; I felt Mr. Montgomery's pain, anger, and joy. I'd like to think that I am better for having read Finding the Good. Kudos, Mr. Johnson.

This was definitely a different kind of book for me. Part biography part cathartic journey for both the writer AND the reader.

I'm the grandson of a sharecropper and I enjoyed the glimpse into the similar lifestyle that I'm sure were aspects of my grandfather's life. That life was tough enough for him without the additional struggles of 20th century racial injustices that Fred Montgomery had to deal with.

I'm glad that invoking the memory of Alex Haley was not overly done, because Fred Montgomery's story deserved the attention that was given here. Fred was "coincidentally" a contemporary of Haley's. Haley was wise enough to recognize the "every-man" quality of Montgomery AND the Providential actions in Fred's life.

The spiritual side of Fred's story at times seemed Job-like but with shades of justice ala Dickens' "Great Expectations".

That generation's faith is sadly hard to find in my own.

Now the literary device used by Johnson (let me be honest here...I work with him) to insert his own journey at the end of each chapter was interesting...because it had the effect of causing me to compare my own life with Fred's accomplishments.

That was a mistake, Fred's pretty accomplished, most folks would come off pretty poor as I did. (Successful Farmer, Hunter, Husband, Father, Plumber, Mayor, & Museum Curator)

A nice legacy for Fred Montgomery would be putting this book into the hands of a young 12 or 13 year old at risk kid, IF you can't make the drive to Henning and talk to the man yourself.

Tennessee Williams is so well-known for other plays like "The Glass Menagerie" and "Streetcar Named Desire" that one like me not terribly familiar with him, except via his reputation for overwrought Southern Gothic drama, approaches this collection of Williams' lesser-known plays from his major period with trepidation.

"Four Plays" is pretty Gothic, and sometimes overwrought, but it makes for a pretty immersive read, not to mention a tough-love rollercoaster for the human condition.

Up first is "Summer And Smoke" (1948), a tale of a raucous young medical student and the girl next door who has pined for him since childhood. Right away you get that you are in the hands of an unusual playwright in Williams, who gives very detailed instructions on dressing the set, including which constellations should be projected on the overhead cyclorama during evening scenes and what colors the actors should wear.

Williams is just as controlling with his characterizations. Alma is a sincere, spiritually-inclined woman who tries to bring order to her household, hostage to a crazy mama who spitefully embarrasses Alma and her minister father. John also teases Alma, with talk of sex, yet a curious qualm holds him back from the ravishment he knows could be his at his pleasure: "Many's the time I've looked across at the Rectory and wondered if it would be worth trying, you and me..." That yard's worth of distance is the substance and the tragedy of this curious, arresting play.

The other three plays develop similar dialogues between intimacy and loss. Nowhere in this book does that come out more hot and heavy than "Orpheus Descending" (1957), a play which Williams in an introduction explains was a decades-long labor of love which he never gave up on. In a small southern town, gossip travels quickly, especially when a mysterious man takes a job at a general store owned by a dying man and his wife, who suspects her husband had something to do with the long-ago murder of her father. It all boils up rather quickly and unconvincingly, even for Williams where a certain suspension of disbelief is helpful. Still, you keep reading.

"Suddenly Last Summer" (1958) is the most recognized title, though more for me from the Motels' hit song in 1983. It's a more subtle but just as ripping dramatic piece as "Orpheus". A batty rich widow tries to have her niece lobotomized to destroy her memory of how the widow's son died in Mexico. "My son, Sebastian, was chaste," she declares. "I was the only one in his life who satisfied the demands he made of people."

Sebastian wasn't exactly Ivory Snow-pure, of course, and in the widow's many daiquiri-fueled discursions there's both poignancy and hilarity. Definitely surreal, "Suddenly Last Summer" probably plays better on the page than the stage, as the major plot comes entirely in eyewitness narrative.

"Period Of Adjustment" (1960), the final and last-written of these plays, is my favorite in the crowd, a Christmas tale of domestic dysfunction that plays out as a subdued comedy of manners. A newlywed couple shows up at the door of the groom's Air Force buddy. The honeymoon, it turns out, was over before it started.

Williams sets up a rich satire of middle-class life. The groom fantasizes about raising Texas longhorn cattle, not for beef, but for herding on television. His pal is on the outs with his own wife for a variety of reasons, including the fact he fears she is raising their son to be a sissy by buying him dolls. Williams plays against his M.O. by showcasing a talent for lower-register exposition, realistic dialogue instead of soliloquy, and gentle, effective comedy throughout.

There may not really be a Williams M.O. Sure, there's neurotic women and beefy satyr-like men on display here, but reading these four plays reveals a master of multiple facets, too virtuosic for easy stereotyping. Flawed as they may be, "Four Plays" presents a pretty strong argument for people like me to take Tennessee more seriously.

How beautiful is Tennessee Williams? Consider his affections for his characters. Consider his appreciative and sensuous representations of his Southerness. Consider his status as a male writer whose female characters are the ambitions of American actresses. Arthur Miller, David Mamet and Sam Shepard, all members of the select American Giants Canon, cannot say so much. Edward Albee and Eugene O'Neill also gift wonderful women's parts, but nobody shares the trauma of fagility in a bruising world like Tennessee Williams.
This collection of some of his lesser known works serves as a wonderful entrée to his milieu and brilliance.
Summer and Smoke is a classic of his lesser known plays; a lifetime's changes for Alma and John takes place over a year, where the longings and passions of two people diametrically driven by the spirit and the flesh are danced about: bad timing, self-hatred, the tasks of responsibilities to one's parents, all serve as a foil for something marvelous, and in so doing illuminate the simple and monumental difficulties of love and hope.
Orpheus Descending is the tale of Val Xavier's perilous trip into the fiery heart of a Southern small town, where outsiders are not welcome and sexuality will be burned by the fears of a violent community. Val's stimulation of the hatred and passion inside Lady and the sensuous inspiration of Carol spark the town's leading "citizens" to attack and subdue the whimsy of youth and the hopefulness of true connections. Highlighted by a very expressionistic set design, Williams offers his characters up as martyrs to the truth and the risk of emotional attachment.
Suddenly Last Summer is a shorter piece, a long lone-act that proves a swift example of everything Williamsian. Essentially an expositional exercise in suspense, its tale is of a young doctor's visit to the estate of a wealthy Southern matron (Aunt Venable), who wants to endow the doctor's experiments with lobotomies. Her niece has been acting out and spreading a horrible story about Aunt Venable's son Sebastian and the trauma of the tale is enough to propose a lobotomy for Catherine, her erratic niece. Ultimately the horrific story is revealed, and presents Williams' penchant for extreme people in extreme circumstances and the volatility of being openly and actively indifferent to society's norms and codes of silence.
Period of Adjustment is an odd piece, even for Williams. Of all the plays of his I've read (which is not all of them), it's the only full length piece that has a happy ending. Ironic too as it is about two married couples (never a sub-cultural group to fare well in his work) and the crossing dialogues of a husband from one and a wife from another, frequently about the loathing they feel for their mates. It is subtitled ;or, High Point over a Cavern, no doubt a metaphor for the nature of romance and relationships, marriage and fidelity. It would be a treat to see this performed, as it features a smaller cast than a usual Williams play and has an air of mild charm infused with the banter of tense marriages, and doesn't have the frequent emotionally broken, clipped-wing dreamers associated with the mighty Tennessee.
This publication's plays are not necessarily the same as the Dramatists Plays or Samuel French series, as those represent productions scripts, are usually cut and feature stage directions and set designs that may be specific to that rendering.
Also included in the collection are essays on Summer and Smoke's evolution from Eccentricities of a Nightingale to it's final version. There is also an essay on Williams and another on Battle of Angels becoming Orpheus Descending.
Essential reading for actors, directors and lover of great American literature. Williams is a giant and needs to be read, if one cannot see his art live on stage.

Although I bought this book just for a quick read of Suddenly Last Summer but found all of the other plays in this volume to be delights in their own respect. Each has their ups and downs, but all are undeniably in the style of Tennessee Williams. I think this book is a must read for any true Tennessee fan as it give any reader a fuller look into the style that is Tennessee.

Of the plays that I read, I found them all to have real life aplications. One of the suprising things was that his works were written several years ago but there are still points that he raises that are aplicable to today. Honestly I could not go to bed until I found out how he resolved his conflicts. I will have to read more of his work. He is not that bad for being an english paper topic.

Tennesse Williams has become of my favorite authors, partially due to this book. I have long been a fan of the movie adaptations of his work, but they come nowhere near to the superb quality of the written word. In all of his plays you can get a sense of what the characters are feeling. In most cases those feelings are angst and despair. "Suddenly Last Summer" is by far the best play in this book, but the others are not far behind. The characters in these plays are easy to "see", thanks to Williams' wonderful development. As with every Williams' play, these have surprising twists and revelations throughout. I highly recommend these, and all other Tennessee Williams plays.

Abraham Verghese may know how to turn a good phrase; unfortunately they often seem to be little more than that. The book plods along the winding path of his experiences treating AIDS patients in rural Tennessee. His stories are occasionally interesting and enlightening, particularly when they focus on how the patients and their families deal with the disease.

Unfortunately, the book suffers from self-centered myopia. Far too much time is spent by the author discussing himself. Despite all this meandering introspection, he never manages to effectively question his own convictions. He certainly never examines his own beliefs with the same scrutiny and condescension he applies to others'.

In the end, I felt like the book had few redeeming qualities. The author's I-know-all tone and hollow, jaded affect detracted significantly from what could have been a powerful collection of stories.

The child of Indian expatriates, himself an immigrant, Dr. Abraham Verghese found a home among the country people of Tennessee and an extended family among this Bible Belt's first AIDS victims.

Verghese, who began his residency in Johnson City, Tenn. in 1980, gives two reasons for specializing in infectious diseases (ID). One, his mentor convinced him it was the only specialty where cure was common. Two, as it was not a glamor field, a foreign ID doctor had a better shot at training at a top university hospital.

Simple, sensitive and scrupulously honest, Verghese's book is alive to the ironies, tragedies and heroism of the first days of the AIDS epidemic.

After training in Boston, where he saw his first AIDS patient, Verghese and his wife returned to idyllic Appalachia in 1985, expecting their first child. Aware of his outsider status, Verghese sets about finding, and making, his place. His rounds encompass two hospitals, the Mountain Home VA, a residence where he sees elderly vets and a lot of lung cancer, and the modern Johnson City Medical Center, the "Miracle Center." The contrast is vivid.

Although Johnson City has no AIDS patients and its single experience with a New Yorker who didn't quite make it home to die is "suppressed like a shameful memory," Verghese sets out to educate the population, to prevent AIDS here if he can.

His first visit to a gay bar to show an educational video is fraught with discomfort on numerous levels. The stiff self-consciousness of his early encounters with gay men in Boston is being consciously replaced with curiosity. "There was an obvious parallel: society considered them alien and much of their life was spent faking conformity." Still, it's a small town and Verghese is a foreigner with a reputation to build.

But his educational efforts bring in his first cases. He is excited, on the cutting edge of medicine. The HIV virus has been identified and a cure is surely just around the bend. He makes house calls, gives patients as much of his time as they need, and in a zealous spirit of medical documentation, friendship and plain human curiosity, elicits histories so personal it's difficult to imagine them spoken aloud.

As his AIDS practice grows, Verghese encounters bigotry and anger among his colleagues and community. But more profound is the bravery and generosity of spirit the disease arouses among the most unlikely people - the poor, the uneducated, the sick. He is touched, humbled, uplifted by the friends and relatives of his patients and often by the patients themselves.

But the hideousness of AIDS cuts a nasty swath. The bravest face a horrible, lingering and disfiguring death, usually in the prime of life. Verghese's descriptions of disease are unflinching.

As his case load grows to 80 and death becomes a commonplace, Verghese is beset by nightmares of infection and feelings of helplessness. His wife, frightened and resentful, withdraws from him. Similar attitudes in the medical community arouse furious bitterness. All around him, his new friends, his self-made family, are dying. After five years his endurance snaps. Plagued by guilt and relief, Verghese leaves Johnson City.

"My Own Country" is an important, passionate book which cannot be recommended highly enough. Verghese's prose draws the reader directly into the complex beauty and brutality of the human heart. It's a cry for our times.

I read first this book shortly after its initial publication. The impact was enormous. I even went to a signing event an hour away from where I lived. What made this book great was that not only it talked about the real tragedy in rural, little educated America, that AIDS wrought there, but it was finely written, with feeling, and instructive. Such a rare blend in this type of litterture. This was not a report from the front, it was also the journey of a man whose whole life principles are challenged, and changed in front of other people's tragedy. Today, as I read it again, it has already that flavor of historical witnessing, but its emotion is still fresh. For those of us that are blase about too many tragedies in our lifes, we could read this book again to regain some of the compassion that we might have misplaced as our everyday life demanded our atention.

Dr. Verghese beautifully captures the Appalachian essence of innocence and trust, and the clash that happens when a feared viral intruder puts its mark on relatives and neighbors. The exposure and initiation of a foreigner to country ways and mindset makes for some comical moments. The text is very creative, expressive and easy to read

"My Own Country" combines medical fact with compelling personal history in a way that reveals the true nature of human understanding for what is "foreign" to us all. Dr. Abraham Verghese comes to rural Tennessee as the foreign graduate of a foreign medical school; rural Tennessee being one of the few areas that will allow him to practice in the United States. At the time of his arrival, the AIDS epidemic arrives as well. Dr. Verghese relates the stories of the victims and their families in the setting of his own acceptance among these bewildered people. Through careful detail, Dr. Verghese is accepted among the citizens of Johnson City, Tennessee, just as they slowly come to accept the reality of the AIDS virus and its consequences in their lives. Told in language easily understood by non-medically trained readers, this story becomes a history of our people and their ability to adapt to difficult and heart-rending life experiences. Dr. Verghese celebrates the ability of the human spirit to accept disease and its consequences while he uses his keen sense of observation to show his own acceptance among these "new people." Dr. Verghese's ability for insight into the pain and suffering of patients families and the ultimate triumph of our compasionate nature is beautifully rendered. This book cannot be recommended highly enough for the many areas in which it succeeds. Ultimately, the book becomes a history of AIDS, medicine and the way both interact with victims who little understand the disease itself.

THIS IS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON OILERS NOW THE TENNESSEE TITANS. THE AUTHOR GOES IN GREAT DETAIL GIVING US A LOOK AT THE COACHING, FREE AGENTS, DRAFT, GAME BY GAME INFO AND THE ANTICS OF OWNER BUD ADAMS. THE BOOK IS LOADED WITH FACTS, STATS AND PHOTOS. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO READ THIS FOR THERE IS A TON OF INFO DONE IN GREAT DETAIL. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL DIE HARD FANS WHO WERE DISAPPOINTED YEAR AFTER YEAR. A GREAT READ.

I found this book to be a definite read for any (or former) die hard Oilers/Titans fan. Growing up and loving the Oilers and then seeing them leave Houston, we are fortunate that Pirkle took the time to write this incredible summary of the franchise now known as the Titans.
Pirkle does a great job of breaking down the seasons, one by one, and the draft picks the team makes (or could have made). It's incredible to see the potential that the team posed. It also makes you sit back and realize how much talent some of the teams had, especially during the 70's and 90's to make a run for the Super Bowl.
Pirkle really does a nice job of explaining the death of the Oilers franchise in Houston, from the arguments in city hall to Bud Adams' demands, which today still is head-scratching to everyone. I strongly recommend this book to any football fan, especially those who are Titans fans.

Go Titans!
Pat

Once I started reading it when it arrived, I honestly had a hard time putting it down for the night. It was definitely worth what I paid for it.

The title of this book best sums up being an Oiler fan: frustrating. Despite the fact that the team made the Super Bowl last year, they did it as the Titans and not in Houston, but Tennessee. There are so many other near misses and could have beens with this franchise and this book humorously accounts the almost 40 years of Oilers history. The book is nicely broken up into chapters for each season and although there is some historical inaccuracies, the book isn't about stats or names. The book is about the missteps and blunders the team's management has made through the years, so it's kind of appropriate that John Pirkle makes some errors along the way. If you're an Oiler fan, this is a must read and if you are not fan, this book is still enjoyable as it is funny and has a nice cynical edge to it.

1. It brings back a lot of old memories, not so painful in the rearview mirror. Wouldn't you be happy to pay one dollar and sit with all the other Jr. Q'Backs at Jeppesen again? Reading this book is like that.

2. It's full of errors in player names, place names, and typos ("felled by a viscous hit" is my favorite). For example, Pirkle tells us about "Dan" Floyd for 40 pages, then for some reason he starts getting it right ("Don"). Trust me, I'm not picking on Pirkle; there are dozens of these. It gets to where you look forward to the next booboo as much as the next game you remember being at. Did anybody think to edit this thing? Is Pirkle too young or too sloppy to do it well himself? Oh heck it doesn't matter. 4 stars, well deserved.

I enjoyed this book, I don't understand the 2 rating above, but I found it to be fun and easy to read. I felt the story was real, energetic, and fun. I don't write, wish I could, but reading I know and this read is well worth it.

Yarbrough, Shannon L. "The Other Side of What", XLibris, 2003.

Fate or Coincidence?

Amos Lassen

"The Other Side of What" by Shannon Yarbrough is one of those books that keep you guessing. Matthew, the main character, harbors a secret, and he thinks that is something special but he soon realizes that everyone else also has some sort of secret. As you are drawn into Matthew's world, you begin to realize that here is a book that shows what good gay fiction is.
Matthew, in an effort to hide his past, leaves his small home town in the South and moves to the big city--Memphis, Tennessee. There he meets Jacob and the two quickly become friends. Matthew, even with his great charm, seems to be unable to tell the truth about anything, not just to others but to himself as well. His secret could possibly destroy his relationships with his friends as well as with his brother. He thinks that life in Memphis will make everything easier for him but he soon realizes that he must own up to himself and questions the choices he has made. As he questions himself, the reader also questions himself and when the conclusion is reached, truth is confronted head on in this exciting first novel.
Yarbrough has written a gay love story which has you turning pages as fast as you can. It looks at the issue of truth and makes you wonder if life is simply a series of coincidences or whether everything happens for a reason. The intrigue is deep and the tension constantly climbs. The characters are beautifully drawn and the story is quite powerful. Issues of fate, love and friendship as well as past memories are the themes as Matthew wrestles with who he really is. The very fact that the reader has to guess so much is what keeps interest high.
There are a lot of people who attempt to write a first book and do not succeed. Yarbrough has the gift that enables him to grab us by the collar and take us on a journey that is not easily forgotten. Being from the South, he uses many of the colloquialisms of the region and incorporates them into the story and the author's sense of place is what endeared me to the book. It is a fast read but that does not mean it will be forgotten quickly. Instead it may make you question yourself the next time you want to hide behind a bit of a fib.

This unfortunate effort by Shannon L. Yarbrough fails to rise above adolescent obsession with sexual identity.

The protagonist, Matthew, is uninteresting and unconvincing. One hopes -- and hopes again -- that this character might come alive. He does not.

The book is not helped by the piling on of southern clichés. No matter how hard the author tries to evoke place with these trite references, there is no covering over the shallowness of the characters and their failure to engage the reader.

(I decided to give the book a generous two stars, because I suspect that it is an early effort from this writer. Perhaps future efforts will yield something more substantial.)

This is a must read for the summer. The book is cleverly written and the reader is constantly guessing himself and the characters in the book. The main character has a secret but soon learns that everyone close to him has a secret as well. This book will you keep you up late at night until the very end. This is the first book written by Shannon Yarbrough and I for one look forward to reading many more to come.

"The Other Side of What" opened my eyes to what I never thought I'd find--good gay fiction. So many gay authors attempt to (and usually successfully do) use sex to sell their books, disregarding the fact that many gays want to read good fiction that involves gay characters. Yarbrough magnificently achieves this with a moving story about fate, friendship, love and the hauntings of the past. Read this book if you're tired of the same sex-driven plots mired with tedious, predictable pretenses. Thanks to Yarbrough for bringing someone back to the fold.

This is the best book that I have ever read on black women,since it compared black women with black women. It's well-organised and very interesting with wonderful pictures. I really appreciated the many photos since it gave me a visual history of these women.

I was visiting with some friends in the South Carolina area when i first saw the author, Kibibi Voloria Mack, (now "Mack-Shelton"), being interviewed on the television show, "Inside Orangeburg". Her vivacious speaking style first caught my attention but after hearing her describe the contents of her book, I knew I had to read it for myself. I am not a history lover nor do I read many nonficition books, but I read "Parlor Ladies" and i must confess that I was pleasingly surprised! It is indeed the best darn book I have enjoyed in a long time!! The book is written in a fashion that makes it easy to follow but I was most impressed with the discourse she writes in that allows even an ordinary, nonscholarly person like myself to to read, understand, and appreciate a good peice of history. This book is a breath of fresh air when it comes to reading American history: it was never dull and is filled with information that I never would have known about southern black women or the black community had i not read this marvelous book. The photos were wonderful!

I first heard of PARLOR LADIES & EBONY DRUDGES when i saw the author, Dr. Kibibi V. Mack-Shelton, on C-SPAN BOOK TV in 1999; her vivacious speaking style and wonderful narration of her book aroused my curiosity. I read this book and must confess that this is the best book I have ever read on the history of southern African American women in the early 1900s. Mack-Shelton does an excellent job of not only comparing the upper classes of black women with their lower class peers, she provides some rather insightful information in her research that further explains the origins of modern day attitudes that some blacks still have in the black community in relations to how they still see light-skinned/straight hair blacks as being on a more superior level than those who are darker-skinned with non-straight hair. Her excellent use of oral history creates a picture of these women's daily life experiences in their own voices, bringing them to life. I am an avid reader of American history and am very impressed with Mack's style of writing. Her account of these women's historical lives is written in a discourse that both the trained, sophistocated scholar or an ordinary lay person (like myself) can follow easily. It's a breath of fresh air to read a history book that is never boring nor needs a dictionary to translate each word. It is a well-organized comparative study that is indeed an easy, interesting read that a person could actually read in a few days, if time permitted. This is a "must" read for everyone interested in American history, Women's history, or African American history must read this important book and add it to your personal library. Keep up the good writing and I can't wait to read your next book!!

I am an avid reader of women's history and this is, by far, one of the best books I have read on African American women. Mack's use of oral history to delve into these southern women's daily life experiences during the early 1900s was an excellent source for hearing these women's voices. I saw her on C-Span Book TV in 1999 talking about PARLOR LADIES; her presentation was so vibrant and interesting, I immediately purchased a copy of her book. Her comparison of black women with black women is unique within itself; she does a fine job of showing the diversity of these women and the subtle tensions that existed due to their class differences. I learned so much about the discrimination that some light-skinned women with straight-textured hair posited towards those with darker skin and non-straight hair. It made me better understand the subtle color discrimination that still exists within the African American community today. In terms of her writing style, this well-researched scholarly information is written in a language that is easily understood for those who are not trained scholars of history; it was nice to read a history book that was neither boring nor filled with words requiring a genius to decipher. Also, the organization of this book allows the reader to be able to compare the upper class African American women easily with her middle or working class peers; I could go on and on. Everyone who is interested in American history, Women's history, and African American history should have a copy of this book in their personal library. Once you start reading it, you won't stop until you reach the concluding chapter. I know I didn't! I hope Mack plans to write future books examining the African American women's life experiences. Thank you for this fine book!! Don't change your style!

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. Very much an eye opener for me, not knowing a great deal about that area of American history. I was attracted to the book by the title. It then turn out to be a real enjoyable learning experience.

Nice work.

What an incredible book by an upcoming author. If you like mysteries you will love this book. Full of suspense and a couple of unexpected turns this book leaves nothing to be desired.

It is a quick read and once you start it you can't put it down.

We need more books Lori!

The Diamond Foundation is one of the most prestigious in East Tennessee. Their mission is to help survivors of crime from families who've lost a member to murder to employers who have had funds embezzled, the Diamond Foundation attempts to give some restitution when the Justice System simply has nothing to offer. What's exceptional is that in the heartland of the 'good old boys' club', this group is run solely by an all-woman board of directors.

Palmer Reed finds it a signal honor that she and her best friend Keely have been invited to join the Foundation as directors. Marjoram Swall, the head of Diamond, is one of Palmer's personal heroes, since she saved Palmer from kidnappers years ago.

That kidnapping still haunts her and is coming to the foreground, since Scott Thurgood, the man who masterminded the kidnapping, is running for Congress and will stop at nothing to win.

Worse, as Palmer learns more about the Diamond Foundation, she realizes the group's method of collection is not entirely legal--and that people who don't pony up the cash have a bad habit of disappearing...

What will happen to her if she tells?

"The Seventh Survivor" is a well-told tale of suspense from first-time author, Lori Lacefield. The CO-based author has a good feeling for the South and recreates much of the landscape very well.

Ms. Lacefield also has a knack for building suspense. Her story is well-constructed, particularly for a first-time author. Kudos also to her editor for actually copy-editing this book.

Palmer has good depth of character, but much of the rest of the cast are simply paper tigers-tigresses.

This novel's only serious flaw is that Ms. Lacefield was somewhat over-ambitious. "Survivor" is just over 300 pages, covering from March to September. The book is comprised of 88 chapters--I think the longest chapter is about 4 pages. In the case of this particular novel, the James Patterson style partitioning is somewhat distracting and takes away from suspense.

I loved Frankie Johnson, and hope this is the first book of a series based on her character. Lacefield does a great job of creating a realistic woman investigator who is smart, clever and a bit cocky... but still has her "female" side. So many women in this genre are either super-butch, super-bitchy or fem-fatales in disguise. I was waiting for someone to get this right. Lacefield finally did. I read the book in one sitting. I guess that makes it a true page-turner. Highly recommended!

Palmer Reed is ecstatic when she is selected to the exclusive position on the board of directors for the Diamond Foundation. As a child she had been kidnapped by her father's enemies so she can related well to the Foundations goal to raise money to help victims of crime. She is especially pleased to have been hand chosen by the Foundation's high profile Chairperson Marjoram Swall. Swall was also the woman who had rescued her from her kidnappers twenty years before. It seems like a perfect combination of women to work together to help victims such as Jeremiah who nearly died when his parents lit him on fire or the rape victim, and the parents of murdered children. It seems like a golden opportunity to both help others and advance her own career.

Palmer's grand dreams come to crashing end when, at one of the Board meetings, Marjoram Swall lets the newest board members in on the ways the Board actually raises the majority of its funds. Palmer is greatly disturbed by the choice she must make- agree to be part of the method she feels is not right or resign her position on the Board. This decision becomes a moot point when she alone discover Swall's personal means of revenge for the victims. Palmer must take flight for her life from pursuers of both her present and past

In this up coming book (September 2006) Capital Crimes is publishing another twist on the moral mystery/crime scene. Lori Lacefield has written a book that manages to be both entertaining and thought provoking. The drama enfolds both the plot lines, which realistically weave Palmer's past and present together, and the ethical principles involved with revenge. A crisp story line with straight forward writing style enhance the pace of the narrative. Lacefield wisely draws the reader into the drama on both an emotional, personal level (what would I do) and a narrative level. the main characters are well thought out but the characters are not the focus of the book- it is the events and the ideals that are the real protagonists. It is an excellent feat for a debut writer.

We will be looking forward to Lacefield's next endeavor, 99 Truths, advertised as the first in a series about novice FBI agent Frankie Johnson.

Lacefield does a wonderful job getting you intested and wrapped into the characters. If you love mysteries you should try this book.

I had to respect the approach that the author took in putting the information together in the book. She meticulously cited her sources and was very clear on what was based on conjecture. She was also frank that she was not offering an insider's view, but rather was combing through business records, interviews, etc. I read it before visiting New Orleans, and I believe it made my trip that much more vivid and enjoyable.

Carolyn Long's book is one of the foremost works on the subject of African American conjure. In fact, it was the first book-length work to examine modern hoodoo shops, which are its primary focus. I strongly recommend it as an interesting and informative read.

What an impressive book! Ms. Long has definitely done her homework on this tome. I have wondered for many years about the sources she discusses in this book, and I find it thorough, open-minded and extremely enlightening. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone curious about those strange little bottles of oils and perfumes, packets of powder, 7-day candles with silkscreened decorations on them, and any and all accoutrements of this most fascinating of subjects. I look forward to seeing more of her work!

I have been researching hoodoo and voodoo for the past two years, but none of the books I've come across compare to Spiritual Merchants. Not only is it honest, but it's simple...it reads almost like a conversation. I appreciate the oodles of images and merchants, especially since Long distinguishes between their races. Unfortunately, most of the web sites are defunct. I will treasure this book always!

I liked this book. It was interesting to learn about how African belief systems were transformed in the New World--and how profit was made from those transformed beliefs, mostly by white people. The author danced around this contradiction a bit but never really addressed it. I wish she had.

I felt disappointed by her section on High John the Conqueror Root. Her hints that the root is something other than Ipomoea jalapa were intriguing, but she never came to any conclusion about the herb's actual identity. This mirrored her hesitation about addressing the contradiction of white retailers selling the props of African American magic to black people.

This book had a lot of nifty details, though. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out what Indio's incense powder is made out of, for instance.