Life in Reverse

Starting from present and going back 30 years to 1990, the book about African-American jazz musician Ron Westray’s life journey is written in reverse. The writing is rigorous—flanked by hip-hop, Southern, and ebonic dialects—and includes jazz lingo, texting-shorthand and use of emojis. 

Written in reverse, the chapters go backwards. The book starts from present (approximately Chapter 50, 2020, back 30 years, to Chapter 20, 1990). The story coincides with an imbedded “road itinerary.” Years are rarely mentioned in the text; and, in most cases, only initials are used for all characters. People, places and things are all real in relation to the timeline. The work involves the interpolation of common conversations—from sources such as texting and emails—to shed light on the fallibility of human relations. To a large degree, and within reason, the length of conversations are meant to be overbearing, countered by other aspects of the writing. Ron Westray’s father and grandfather’s stories are imbedded in the work. His mother’s free-verse-poetry is the muse/soul that binds the work together like a second, invisible narrator.