THE LAST TRAIN NORTH

Born in the Mississippi Delta in the mid-1940’s, this African-American writer grew up on stories about a different life up North. Taulbert left for St. Louis and the good life right after high school. Life was different all right, especially with both the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War escalating. James reads three speech patterns brilliantly. At first, his interpretation of young Clifton sounds generic. As the story unfolds, Clifton explains how he intentionally shed his Delta dialect. When Taulbert returns home for his first visit, the listener realizes how well James distinguishes the speech patterns and dialects of Southern blacks, Northern blacks and non-blacks of both regions. D.W.K. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 95]