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Zion

Page 26

by Dayne Sherman


  Tom said, “Well, he’ll get justice either here or later. I don’t worry about it. None of it comes close to what I’ve lost and nothing can bring back my boy. I might not even go to the trial unless I’m forced to. Nothing can bring him back, and I’ve left it to the Lord. I don’t understand much of it, but it’s in the Lord’s own hands, as far as I’m concerned. It’s out of mine completely.”

  Brownlow shook his head. “You could have killed him that day at the church house. Nothing would have ever come of it, him trying to shoot me down earlier with a high-powered rifle.”

  “Yes, I could have and almost did. My finger was on the trigger.”

  “You regret it?”

  “At times. I think about it daily, and sometimes I wish I would have done it, other times not. Today, I’m glad I didn’t kill him. But like I said, it’s in God’s hands now, and I’m thankful for that. Everything else I think I can control falls short somehow.”

  “You reckon there’s any good that’ll ever come from what happened?”

  “No. Some people try to tell me this good or that good will come from it, the Lord having a plan and all. I haven’t ever seen it as something that good will ever come from. I see my son’s death as a catastrophe and an affront to the love of God in the world. The only thing I hope is that James Luke’ll never get out of jail and never hurt anyone else. Hopefully he’ll spend the rest of his days in Angola. And if Sara and I can just live the remainder of our natural lives in our right minds, it’ll be a witness against him.”

  “You hear that?” Brownlow put down the coffee on the tailgate and stared into the darkness, his chin high in the air. He cupped his hand around his right ear.

  Tom was quiet, listening.

  “Blue’s done treed already. Must have run up on a coon slipping around on the ground and put him up a tree. Let’s go,” Brownlow said. He strapped a miner’s hard hat and light on his head, and Tom followed him with a flashlight in one hand and his Winchester .22 magnum rifle in the other.

  It was dry out for February, almost parched, and they moved through the forest. It was surprisingly free of underbrush, the winter cold killing the thickets clear enough to walk through, and it reminded Tom of an era long ago when the cows ran free and grazed in the woods.

  When they found Blue, the hound was jumping in the air and circling the base of a hardwood tree, and he barked a constant barrage of bellowing. The hound grew more intense when he saw the men and their lights coming.

  “Speak to him, Blue. Speak. Speak to that old coon. Speak at him,” Brownlow hollered to the hound. The dog kept jumping up the side of the tree as if he would climb it. “Call to him. Talk to him,” Brownlow continued to holler.

  Their lights shined into the treetops. The animal’s silver eyes were forty feet up. The raccoon turned away from the light beam, and Tom made the sound of a raccoon calling to another, a squalling noise deep in his throat, and the animal looked back down at him again.

  “Do you want me to shoot him down?” Tom asked. He pointed the rifle at the glowing eyes.

  “Might as well go ahead. It’ll be something I can take to the Widow Lazarus tomorrow. Trade it for one of her good pies.”

  Tom took aim. He had a clear shot. He held the rifle a half-dozen seconds while the dog treed. He hesitated, dropping the barrel down. “Donald, why don’t you shoot? I don’t feel like killing a coon tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  Tom passed Brownlow the rifle. And he shot.

  ACCENDO BOOKS READER’S EDITION

  Twenty Questions for Group Discussion & Reflection

  Is Zion a mystery, a thriller, or a literary novel?

  Does “Zion,” the novel and the place, live up to the meaning of the term?

  Which characters do you like or identify with the most? Why?

  Is Tom a good man?

  Are Tom’s standards of perfection responsible for the problems in the family?

  In which way is Tom partly responsible for Sara’s secrets?

  Is Tom simply nostalgic about the past or is he delusional about the past?

  Did Sara ever love Tom?

  How does Sara defy the stereotypes of a housewife and later a librarian?

  Does the loss of Sara’s father influence her life?

  Why does Wesley feel justified in rebelling against his father? Is he right?

  Is James Luke evil or just an economic pragmatist?

  How is Charity a victim? Is she a bad person or simply misguided?

  Were the farmers and hunters justified in rebelling against the timber companies?

  Was Marshal Brownlow corrupt in the 1960s? Did he change?

  Flannery O’Connor said the South was “Christ-haunted” but not “Christ-centered.” Is that the case in Baxter Parish?

  Why was the Methodist church used as a backdrop for the book?

  Is the story told in Zion more Old Testament or New Testament?

  What is the most tragic aspect of Zion?

  How could the disasters in the story have been avoided?

  AUTHOR Q & A WITH DAYNE SHERMAN

  QUESTION: Why did you write Zion?

  DAYNE SHERMAN: One day my fourth cousin once removed—we keep track of things like this in Southeast Louisiana—told me about an old dispute over the killing of hardwoods. In an area well known for arson, the locals had a slogan, “For Every Oak a Pine!” The timber companies were killing hardwoods to plant pines. But folks in the parish didn’t want to lose the good hunting lands where hardwoods dominated. So they burned perhaps a thousand pines for every oak killed. Within a few days of hearing about the pine tree war, I’d finished a third of the novel. It took several years to complete the rest, but I was on a clear path.

  I wrote the novel to unburden myself from the image my cousin gave me. I married the burning timber to some local folk tales and the end of open range. The open range ended in my native Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, in the 1960s. In nearby Livingston Parish, however, the open range wasn’t banned until the early 1990s, and I experienced life in the woods to a limited degree. I’m thankful I saw firsthand the last of the Old West in Louisiana.

  Q: It’s surprising that you decided to self-publish Zion and republish Welcome to the Fallen Paradise on your own.

  DS: Well, I never intended to start a publishing company. For years I tried to get my rights back from MacAdam/Cage, the now defunct publisher that released my first novel. It was both a battle and a disappointment. Finally, MacAdam/Cage went bankrupt, and I was able to secure all of my rights. I decided it was best to go it alone and never fight over my book rights again. The publishing world has changed, and I wanted to take advantage of new opportunities.

  Q: Why did you start Accendo Books, L.L.C.?

  DS: I wanted to do something radical, a real challenge. I wanted to start a “micro press” or “nano press.” My plan is to publish my own work but also to edit anthologies. My goal for 2015 is to publish a great collection of Louisiana short fiction, works by living authors. Then do one collection per year state-by-state. I may never get to all 50 states, but I hope to finish the South. I also want to publish interviews with artists and writers, and I plan to collect these through Accendo Books. All of my books will be released in print, ebook, and downloadable audio formats.

  Q: Where does the name “Accendo Books” come from?

  DS: Accendo is Latin for ignite, spark, or kindle. It has connotations of creating an idea that starts a fire. I like what the word means, and it explains what I’m trying to publish: “Fine Books. Inspiring Ideas.”

  Q: What books most influenced the writing of Zion?

  DS: There’s no question that I am a product of my reading habits. After I wrote Welcome to the Fallen Paradise, I was upended as a writer by Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, which was such a big influence. It’s hard to say how much her work changed what I believed about writing fiction. I read the book in late 2004 or very early 2005. The next book that gave me whiplash was No Country for Old M
en. Unlike Robinson, I had been reading Cormac McCarthy for years. I read No Country soon after it was published. Those two books can be seen in every page of Zion.

  Q: What are you working on now?

  DS: I have a large backlog of completed works and works in progress. I have a “finished” novel titled Louisiana Public Integrity that I would like to see published near the 2015 Louisiana governor’s race. Plus I have published about twenty short stories in little magazines that need to be collected into a book. I have a comic novel mostly done, and a memoir titled Confessions of a Redneck Genius that I want to finish. Now that I have control of my artistic work post-MacAdam/Cage and with a future of indie publishing ahead, my goal is to release two new books a year as long as I want to write. Deciding to go indie was an incredibly exhilarating feeling. I’m no longer waiting on or trying to please some unknown force in New York. I can go directly to readers. That’s the ticket.

  Q: Do you have any advice for writers struggling to get their works published?

  DS: First, focus on the craft. That’s the big pay-off, spending adequate time with the writing process. It may take the proverbial 10,000 hours of practice to master the art. Second, get the work on paper or at least digitally on the computer. You have nothing as long as the writing is in your head. It has to be on the page. Third, join a writing group of some kind. You can do this through a college class or the local public library or even online. Last, decide whether or not you want to go with legacy-traditional publishing, the old agent-editor publishing route. Since 2009, it has made little sense for authors earning less than six figures per book to give away their rights for a pittance. I understand why Stephen King publishes through the Big Five publishers but not mid-list authors. Not any longer. “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” as Bob Dylan sang. Two final words of advice: Go indie.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife Kristy for reading this manuscript at least ten times. Thanks for the love and care. I wish to thank our son for enduring this book since shortly after his birth. It’s done: let’s go fishing.

  Perhaps all books are written in collaboration. I hate to leave out significant people, but I will do my best to acknowledge my co-conspirators below:

  My cousin Dr. Ronald Traylor (“For Every Oak a Pine!”) and my late Uncle Harry Sherman (“The End of Open Range”) provided inspiration that sent me down the winding road to write this novel. I spent a year working as a carpenter’s helper at Southeastern Louisiana University from 1988 to ’89, and some of the story was informed by day-to-day work doing maintenance.

  David Campbell and Davy Brooks have been great readers and friends. Thanks for the heavy lifting.

  I’d like to thank many of my friends and relatives for helping in so many ways: Mama, Nikki Barranger, Wilford Wade Cowart, Judy and Haywood Loyde, Elizabeth Lafarge, Dr. Bill Thompson, Pat and Tina St. Clair, Dr. Tim Wise, Carl and Carolyn Higginbotham, Karen Taylor, Dr. William Hamilton, Jason and Staci Parrie, Lamar Wascom, Jesse and Ashley Brown, Monique Soudelier, Dr. Kathy Kolb, Charlotte Hill, Stephen Winham, Burleigh and Pat Soape, Dr. Randy and Barbara Davis, Dorcas Perrin, Dr. Lee Rozelle, David Campbell, Paul and Betty White, Fr. Steve Petrica, Charley Vance, Vivian Solar, Rev. Roger Dunlap, Jamie Fitch, Don Barker, Mike Tournillon, and Duncan Kemp IV.

  Six writers were instrumental in helping me decide to go Indie: Officer O’Neil De Noux, Katie Wainwright, Brenna Barzenick, J.A. Konrath, Barry Eisler, and Hugh Howey. Inspiration met perspiration. I hope they like the book. Two thinkers helped me better understand how to sell a book, Seth Godin and Tim Grahl. I appreciate the tools.

  The writers with the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, an affiliate of the National Writing Project, were always encouraging to me. Dr. Kim Stafford was the greatest, and I hope I can marathon with all of the writers again soon. Through Kim I discovered the late Dr. William Stafford, my favorite poet and a constant literary guide.

  Stephanie Kaye Smith, Pattie Steib, Joel Friedlander, Jose Canales, Staci Parrie, Sigrid and Paul Kelsey, Karen Taylor, Dr. Karen Williams, Laura Brooks, Barry Dunlap, Dr. Tim Gautreaux, Dr. Richard Louth, Dr. Jack Bedell, David Campbell, Dr. Mackie Blanton, Alan Marsh, Will Johnson, Lori Smith, and Ben Bell saved me from bad art at various times. Thanks.

  Dr. James Kirylo, Tim Parrish, Bev Marshall, David Armand, Jonathan Chandler all gave early endorsements of Zion. More will come later, but y’all were great. Drs. Norman German, Martie Fellom, and Richard Louth helped make me a full professor of library science. It’s all your fault! But thank you.

  Two authors and two novels influenced the writing of Zion: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Both authors deserve the Nobel Prize.

  My supervisors at the library have been supportive over the past seven years that it took to write this novel: Eric Johnson, Dr. Lynette Ralph, and Beth Stahr. Most writers need a day job for bread and sanity. Thanks for both. For the postal workers in Ponchatoula, Hammond, and on campus: I appreciate the patience. Kenny Ribbeck and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries were helpful in determining hunting regulations for 1964.

  I have been treated well by libraries and bookstores. Anthony Loum at Brooklyn Public Library, Livingston Parish Library, Tangipahoa Parish Library, the State Library of Louisiana, John Evans at Lemuria Books, Square Books, That Bookstore in Blytheville, Burke’s Book Store, Reed’s Gum Tree Bookstore, Pass Christian Books, Maple Street Books, Faulkner House Books, and Bayou Booksellers, all champions of my work. Thank you.

  Several editors have been helpful getting the word out about my writing: Lil Mirando of The Daily Star and James Fox-Smith of Country Roads, as well as Chad Rogers of TheDeadPelican.com. Action News 17, The Courier and The Comet, and The Shreveport Times have been very supportive, too.

  Several political writers keep me informed about the underbelly of Louisiana: Tom Aswell, Robert Mann, C.B. Forgotston, and Elliot Stonecipher. Thanks for the material.

  Thanks, Coffee Culture in Ponchatoula, for good chicory. PJ’s Coffee on Thomas and University in Hammond: You should dedicate a chair to Zion. I paid for several chairs while writing this book.

  Perhaps no teacher in school did more to make a reader out of me than Norma Webb. Every word I write can be traced back to English II at Albany High School in 1987. God bless you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Dayne Sherman is a high school dropout. He has worked a variety of jobs as a grocery store clerk, carpenter's helper, door-to-door rat poison distributor, watermelon salesman, itinerant Baptist preacher, English as a second language teacher in Russia, paid fitness instructor, and most recently as a reference librarian. At 18 years old, he took the GED and went to the university in his hometown. A member of Phi Kappa Phi, Sherman earned master’s degrees from LSU and Southeastern Louisiana University.

  Sherman's first novel, Welcome to the Fallen Paradise, was published by MacAdam/Cage in 2004. It was named a Best Debut of the Year by The Times-Picayune and a Notable Book by Book Sense. Recently, Welcome to the Fallen Paradise was the sole "Louisiana" pick for Booklist's "Hard-Boiled Gazetteer to Country Noir."

  His writing has appeared in many literary magazines, and one of his short stories was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Sherman lives in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, with his wife and son. His website is daynesherman.com. Zion is his second novel.

  ABOUT THE BOOK

  From the critically-acclaimed author of Welcome to the Fallen Paradise comes a gothic treatment of the American South: a hard-charging depiction of religion, family, friendship, deception, and evil.

  Zion is a literary mystery set in the rural South, the story of a war fought over the killing of hardwoods in Baxter Parish, Louisiana. The tale begins in 1964 and ends a decade later, but the Hardin family, faithful members of Little Zion Methodist Church, will carry the scars for life.

  ABOUT ACCENDO BOOKS

  Founded in 2014, Accendo Books is a small press located in Ham
mond, Louisiana. Taken from the Latin, Accendo means to inspire, ignite or kindle. Both fiction and non-fiction will be published in print, electronic, and audio formats. Accendo is a micro-press with a focus on publishing the best books available in print, one book at a time, one author at a time. Our goal is simple: Fine Books. Inspiring Ideas.

  OTHER WORKS BY DAYNE SHERMAN

  Welcome to the Fallen Paradise: A Novel

  By Dayne Sherman

  Tenth Anniversary Edition

  First Published by MacAdam/Cage in 2004

  Reprinted by Accendo Books in 2015

  Baxter Parish, Louisiana, is a bloody place where family tradition is stronger than the law and pride more valuable than life. Thirty-year-old Jesse Tadlock returns home to Packwood Corners to claim his inheritance after a peaceful, if not dull, twelve-year Army hitch. With a steady job, a past love back in his life, and his own land, he thinks he’s outlasted the legacy of violence that has haunted his family.

 

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