Tim Parrish Visits

  I read Red Stick Men with a certain voice—my voice. Yes, the author’s tone was clearly evident throughout each short story, and yes the style was just as established. Still, I read the story with my voice. I heard the words playback with a familiar sound, and for some odd reason, it never once varied as I read. I understood that the book was based on Southern reality and life within the late 60s-early 70s, I understood the accents placed subtly throughout each story, I even understood what the author was going for—what he was trying to convey. But still, I read it with the voice I’ve grown accustomed to hearing over the past 23 years.

  It wasn’t until Tim Parrish, the author of Red Stick Men, came to read using the voice I’d overlooked that I realized I was reading his stories all wrong. He began with a satirical introduction, very humorous yet humble about the stories he has created. My mind automatically recounted the photo I had seen of him, the one plastered behind a display of his books on an image-projected screen. Wow, he’s a tall dude, I thought as I watched him adjust the microphone to accommodate his height. As he spoke with his Southern accent I had failed to mimic whenreading, I realized just how talented he is. Sure, evidence of this can be found in his book, but hearing it aloud as it was intended to be received made a world of difference.

  Parrish offered different versions to stories he’s personally experienced, scenes straight from his memoir and re-read his story Bonnie Ledet—a story I read, but didn’t quite hear until Parrish recited it aloud. After listening to his responses during the Q & A portion of his visit, I became more hopeful in my craft. I’ve learned that writing a book can literally take years, so I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I’ve learned that personal experiences are conveyed best in literature, and that as a serious writer it’s important to not take oneself so seriously. If writing is what you love to do, never let it become work. Treat it as the friend it has always been. In any friendship, work and life circumstances don’t always allow friends to interact as often as they would like, but once the moment is there, it’s important to get to work! Catch up! Get it all out!

It was a pleasure to experience this visit.