The book is magnificent. The plot weaves in and out highlighting issues of supreme importance. Hosea and Oscar Thompson are shadow men. Maybe they killed in the past, Hosea a guard, Oscar a man who bothered his wife. Hosea has an auto yard and towing service and Oscar a barbecue joint in Treetown on the edge of Rio Seco, a seemingly fictitious city east of Los Angeles. The novel includes a sort of coming of age tale of Hosea's youngest son, Marcus, even though Marcus is thirty already. Marcus teaches history at the local high school. Unlike his brothers who work in the car yard and attended the neighborhood school before it was closed when district lines were abolished to achieve integration, he attended college, at least in spurts. Hosea's wife cares for three grandchildren. There is a fire in the yard and two dead white women are discovered in an immovable car on the premises, notwithstanding the fact that the gate was locked. Hosea is shot because he fails to drop his own rifle quickly enough to suit the police, and he is held in the hospital in the jail ward. As the strands of the story develop it becomes apparent that the family is the focus of actions to remove them from their land in the name of progress and aesthetics, aesthetics that is from a white perspective. The circumstances are particularly poignant since Hosea and Oscar moved from Greenwood driven out by the riot and fire in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Thank you Susan Straight. What a joy it is to read your book.

The getting place is the story of marcus and his brother's trying to find out whose being killing people on their father's property. The book show's the importance of family, sibling rivarly, and how the family get through everday problems. The brother's are also reunited with their sister and nephrew, who had left home, and no one knew were she was. I think the author did good in writing about the lifes of black characthers.

Straight give us an utterly new set of insights into the racial dynamics of Southern California. Her characters are brave, complicated, and we care deeply for them. Moreover, she gives readers an unprecedented understanding of the deadly and yet not uncreative and sometimes brilliant workings of gang-banging in African American communities. This complex story of multiple subjectivities is rendered with a style whose beauty is so fierce, it will make you weep.

AN UNFORGETTABLE READING EXPERIENCE.

Absurd Realist poet, translator, and memoirist Ron Padgett, long ensconced in New York's East Village boho Beat & Existentialist milieu, turns to his roots in this tale of Tulsa folklore circling around his father, Wayne Padgett; King of the oil town's bootleggers. The Tulsa time of this wiley tale is somewhere 'tween boom & bust. The earliest reaches extend back two generations to Padgett's granddad Grover, though only briefly touching upon Teddy Roosevelt's trust busters and the populist ferment brewing against BIG OIL. Padgett barely mentions the Tulsa race riots in passing.

Oklahoma was a "dry" state when it came to hootch, but oil lease rigs were still dripping when Wayne Padgett came of age. Though there isn't much of Osage tribal flamboyance on display, as Ron Padgett hews closely to his dad's immediate territory. Terry Wilson's book on the Osages and their visibility in and around Tulsa during the boom years can fill in some of the local composition. Ironically Wilson deploys an absurdist deadpan in chronicling the Osages, close as an academic can come to the style Ron Padgett pioneered earlier in his career writing Beat memoirs & punchline poetry. Wilson cinematically captures the new oil heirs on their joyrides into town having assimilated silk top hats, tux and tails into their tribal regalia. Padgett is challenged with a central subject dry as the Protestant work ethic he embodied, illicit work notwithstanding. Despite the Dixie Mafia contacts and some compulsive gambling that plays out in tragic ways a bit up the family tree, the Padgetts seemed to be straight shooters, with only narrator Ron betraying much of an appetite or curiosity for life lived on the wild side.

The contrasts found within the House of Padgett are the stuff of cross-pollinated literary dreams. Imagine Elmore Leonard or his fictional hardboiled characters holed up in a tornado alley Plains safehouse with Burroughs adding-machine heir and stiff-lipped Wild-side explorer William Burroughs, as this Tulsa teen scene deftly sketches in. Ron Padgett recalls his fledgling effort at publishing an underground lit journal while still in high school and working out of bootleggin' dad's house:

"But the oddity of the larger situation dawned on me only years later: at one end of our house was the office of one of the biggest whiskey businesses in town, while at the other was the 'office' of an avant-garde literary magazine. Really, though, I was simply imitating my dad: I had my office desk, I operated a cottage industry, and I pursued a project that most people would have considered bizarre. But what was truly bizarre was that Daddy was reading Beat and Black Mountain poetry." Wild-eyed ecstasy chasing visionaries such as Ted Berrigan, er rather, a private eye hired by Berrigan's squeeze's proper parents, might stop by the house looking for the literary mentor, only to be gruffly chased off by Big Daddy. How did a high school junior out in the oil & red dirt provinces manage to net a cast of literary luminaries like LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Paul Blackburn, Robert Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ron Loewinsohn, Clarence Major, Gilbert Sorrentino and Berrigan for his WHITE DOVE REVIEW 5x8 1/2 staple job? Just neighborhood luck to have buddy Joe Brainard hangin' out as Art Director. The same Joe Brainard whose too short career retrospective was being exhibited at top tier museums of modern art from Boston to Berkeley a year or so ago. But this is Wayne's story, a different sort of exemplar of Junior Achievment in action.

Don't be put off by the title OKLAHOMA TOUGH. Turns out the subtitled: "My Father, King of the Tulsa Bootleggers" is a tender and flavorful slice of regional folklore. Virtually every minor character does a star turn, burning some bit of colorful essence onto a reader's retina. From the penitentiary cameo by old school toughs like Jew Snyder, to the more fully fleshed out complex shades of modern men-in-the-making like Bobby Bluejacket, the bedrock matriarch Verna Padgett, and the younger generation roadhouse loves from whom off-the-cuff wisdom literature flows in Ron Padgett's interview tapes, one only wishes this memorable Tulsa tale included an index. If this ever makes it to the big screen I have no suggestions for the casting of King Wayne or Boho Scribe Ron. But the soundtrack wouldn't be complete without some ol' J.J. Cale-Leon Russell seductive shuffles, Jimmy LaFave dustbowl retreads and the Red Dirt Rangers' roadhouse stomps.

A very well written story that depicts an unique individual living in an intriguing time and place. Wayne Padgett is a compelling and contradictory man, some one I would like to get to know. Reading this book is like having a conversation with this powerful figure.

This gripped me from beginning to end: a very finely drawn portrait of a man of unusual quality. Anyone who's ever been drawn to the "outlaw" mystique will appreciate the opportunity to see how it begins, lives, and ends in Wayne Padgett, the author's father. A terrific read.

Since I have bought this cookbook, I turn to it more often than any of my other cookbooks. I've tried about 25 of the recipes and have been very happy with each one. My two favorites are the tortilla soup and Turkey Mountain salad. The tortilla soup is the best I have ever eaten, and is so easy!

A wonderful array of recipes for cooks of all abilities!
The food styling and photography are beautiful as well as the cover. It could be a coffee-table book if you get it off your kitchen counter. I also enjoyed reading all the oil history and helpful hunts sprinkled among the pages.
Try the "Frangelico Fantasy Dessert", "T-Town Brisket" and "Curried Spinach and Apple Dip". Mmmmmm!

"At once meticulously factual and riveting, Alfred Brophy's moving account of a 1921 race riot that destroyed an economically self-reliant, vibrant African-American community clarifies why political action and enforcement of legal and human rights are indispensable prerequisites for black economic opportunity and material progress. Brophy also clarifies why Americans need to find the courage to acknowledge injustices of the recent past and contrive amends to help heal still-unresolved consequences scarring both victims and perpetrators." --Jane Jacobs

"A timely contribution to a variety of important and contentious discussions involving American history, African-American culture, and the problems encountered in attempting to right past wrongs...Brophy reminds us that deadly, cruel, racial violence is not something that only happens 'out there' in the rest of the world but is something that has also happened here in the United States on a massive scale and that just as others out there have fallen short in reckoning with their pasts, so too have Americans." --Randall Kennedy, from the Foreword

"In his timely, well documented and powerfully written book, Reconstructing the Dreamland, Professor Al Brophy vividly illustrates a chapter of America's sordid racist past by focusing on the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921. If we are to transcend the barriers to racial progress, we all must read Brophy's compelling work and use it as a seminal case in our path to avoid conflicts at all costs. Simply put, Professor Brophy's book is the best-written account of the Tulsa riots, and captures the people of Tulsa's resolve to never allow a similar travesty to occur again. Every person interested in racial justice should have this book at his or her disposal." --Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Professor Brophy has performed a great public service by writing a powerful, yet concise book about one of the most deadly race riots in United States history. On May 31, 1921, whites attacked black residents of the Greenwood addition of Tulsa, Oklahoma, burning, looting, and murdering. This book is absorbing, upsetting and fair.

Professor Brophy's work is meticulously researched and heavily footnoted. In addition to investigation of the riot by in-depth research of the available legal materials that were generated by the riot, Professor Brophy has relied heavily upon the news accounts and editorials of the two largest black newspapers in Oklahoma at that time, the Black Dispatch in Oklahoma City, and the Tulsa Star in Tulsa. These two newspapers displayed stunning activism and fearlessness in criticizing the actions of whites who committed criminal acts against blacks during the riot, and at other times during that time period. It is interesting that blacks, who had been aroused by recent lynchings of blacks in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, had vowed to forcibly resist further lynching. The Tulsa Riot itself was set in motion by black concern over the arrest of a black who had been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a white female elevator operator, and was accelerated by white violence in response.

If this murderous event had occurred today, the City of Tulsa would have been liable under civil rights laws. The city issued special deputy badges to virtually anyone who asked for it, regardless of background or qualifications. Some of these "special deputies" were undoubtedly the main criminal actors in the riot, and city law enforcement officials did little, if anything, to stop their crimes. The city's use of these unqualified whites as law enforcement officers, who burned, looted and shot black residents of Greenwood, make an excellent case for reparations for those victims of the criminal activity in Tulsa who are still living and who were affected by the riot.

This book sheds great light on a terrible event, and is highly recommended.

David W. Lee
Edmond, OK

"It was a dark and stormy night." Thus begins this tale of murder on Old Highway 66, down Sapulpa way. In my book, William Sanders is one of The Great American Writers. He even makes that taboo (according to English lit majors) intro shine!

In this series, Taggart Roper, potential writer of The Great American Novel, moonlights as a Private Investigator to keep his pot boiling. This time out, Roper is reluctantly assisting his former '60's music idol, Hondo Loomis - who can't play as well as he used to due to losing an arm in an accident. Hondo now owns The Flying Tiger Club - complete with the John Wayne Movie Poster and that old World War II plane relic Up On the Roof - out on Old 66. Is someone attempting blackmail? Why? The pacing and characterizations are grabbing and the writing sublime. Come away with him, Lucille!
Reviewed by TundraVision

Eddie Faye Gates is a very good author. Her down to earth writing style is easy to read and enjoy.

Tulsa Burning is the story of a young boy, Nobe,who grows up on a farm and does not have a very good home life. His father is a drunk and is always off spending the little money his family has and then comes home to abuse him and his mother. This is the start of the over all theme of this book which is dealing with hate taking over peoples lives. Nobe's father eventually dies and his mother is forced to leave the farm and move in with the town sheriff and his dying wife. Nobe does not want to live with the sherrif and when he refuses to go the sherrif shoots his dog, escallating the hate with in Nobe. This story is also about the true event of Tulsu Oklahoma breaking out in a race riot and the eventual burning of the African-American portion of Tulsa. This just re-inforces the hate theme that is going on throughout the book. This story takes place after the slaves were free but before equal rights and Nobe has a friend that is African-American and living in Tulsa when the riots break out. Nobe hears that his friend has been hurt and rushes to Tulsa to try and save his friend. This is the climax of the story and from here Nobe begings to come to the realization of what hate can do to a persons life when it consumes it. Over all an excellent read and I would highly reccommend it.

RIOT AND REMEMBRANCE is a detailed look at the tragic Tulsa race war of 1921. The 1921 Tulsa race war story is simular to the well-known Rosewood, Florida event but on a much larger scale.

Mr. Hirsch includes both sides of the "truth", the black truth and the white truth. The entire event had been essentially remove from hisory until recently.

Mr. Hirsh's attention to detail makes one feel like they were in Tulsa MAY 1921. The racist Jim Crow laws along with the irresponsible Tulsa Tribune's reporting created an atmosphere that turned a simple misunderstanding into a race war.

African-Americans dared to stand up for themselves and the result was the entire Greenwood section of Tulsa was obiterated. Afterwards the city attempted to then take the Greenwood area away from the land owners.

Mr Hirsch includes testamony and documentation from black and white folks that were involved directly and via historical research.

He shows us how the story went from a whisper to the front page of major newspaper as the story was exposed.

See from a modern point of view, the fact that an event even approaching this scale actually took place is surreal. The nefarious pathological additude towards African-Americans during this time in history is beyond comprehension.

I had only heard of the Tulsa race riot of 1921 a few years ago, even though I went to high school in the early 1980s in Bartlesville, OK, 45 miles north of Tulsa (and have driven on the highways that now run through the Greenwood section more times than I can count). I remember the fear that was passed on to me about that section of Tulsa and the dread of facing students from its high school whenever we played them in football, a darker fear than seemed warranted for a city of its size. Now, knowing the history of the race riots and the fears both sides had of sparking another one, I understand why.

Hirsch does an amazing job of piecing together from both "official" and oral history the story of the riot, as well as what led up to it, and the racial climate surrounding the event. While he clearly favors the "black" side of the story, he doesn't give in to the most extreme views, and he does give the "white" views time and space. He also points out the difficult questions of reparations, and why there are no easy answers. Most importantly, "Riot and Remembrance" shows the readers why history can never be neatly tied up and packaged. We will probably never know the details of what happened on the ugly night and day of May 31-June 1, 1921, in Tulsa. We'll never know for sure the death toll, or what exactly was in the hearts of the African-Americans, the "ruffian" white, or the city leaders who coveted the Greenwood land. But at least with Hirsch's book, we have a chance to ponder all sides and draw our own conclusions.

And, by the way, this is one Oklahoman who thinks the state and city SHOULD pay reparations in the form of scholarships and economic development in North Tulsa. I suspect I am in the minority, though!

In addition to an important new chapter about race relations in America, James Hirsch's book is must reading for anyone interested in how histories are suppressed and can be rescued. There is no more important story that no one knows than the one covered here. The fact that the Tulsa riot never made it into our history books makes one wonder what other aspects of our collective past have slipped our notice.

Letha caught my attention from the opening paragraphs throughout. I enjoyed Viv's rather logical, organized point of view. She's written a sort of no-nonsense work by a reporter..a media member. Now, just how unusual is that? Very. It made me want to keep reading and I enjoyed the read. In addition, interesting and unique names for characters shifted through the book, often used next to more ordinary names. I liked Tapply and Viv, Mica, Allan Jakes, and, of course,the more usual, Charley. I hope Letha keeps writing and keeps expanding her knowledge and craft. If she does, I will keep reading them.

I have written and had publsihed two mysteries and I appreciate her economical style and use of words. As a fellow author, I appreciated her more or less absence of gimick and what I considered the directness of the story. Since I used to live in Wichita and would drive into Oklahoma, I can appreciate her setting and relate to it. She's a fair author, ought to be on a screen credit for a tv movie sometime for this one.

Thanks, Letha, and you and the other Diva's keep on penning 'em! I'll keep on buying 'em when you write 'em.

Lance Pearson

I'm not historically a lover of mysteries as I have found them to be too plot-driven for my taste. A few exceptions are Elizabeth George's books and Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money" series, both of which have me hooked because of the complex, likeable characters and the excellent writing. I admit that I was skeptical about "Tulsa Time" when my grandmother recommended it; I figured she was biased because the author is related somehow (fifth cousin to me, I think). But I dutifully read the book and was quickly pulled into the life of Viv and her relationship with Charley and completely related to her hard-headed determination to uncover the truth of his charges in spite of his warnings for her to keep out of it. I also must admit that I smugly thought I had it all figured out about 1/3 through the book, but didn't care because I was no longer in it for the mystery but for the great read. I as wrong anyway. I loved how it ended with the mystery solved although with some acknowledged loose ends and a realistic aversion to a pat all's-well ending. I would definitely like to read more by Letha Albright -- another mystery with the same lead character would be terrific, but I'd love to follow wherever the author is inspired to go, too!

It's hard to tell if Letha Albright should be labeled an "up-and-comer" - it's just too early. Her first published novel, Tulsa Time, is a wonderful book, but it almost seems as something that can't (or shouldn't) stand alone.

That's not an insult by a long shot. It's just that Viv Powers, the book's main character, has not developed herself enough in Albright's debut effort to satisfy most readers.

Such is the frustration with such well-crafted first-time novels. Viv is so utterly interesting, the depth of her character could easily be explored over a half-dozen more books. At the end of the novel, the only things noticeably lacking are sequels.

Viv, a small-town journalist, is thrown into a world of trouble when her significant other (Charlie) is charged with murdering Gil, his band's manager. With Charlie maintaining silence even to his lover, Viv decides to investigate (the mark of a true journalist!) and begins to uncover Charlie and his band's rocky past.

A good mystery should have two things. First, it needs a likeable (or at least interesting) hero(ine). Second, it needs the hooks and barbs that keep readers interested and guessing "whodunit." Tulsa Time succeeds on both accounts.

Viv reminds me much of another mystery heroine - Kay Scarpetta from Patricia Cornwell's books (From Potter's Field, Cause of Death, etc.): strong-willed, stubborn, passionate.

The book holds interest well with short chapters and many twists. It describes with great beauty and care the setting of Talequah and Tulsa, Okla., with out drenching the reader in detail. Several other people who have read this book agree that it is nearly impossible to guess the culprit until the last 10 pages or so.

Get a copy of this book - it's worthy of two reads (at least) - and keep your fingers crossed for a sequel. (4.5 stars)