Meridian Rising
Meridian Rising is Paul Burch’s inventive, entertaining historical novel about influential American singer and musician Jimmie Rodgers.
Rodgers, with his distinctive “blues yodeling” style, influenced American blues, folk, and country music. Evoking the emerging music culture of early twentieth-century America, his story is told here via imagined memoirs, letters, historical photographs, and fictional interviews with his friends, fellow musicians, and business associates. Descriptions of his early life in Mississippi point to the influence of his Aunt Dora, who taught him “all kinds of stuff,” as well as his fascination with the circus and his experiences as a railroad brakeman.
Riffing on documented facts, legends, and speculation, the passages of Rodgers’s “autobiography” reflect his droll, mischievous humor, as with an amusing episode in which he unveils “Thanks” painted on the back of a custom Martin guitar. Comparing the exquisite rosewood instrument to his “old 0018 box,” he observes, “The unplanned child will often beat the planned child in a knife fight.” He also has witty and ruminative exchanges with H. C. Speir, an influential Mississippi record store owner and music scout who is one of the first to record his music. There are descriptive profiles of Rodgers’s contemporaries, including Maybelle Carter and Howlin’ Wolf, too.
Rodgers has a dark side: He drinks, gambles, and has money troubles, frittering away the fortune he makes with his music. His death of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-five and reported addictions to morphine lead the book to a tragic end: “I suppose this story of mine is all about dreaming of leaving and dreaming of arriving. When you know you’re gonna leave the party early you notice a lot more.”
Meridian Rising is an imaginative, insightful biographical novel about an inimitable musician who had a fascinating influence on American music.
Reviewed by
Kristen Rabe
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
