Mozart and Leadbelly: Stories and Essays

It is impossible to say that MOZART AND LEADBELLY is Ernest J. Gaines' best book. There is no sensible way to distinguish greatest from its source. Pick up A LESSON BEFORE DYING or any of the few but vivid and vital books written by Ernest J. Gaines. He is a writer with deep roots. He writes about what is real, true and what will get us all eventually. His version of fiction is rich with history, maybe personal history, but certainly cultural history. His characters are people we know, cut out of his and our experience. Don't wait to read Ernest J. Gaines. MOZART AND LEADBELLY, his most recent book, is a good place to start. A few good stories and a few personal essays, then go back down the trail of brilliant novels. Try, IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE. If that doesn't move you, check to see if you have a pulse. Enough said. If you can read and listen to the words, you won't be disappointed, especially if you would rather listen to Leadbelly instead of Mozart.

I can still remember seeing THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITMAN on television in the early 1970's. I was in the fourth grade and for some reason, I was able to stay up and watch the entire movie which ended far past my bedtime. Maybe it was a holiday weekend or perhaps my parents were out of the house, I'm not sure which was the case but I vividly recall an elderly Cicely Tyson fearlessly walking up to a water fountain marked whites only and taking a drink. I was captivated by the power of this character. Fast forward to the late 1990's: I'm reading a book about an African American teacher in the pre-civil rights South. He's too ambitious to be in a classroom, yet teaching is the only job he can get that uses his talents. He's lonely, isolated, and is asked to bring some dignity to a man on death row. Once again I'm captivated. The character's name is Grant and he's the protagonist of the novel A LESSON BEFORE DYING. I'm not sure I have all that much in common with either Grant or Miss Jane, yet they are both memorable characters created by a gifted writer Ernest J. Gaines. MOZART AND LEADBELLY is a book that is a gift to fans of Gaines' writing or people interested in how a writer creates a work. In this collection, Gaines tells how he created some of his most memorable characters and novels. The style of the writing is conversational and would be writers will find it informative. Teachers will also find it useful. Many schools now use A LESSON BEFORE DYING in the classroom, so it's the perfect guide to show how an author brings a work to life. Gaines also includes some shorter works and the stories are good, but the essays and the transcript of a panel discussion at the end of the book are what make the book a great resource and enjoyable read. In one of the essays, Gaines states that all writer hope to be another Scott Turrow or John Grisham. Sales wise maybe, and if I ever get my novel completed and it sells like a Grisham or Turrow thriller, I'd be happy. If I was compared with Ernest J. Gaines, I'd be honored.

Ernest Gaines is one of my favorite writers. I had moved to Nebraska to do a Ph.D. in philosophy, until one day at the public library I discovered Mr. Gaines' fiction. After reading Bloodline and A Lesson Before Dying, I dropped out of the doctoral program and started writing fiction. And that's what I've been doing for the past four years: writing fiction. As I read and re-read Gaines' work, I was hoping he would publish a new novel or short story collection. So when I heard Mozart and Leadbelly was coming out, I was excited. This new book is a collection of essays, interviews, and Mr. Gaine's early fiction (including his first published short story "The Turtles"). These essays are beautiful pieces of writing; each one tells a different story: Gaines' early life as a boy from Louisiana, his college days in San Francisco, advice on writing, and much more. The interviews show Gaines in a more informal settings as he sits on his front porch in Louisiana discussing his favorite writers as well as other influences on his fiction (painters and composers). This is a fun book, and I have marked off several passages that have allowed me to crystalize what I'd been trying to say about writing but couldn't until I read this book. Also, after reading Mozart and Leadbelly, you'll learn that Mr. Gaines is at work on a new novel, something his friends hope will be his next masterpiece. Ernest Gaines is a fine writer, and it's amazing how simple and beautiful the language is. He has created a world all his own and his voice is unmistakable. This is a major accomplishment from one America's finest living writers. Also recommended: The Gospel of Arnie