Mississippi Books

I came to this Bissell by way of Elmore Leonard. After reading Get Shorty and Pagan Babies, I did some research on Leonard and found that his writing style, the way he he writes dialogue in particular, was heavily influenced by this book.

Bissell was a Harvard-educated guy who spent time working on a steamboat on the Mississippi River. In this book he captures the experience: the grueling work, the long hours, the danger, and most importantly, the people and the way the talk. He doesn't coddle the reader one bit. There are very few explanations regarding the technical terms used and most of the time, I had no idea what he was doing other than the fact that it was work and that it sounded hard.

He makes a point of contrasting life on the steamboat with life on land. Most of the book takes place on the boat with brief excursions into the port towns up and down the river where he writes of bar fights, love affairs and... well, that about covers it, actually.

I saw a lot of similarities between Bissell and Leonard. Particularly in the way dialects were handled. Leonard uses dialogue to drive the plot forward. Bissell uses it more to set a mood. One thing I didn't like about the book: After he makes his way onto the steamboat and is established as a deckhand, the story just sits for long stretches of time (I'm sure that's what these men working on the river did as well). The fact that Bissell doesn't give much explanation to the terms he uses or the work he does makes the long descriptive stretches of daily life on the steamboat hard to get through. Despite that, I'll rank Bissell as one of my more satisfying surprise discoveries in a long while.

The chapters were about the lock at Keokuk, republished in the anthology on American Lit that we used, a few years after the book came out. I agree, more profs should teach Bissell. Bissell also wrote the Rivers of America volume on the Mononagehela, based on his piloting experience there, and the book (7-1/2 Cents) which became the musical Pajama Game. This was based on his experiences running his family's garment factory. Then he wrote Say Darling about how the musical was made. ASOTR was a hit when first published in July 1950--it was reprinted twice in July and again in October.

This is one of the greatest pieces of American fiction ever written. You must check out this hard-to-find classic. If I was an English professor, I'd definitely teach this book

Bissell's story of life on a towboat is a perfect complement to Twain's "Life on the Mississippi". I have spent almost thirty years working on the River and if I had to recommend only one book that explains what the people and towboat life is like, this would be the book. His depiction of river characters and their dialog is perfect. It may be more a reflection of the type of people who go to the river to work, you can draw a line from Mike Fink stories through Twain and Bissell and find those same people riding boats on the rivers of America's backyards. I believe I read somewhere that Mickey Spillane said Richard Bissells' writing showed him what dialog in a book should be. Bissell's other river book, "High Water", should not be missed. Both books should be available through the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

I am one of the few people out there who not only know who Richard Bissell is, I'm trying to collect all of his books! I actually bought a first edition of ASotR once, thinking it was the only edition, started to read it just long enough to realize how great it was, and lost it. I've read every novel and most of the nonfiction Bissell wrote, and this was going to be the last 'new' (to me, anyway) thing I read by him. I'd read about it plenty of times in glowing blurbs on the back of his other novels.

Now, I have to find another one. Do you have any idea where I could find a copy of either the paperback reissue or the original hardback edition? Help a man on his quest!

By the way, if you like Bissell, you should probably try reading Charles Portis, who may be even better.

"That was terrific!" While not what you would expect to hear after a colonoscopy, these were the first words out of my husband's mouth as he woke up from this somewhat inconvenient procedure a few weeks ago, which he and I had postponed as long as possible. Howls of laughter burst forth from the nurses and others present in the recovery room. Nonetheless, the words revealed my husband's shock and delight that the dreaded procedure began and ended so imperceptibly and so painlessly.

"That was terrific!" would also be my assessment of this little book. While there is nothing sexy about the prospect of reading a book about cancer, my middle age, my weight, my family history, and personal medical history nearly demanded that I inform myself. The previous reviews for amazon.com have focused repeatedly on Dr. Adrouny's gift for making a boring, technical, and frightening subject accessible to the non-medical public through very readable text, references, and glossary, as well as lucid diagrams. I would echo all of those comments nearly verbatim. Anyone in the field knows that teaching science to non-science majors is more difficult than teaching it to those committed to the subject. You have to engage them first, and then inform them. Dr. Adrouny succeeds brilliantly in his chapters such as "Who Gets Colon Cancer and Why," "The `Look'...," "The `Feel'...," the stages, the prognosis, the treatment, prevention and future of colon cancer.

For me, however, Dr. Adrouny's greater gift is the art of gentle persuasion. He informs but does not preach. Who wants to go to the doctor and be ordered to go and lose 30 pounds? My husband was spurred to action by Dr. Adrouny, and now it's my turn. My colonoscopy is in two months. When will you sign up? (As he points out, there is usually a wait.) Read the book while you are waiting. Meantime, I am wondering if perhaps Dr. Adrouny's next book should be, "Understanding Extra Pounds."

Reviewed by Sonia Russo
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Dr. Adrouny is one of those rare physician/oncologists who is able to convert knowledge of his subject into words, phrases and thoughts that are fluid and understandable to the layman. Since colon cancer is the number two cause of cancer in the nation today, interest in the subject has heightened considerably and the book is a fast, yet comprehensive read for a wide audience. Having ordered and read the book before undergoing a routine colonoscopy I went into the procedure with a positive and informed outlook. Dr. Adrouny also analyzes the latest techniques in colon examinations including the merits of virtual colonscopies.

C. G. Elliott
Wailea, Hawaii

Richard Adrouny, MD is a personal friend of mine but I am not a patient of his nor a physician nor do I have any medical training. However, I am approaching 60. I do get annual checkups and prostate exams and I do worry about cancer.
Understanding Colon Cancer is as good a book on a critical medical issue as any lay reader could ever hope to find. Dr. Adrouny writes very fully and specifically about colorectal cancer, its development, theories regarding its prevention, and current treatment interventions. What makes his writing so valuable to cancer patients and others of us without medical training is its accessibility. He continuously offers clear, direct and perfectly understandable explanations so that the interested reader can truly grasp the meaning of necessary medical terms and their significance. When he mentions sigmoidoscopy he explains that the procedure is an examination of the inner rectum and lower colon. When he refers to adenomatous polyps he specifies that a polyp is a growth from a mucous membrane and an adenoma is a benign growth from a glandular tissue. Continuously, he shares with us state of the art medical understanding in terms non-physicians can grasp. And in the course of treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease understanding is comfort.
Colorectal cancer screening as an annual event isn't a high priority for most men or women. When Dr. Adrouny explains that 15% of all cancers can be detected by a simple digital rectal examination, the momentary inconvenience of this act of diligence seems a small price to pay confirming our health status. Similarly, fecal occult blood testing, barium enema, and endoscopy all offer evaluations that could spare us suffering and save our lives.
While reading this book I wondered if Dr. Adrouny didn't perhaps edit his own writing by asking himself "So what?" every paragraph or so and then took the time to make clear the importance of his points to his general audience.
While reading this book, I could imagine a colon cancer patient returning home after seeing his own oncologist and grabbing for Dr. Adrouny's book by way of understanding his own physician comments.

Adrouny does a great job explaining the ABC's of colon cancer.

This short--less than 150 pages--guide to colon cancer is accessible to those of us who are not physicians or familiar with healthcare terms. Adrouny patiently walks us through the basics of colon cancer: Who Gets Colon Cancer (men and women, too!); the look (signs) and feel (symptoms) of the disease; and the treatments and prevention.

This book is an absolute must for anyone who has colon cancer or anyone who is close to someone with the disease. The book also provides easy to read charts and drawings that I found very helpful.

My father was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer and I decided to purchase a book about the horrible disease. This book by A. Richard Adrouny MD, a new author of medical books, provided me with facts and a new understanding of what my father is going through. This book will make you much smarter about this disease no matter what knowledge you have. I strongly suggest you buy this book to further increase your knowledge of one of the most common forms of cancer in America.

This is a wonderful, very informative book. It's the only written collection of eye witness accounts ever published on the Lincoln assasination. Every Lincoln buff needs to add this one to his or her library.

Very comprehensive book- the only one out there like it. It is interesting to read what the people in the theatre that terrible night actually saw and heard. I learned some things I didn't know by reading this book, and would definately reccommend it to anyone interested in the Lincoln Assasanation.

This is an outstanding book for anyone who really wants to get a glimpse of the Lincoln assassination as though you were there, or at least hearing about it via contemporaneous accounts. It helps sort out what probably happened from a lot of the embellishments that came later, but now seem to be accepted as facts in many places.

My biggest concern in buying this book was that so many accounts of essentially the same things would become repetitive. As it turns out, not the case at all--not only are the accounts about many different aspects of the assassination and many different perspectives among those, the editor/author adds enough commentary to place each in context.

A must-read for anyone interested in the Lincoln assassination.

I had to read a book on American History for my college course. I am interested in President Lincoln's assassination and this book caught my eye! Very interesting and hard to put down! Highly reccommended to anyone, old or young.

Good's book captures the immediacy of a dramatic and tragic moment in U.S. history: when John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theater in April 1865. Reading the accounts of eyewitnesses, we can all feel as if we were there--the lights are down, the actors are saying their lines, a gunshot pierces the air, a man leaps from the presidential balcony onto the stage, he yells something and waves a knife and disappears. Pandemonium ensues.

This book would make a good companion volume to James Swanson's Manhunt. Read them in chronological order (this book first) and be transported back 140 years.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

I am currently reading Sound and the Fury and it is not an easy read. Fortunately, I started out with this volume and read Sanctuary. If you want to get into Faulkner this is an excellent place to start. It is a great story, shocking though it may be, and gives a good idea of what's to come if you want to delve deeper into WF. Next I read Light in August which may be one of his best. Faulkner is a genius at creating characters and then going into the details of their psyche. Every now and then he gets a little over-indulgent in his wordsmithing but always seems to bring it back home before going too far afield.

Faulkner is the green tea of literature. He's a great story teller but still a bit of an aquired taste. Once you get into his work, though, you'll definitely want more.

There are many great books, but I have read only two perfect ones, "As I Lay Dying" by Faulkner and Shakespeare's "King Lear." Lear's "howl" after Cordelia's death is (I think) the high point of English literature and Vardeman's internal dialoge (and chapter heading "My Mother is a Fish") is the purest form of writing expression and the high-water mark of American Literature. If you like to read, there are so many subtle threads that run through "As I Lay Dying." You'll recognize Chaucer, T.S.Eliot, and I think Shakespeare's "Lear." Like Gorky, Faulkner uses common people to expound upon universal themes like betrayal and unrequited love, but he does it better, and looks at it harder, than anyone has before or since.

Faulkner has a savage and beautiful voice, if you can call it his voice: it's like some linguistic force comes from nowhere and overwhelms his stories and takes them to places that the novel-form never went before. His writing is wildly modern yet full of ancient, mythic resonances - the Bible, the Greeks - which creates a very large sense of time and history in his work. Events traumatize, ripple across history. At his best (As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, Absalom! Absalom!), Faulkner is difficult but fascinating, worth our patient reading efforts. He invents new ways of writing for a modernizing world that needs some way to keep contact with the past and the dead, and this is both taxing and exhilarating.

There is nothing quantitative in this volume that you can't get in other editions of Faulkner's work; however, the Library of America copy is to be strongly commended for the clarity of its typeface, its sturdy cloth-bound hardcover, and its designed ability to *lie flat* at each page. The only fault I could find with this volume is that it would be nice to have _The Sound and the Fury_ included in a Library of America edition as well (currently, the Modern Library edition is the best that can be done). I strongly recommend this edition to the serious reader who, familiar with Faulkner, is looking for a reference copy of these works that will not deteriorate over time (did I mention acid-free paper and a cloth bookmark?). Considering the price of each of these titles in paperback, this volume's value to the casual reader speaks for itself; you, too, are advised to invest in this worthy tome.

Faulkner is, without a doubt, one of the South's best writers, and re-reading this collection of novels after many years affirms that belief for me. He was a master of words and I wish we had more Faulkner novels to feast on. Almost no one can measure up to him!

I have read numerous books on Walter Anderson but this by far was the best. His wife gave a personal account of his as well as their lives. It has truth as well as compassion. His art is much easier to appreciate after reading this enlightening book.

Walter Anderson had the eyes of a child. His wonderment at the world around him, his passion for recording his love, and his driven personality -- all this makes for fascinating and inspirational and romantic reading. Anderson is being discovered as a true original -- his classical training in Europe and the Northeast is the foundation for his unusual work. I found this account to be as marvelous as the letters and life of Van Gogh. Sissy Anderson's writing is poetic and unpretentious. A classic.

This is a wonderful book that chronicals the life of the brilliant, yet disturbed Mississippi artist, Walter Anderson. Told by Anderson's wife, Sissy, the book tells of the passion Anderson had for the natural world around him, and the torture he endured because of this passion. The book tells of Anderson's life as a boy, and the love affair that he and Sissy shared. It chronicals the relationship he had with his children, his bouts with mental illness and depression, his long stays on Horn Island (Anderson's own personal paradise) and the discovery of the magnificent "Little Room", full of brilliant murals and paintings.

I first heard of Walter Anderson from an artist living in Mississippi when I was in high school, in 1963. She took me to the compound where Walter Anderson lived with his wife, brother and extended family. Anderson had become a recluse by this time, and I never met him. I got to see the pottery work he did and became fascinated with his art. As a sixteen-year-old, I was impressed with the colors and designs. I have aged, become an artist myself, and seen more of his work, I have come to appreciate the mystic quality, the blending of earth, sky, animals,plants, air, being and emotion into a whole expression.

That this passionate expression was tied in with madness has fascinated me in understanding the edge between creativity, altered states of consciousness and mental illness. Understanding the complex persona of a person who has collapsed his entire life into his art is the challenge here. This is the person who tied himself to a tree on an island in the path of a hurricane to stay at work, after all. The relationship of this creative genius to his family and his struggle to bring forth the body of work we gratefully have today is the story of this book. It is honestly and well told. The unstated story is that without the tolerance, understanding, even suffering of Agnes Grinstead Anderson (the artist's wife), neither the man nor his work might have survived. In a time when people are less willingly to sacrifice for each other, This woman's story looks at the complications of a real life beyond the reach of easy pop psychology solutions.

I received the book in good time and the book is in good condition.

This is an extremely good book. The author not only graphically tells it like it was in MS in the 60's, but also relates her life story that can only encourage anybody. From a kid picking cotton in the Delta in the 50's to becoming a Harvard Fellow and a recipient of a McArthur Genius Fellowship later in life, MS Blackwell tells a Hell of a story. This book is a must read.

Barefootin' is as captivating and real as Mississippi Delta Blues.It is memorable, entertaining, and beautifully written.I learned a lot, felt a lot and cheered a lot while reading this wise, funny and brave recounting of the life and times of an American Renaissance woman, Unita Blackwell, who has lived long enough and remarkably enough to become an historical icon of the Civil Rights struggle. But, thankfully, her earthy humanity overcomess that pigeonhole and, as Barefootin' makes clear, Unita is a woman for the ages.

I am reading this book now, but more importantly,
I saw Ms. Blackwell last night , at a reading at 61 coffee
in Vicksburg Ms. She is an amazing presence, and the
co-author, Joanne Morris, who read, also.
This is well, just read it . You will love it.
I have not written a review before, I love lots
of books, but this one is special. I moved to Mississippi
from Minnesota, and this is what I needed to hear about this
state.

Not only is Ron Polk the best college baseball manager that ever walked the face of the earth, he recently made the best decision of his life. That decision being to retire from MSU and the come back and coach at a real school, UGA. God bless Coach Polk and GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!! HUGH4HEISMAN DON'T WANT NONE!!!

Ron Polk breaks the game of baseball down not only position by position, but all aspects of the game off the field. A veteran college coach and one of the most respected men in the game, Polk gives excellent tips for coaches of all levels, from the first day of practice to the final game of the postseason tournament. The former Mississippi State coach is still a popular speaker on the clinic tour and after reading the book, one will understand why. Not only does Polk discuss teaching fundamentals and game strategies, but also gives excellent ideas and points on the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of the game - everything from organizing tournaments and field maintainence to dealing with the local officiating associations, fans, and bringing in support staff to help run a smooth program. Polk even includes ready-to-copy charts and forms for player information, public address announcers, game schedules, equipment managing, and setting up and enforcing team policies. If you're looking for big-names and shiny pictures, forget it - this book is for serious coaches....and Polk doesn't leave any aspect of coaching in an organized baseball league uncovered.

This book has helped me so much. With me currently being a baseball player, I need a little more help to push me over the edge to make my high school team. This book has helped me in batting and outfield. Of course, those are the things I do. This book has anything and everything for all postions. It even has a section where it tells you where all fielders are supposed to move in every kind of situation. You name it and it has it. This book however, is not only for players. This is for coaches and believe it or not, it is also for people in charge of the fields! This book has a detailed picture of a field and how you're supposed to water it and stuff like that. So if you would like to get a few pointers, I guarantee this book will help you for however you are involved in the wonderful game of baseball.

This work is all a coach needs to organize and run a successful program. It includes all the charts and referances you'll ever need. Included are diagrams for all defense situations and a drill series that covers every necesaary defense skill.

This is a must-have for those who appreciate the work of William Christenberry. Informative text, faithful reproductions of Christenberry's photos, and first-time glimpses into his early work, Reconstruction supplies us with a first-rate chronicle of the life, inspiration, and work of an important 20th century American artist.

As unique and genuine an artist as America has produced, Christenberry receives admirable attention in this work. The depth and breadth of his talent is showcased, with attention paid to all of the mediums he employs: painting, sculpture, and photography. Southerners will especially appreciate the evocative quality that rings through these pieces, but their appeal is not limited to art enthusiasts from that region alone. The gravity of the work has a wide appeal.

This book was published as the monograph to a traveling national exhibition on William Christenberry which was curated by the Center for Creative Photography's curator of photography, Trudy Wilner Stack, back in 1996. It is a splendid introduction to Christenberry's work. Through his photography, sculpture and painting, Christenberry has explored the South's rural manmade landscape and its tortured psychological landscape, focusing in on the Ku Klux Klan. Working in color, Christenberry comes across as a latter day Walker Evans, showing much empathy and respect for the culture he depicts in his photographs, with, of course, a notable exception for the Ku Klux Klan. Anyone interested in seeing a fine introduction to Christenberry's work should look no further.

A visual treat. The artist has captured the look and feel of rural Alabama. Whether it is a photograph, assemblage, painting or drawing, there is a basic truth and honesty to these works.They evoke the time from the depression to the present in a haunting and beautiful way. Mr, Christenberry is indeed a poet.

This is a beautifully compiled collection of short stories from Mississippi authors, including the writings by both of the editors. Tucker's short story, "CLara's Star," reminded me of much of my Mississippi past, even though I left Mississippi, reluctantly, almost forty years ago. This is a beautiful book and I am still enjoying it. A Mississippi past is helpful, but not mandatory, to become thoroughly engrossed in this book. I cannot recommend this book any higher. It is unfortunate it is so difficult to find.

Maybe Welty, Morris, Hannah and other such names sold the book, but the works of Wheelock, in Christmas Lights and Isonhood, in Morning Stove seems to have captured what the true meaning of Christmas is in our hearts. Need to hear more from them.

This is a beautiful collection of stories, not just for the Mississippian or the Southerner. With greats like Faulkner and Welty and Spencer in the crowd, it should have a wide appeal. But to my mind, the lovely, bittersweet story of Caroline Langston testifies to the fact that modern writers from Mississippi are as talented as ever, and write with as much poignancy as those from the past.

A book that makes you want to light a fire, turn up the Christmas music and decorate a tree.

From the icy path walked with Phoenix Jackson in Eudora Welty's "Worn Path," to Willie Morris' "Christmases Gone Revisited" the reader is taken through the heart of Christmas. Every story is a must read.

This book was just as advertised. It allowed for easy readability and understanding of an American classic.

Think about this for a sec...
Your going to a grave yard at mid night with a friend to see if devils are really and if there take the body of a dead man who died a couple days befor. Any way you and your friend are waiting for the monsters to come and take the bait but as your waiting you hear a sound but its not what you expect. Its three intirely different people coming for the goods left in the cofin. But then out of no were one of them kills his partnerand blames the other one for doing it! Then you and your friend relize your in grave danger, if the murder finds out that you know what he did then he'll come after you and your buddy next!How did Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn do it? find out by reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

These are just fantastic books. Tom Saywer is the first of these classics that I read to my kids and they absolutely loved it. The book itself is beautifully bound and seems like almost a collectors item. I found that they really did manage to capture all the best parts of the original and kept the pace going so the kids couldn't get enough. Well done....will collect all the Classic Start books!

My third grader loved this book, as well as the one about Huck Finn. He's not one to just pick up a book and start reading. He has to be motivated and encouraged! So, to see him WANT to read this book without me pushing him ~~~ means it MUST be good! He said it was full of adventure and he loves adventure. These Classic Start books are GREAT! I highly recommend!!!