Chinaberry Sidewalks

It took all of Parts 1 and 2 before I could avoid being distracted by the stilted diction in Chinaberry Sidewalks. Why and HOW does a man from humble beginnings write about his formative years in language that is so jam-packed with polysyllabic words? Such diction is out of place in the 21st century unless the memoir is written by a professor for other scholars. I question how much Gary...more

It took all of Parts 1 and 2 before I could avoid being distracted by the stilted diction in Chinaberry Sidewalks. Why and HOW does a man from humble beginnings write about his formative years in language that is so jam-packed with polysyllabic words? Such diction is out of place in the 21st century unless the memoir is written by a professor for other scholars. I question how much Gary Fisketjon, a man who provided "invaluable help in bringing these pages to life" contributed. Did he provide factual data, help with revisions, or a total rewrite? Read of Crowell's academic background and decide for yourself. However, in this book, Crowell provides truly remarkable verbal snapshots of special moments throughout his childhood. His childhood was brim-full of poignant incidents. You'd swear those moments were videotaped. How else could he recall everything as clearly as he did in Chinaberry Sidewalks? There were no such recording devices available back then to Rodney or his financially struggling parents. Honestly, the times he describes in such detail were traumatic enough for a person to travel to adulthood with such memories intact inside.   hide