Brad Watson's grandparents, Earl and Maggie Mae, his father, Robert Earl, and his aunt, Margie, lived directly behind me — and across Highway 45N — when I was growing up in Marion. If you remember going into the Vanity Boot Shop, you may have run into Brad (born in 1955) crawling around on the floor being chased around by his mother, Bonnie, Robert Earl's wife. The Watsons owned "Willow Lake", a 25+ acre paradise just north of Marion where I spent a lot of time fishing and learning how to water ski. I've been in touch with Brad via e-mail to congratulate him on his work and to exchange a tidbit of family information.
Brad's first novel: "The Heaven of Mercury" is set in a highly fictionalized Meridian (Mercury=Meridian) with rich images of our hometown. The deeply drawn characters resemble certain folks I think I recognize, but they are presented, as they should be, in such a way as to defy concrete identification. I love his vague, but discretely disguised Threefoot Building. I've read this book twice, enjoying it more the second time through. If you have not done so, I strongly recommend reading it — and his wonderful short stories, too . Brad Watson is a terrific writer. Importantly, he loves dogs and writes about them. That alone made me a fan. You should read his stuff.
He's another homeboy who done done good.
Click on:
If you don't know about him, you should.
A Review of Heaven of Mercury by Southern Scribe
A recent short story by Brad Watson in The New Yorker, "Visitation".
And a thoughtful, insightful review of "Visitation".
Homeboy done done good.
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