Red Stick Men: Stories

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Summary: Missing Life in Louisiana
Review: Having grown up in south Louisiana, I can identify with the characters and life struggles that Tim Parrish portrays in his impressive collection of short stories, Red Stick Men.

We all know a hardware man, an exterminator and a foreman that has unassumingly crossed our path in life, 'just doing their jobs'. It is underneath this superficial blue-collar identity, that we come to know what is REAL about these people, their innermost thoughts, feelings and dreams. In reading Parrish's book, we become privy to the lives of 'common folk' in Louisiana. We learn of the pains of growing up from Jeb ("Bonnie Ledet", "It Pours"), the struggles of love and healing from Bob ("Hardware Man," "Exterminator") and the future of life as we think we know it ("After the River"). It is in this ability to portray the humanness of people without loosing sight of the meaning in life, that Tim Parrish succeeds in giving us a slice of Louisiana's "joie de vie".

No matter how long ago, nor how far I may live from my native Louisiana, memories of the people and places that make it 'home' come flooding back as a result of reading Tim Parrish's book. For those that are intrigued by the culture of south Louisiana, or are just interested in reading stories of REAL people living life as it is, Red Stick Men by Tim Parrish, is a must read.

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Summary: excellent read
Review: I loved this book--especially the evocation of seventies-era Baton Rouge. Strong characters and a vivid sense of place. Highly recommended for those who love their short stories clean and unvarnished.

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Summary: Great coming of age.
Review: Tim Parrish does a wonderful job of bringing his young male, and female characters to life in these stories com plete with their southern creole accents in tact. Its a book that almost any man can relate to his youth and indentify with some of the things happening in these stories. They bring back a real sence of nestalgia. They may not be of events thats actually heppened to you but they are universal enough to transend certain cultural boundries. Parrish tells some delightfull stories, not too deep or bruting just really good tales. Will the female population like it or relate as much? probably not but if you liked the movie "Stand By Me" then you will like the book too. and