Member Beem

Beem Weeks is an author of novels, short stories, and essays. He is also an editor, audio/video producer, blogger, and the host of the Voice of Indie podcast.

Jazz Baby Review   (Reviewed by LL Book Review) Imagine a coming-of-age protagonist who is a mix of Scout Finch (a few years older) and Holden Caulfield (a few years younger), navigating an adult world of Blue Velvet type characters. Reading Jazz Baby, a distinctly Southern novel by Beem Weeks, one can't help associate other literary works and films; yet this remarkable novel manages to etch out its own identity. Pubescent and pretty, precocious and impetuous, Emily Ann (Baby) Teegarten is growing up fast in Rayford, Mississippi in the Jazz Age. There she harbours grand aspirations to sing jazz in New York. Her parents are encouraging but too poor to help on their own. A rich couple offers to take Emily Ann to a church in Jackson to audition for a scholarship. She sings beautifully but sounds, "a bit too Negro for a white child," according to the pastor. When the pastor adds that they can, "train that heathen tone from your voice," Emily Ann`s reaction, while saving her integrity, ruins any chance at a scholarship. A family friend, Tanyon Thibbedeaux, plucks her away. At least he appreciates her talent for what it is and envisions her singing at speakeasies across the river, in New Orleans. He also breaks the news to Emily Ann that, during her absence, her father died. Furthermore, the death was at the hands of Emily Ann's mother. The orphaned girl is taken in by her righteous, but loving and stable, Aunt Frannie. This complicates Tanyon's and Emily Ann's plans. But she's a clever girl despite her age. She discovers how to use her sexuality--which carries more value than real money in Rayford--to get friends to help distract her aunt so she can get away on her excursions with Tanyon to the Big Easy. New Orleans speeds up Emily Ann's growth as she encounters people for whom money is more important than sex, particularly big time gangster, Frank Rydekker. She's there to sing but many people eye her for another profitable vocation. With the help of Tanyon, her de facto guardian now, Emily Ann manages to steer clear of real trouble for a while. But when Tanyon betrays her to save his own hide, she's forced to fend for herself in a volatile world of prostitution, booze, drug use, and some hardcore men and women ready to use and abuse her. It's a hard story. But what comes through so wonderfully in all this is the first-person voice of Emily Ann. Nothing's held back; no self-consciousness. While her unbridled and indiscriminate sexual thoughts might give pause to some readers, they shouldn't, because there is no hint of gratuitousness. Emily Ann's immaturity keeps her perspective so natural, ironic, and even humorous. Sad too, such as how she struggles with her feelings for her mother when Emily Ann visits her in jail: Raising a child had never occupied a foremost spot on whatever agenda guided Mama's life. I reckon in her eyes motherhood appeared as one of those strange abstract paintings that mostly confuse folks as to the artist's intentions. All those whispers of "She'll grow into it" faded like worthless cobwebs by my tenth year, when the woman still showed no interest in helping me along. And I ain't even mad at her, neither. Some women just ain't meant for mothering. I only wish she hadn't taken Papa away. The mix of characters is another terrific aspect of this novel. Many would be unlikeable in real life but their self-serving actions are understandable in the context of their situations. We pull for Emily Ann but we kind of get those who intend her harm, or at least we can't hate them. They are what they are, very much in the Flannery O'Connor sense. But not everyone is out to do harm to our heroine. She develops good connections with various people--some of whom meet with tragic results--who provide some redemption of humanity for her. But it's Emily Ann who truly comes into her own. Only a tough and honestly portrayed character such as this could survive all she encounters. In The Virgin Suicides (book and film), Cecilia declares to the physician who stitches up her wrists after her attempted suicide: "Obviously, Doctor, you've never been a thirteen-year-old girl." The author of this novel, Beem Weeks, obviously is not a 13-year-old girl either, but he sure narrates convincingly as one. Jazz Baby is intense, raw, erotic, violent, and often uncomfortably sensuous, which makes it so different from To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye . But like those classics, the protagonist is fresh and compelling, her story brilliantly conveyed. One of the most accomplished self-published works I've read. ================================================================= Strange HWY Review (Reviewed by author Jan Sikes) I am a huge fan of the works of Beem Weeks and this collection of short stories did not disappoint. From the first tale, "Alterations," to the last "Looking For Lucy," I was captivated. Short stories, like their longer counterparts, must have a beginning, middle, and end. Each of these nineteen short stories did just that. I am hard pressed to pick a favorite, but four stand out on a personal level. In "Alterations," we see a young girl's lack of judgment causing ripples of repercussion that even took a life. Well told, believable and gripping, I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. "Memory of a Robot," is a story about a father with a huge imagination that loved to entertain and challenge his children. But, "Family Tradition," carried the biggest unseen twist of all the stories, in my opinion. The secrets that are revealed in death are sometimes the most shocking. "It's Only Sex," is a tale of desperation. I held my breath as Melissa left the house to get much-needed money for the family with paid sex. I won't give away the ending, but it was most satisfactory. All-in-all, this is a well-written compilation of short stories, each unique and different, but with the author's most notable trait, the ability to "Show not Tell!" Great stories!! I highly recommend it. ================================================================= Slivers of Life Review (Reviewed by author Soooz Burke) Beautifully captured moments in time. A must read. Moods of darkness and light within these pages take the reader on an emotional roller coaster. Author Beem Weeks first captured my attention with “Jazz Baby” a full-length novel which introduced me to his marvelous and gritty writing style. “Slivers Of Life” grabbed my attention from paragraph one and held it throughout. This collection is at times devastatingly honest in its portrayal of man’s ability to disown some emotions and replace them with a more acceptable truth. Author Beem Weeks has crafted tales reflective at times on the outcome of human disinterest and a thirst for vengeance, or the craving for a connection to each other that humankind needs … and he has done it beautifully. His innate ability to hear every nuance of spoken dialogue and reproduce it so well is his gift to us as readers. These stories touched me, they evoked thoughts and remembered feelings so strongly that I was saddened when the collection reached its end. That for me is the X Factor! That intangible something that will have me reading and re-reading Slivers of Life for the pleasure it brings and the questions I ask myself when it’s done. ================================================================= The Thing About Kevin Review (Reviewed by author Rhani D'Chae) The Thing About Kevin is the latest offering from master storyteller Beem Weeks. This gripping short story packs a full-length novel into about 7,000 perfectly-written words, and is a prime example of this author's skill. After an extended absence, Jacob returns home to attend his father's funeral. Reconnecting with family and an old flame opens doors to long buried secrets, including the whereabouts of his older brother. There were a couple of questions that I would have liked better answers for, but that's a small matter and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the read. This is writing at its best, and I highly recommend adding this book to your collection.