Plainspeak

For many years, I have regarded the literary voice of Dixon Hearne as one of the most distinguished voices of the American South. After reading Plainspeak: New and Selected Poems, however, I quickly realized that his poetic voice is equally effective in capturing the very essence of the American West: its native peoples, flora, fauna, and starkly beautiful landscapes. In this remarkable collection of poetry, Hearne writes of the Apache, Crow, Lakota, Anasazi, Caddo, and the "crying voices" of the Choctaw on the Trail of Tears. He writes of the wind whispering through the skulls of countless buffalo slaughtered almost to extinction. If the vast landscapes of the West could speak, they would do so in a spare, highly skilled, and powerfully evocative voice like Hearne's.
—Larry D. Thomas, Member, Texas Institute of Letters, 2008 Texas Poet Laureate

Delta Flats: Stories
in the Key of Blues and Hope

From the piney hills of northern Louisiana to the raw and decadent streets of New Orleans, Delta Flats: Stories in the Key of Blues and Hope records the daily lives of its characters with a poetic rhythm that evokes the ebb and flow of life itself. Dixon Hearne is a master at capturing the “blue reality” of life, moments―both large and small―that define the hot days and long nights of the deep south. With language as gritty as the blues and as beautiful as a gospel choir, he juxtaposes the downtrodden with the hopeful and the darkness with the light and plays out each story with deft, lyrical descriptions that make the reader want to laugh and sing with joy. 

Read Review: Clarion Ledger

From Tickfaw to Shongaloo is a comic Southern tale told in the first person by Raylene, a local gossip in little Stokely, Louisiana. Bert Dilly the postmaster (we learn, has been spreading town gossip like everyone else), fueled by his habit of being a little too involved with the local mail (opened or not). A disgruntled maiden lady writes a scathing letter of complaint, which is reported to the stat postmaster, and Bert’s brother, J.T., accuses Bert of mental incompetence (he wants the family land). Bert is replaced until the charges can be taken up by a federal court in Baton Rouge.

Most of the town rallies around Bert, but the hearing devolves into a kangaroo court, turning citizens against each other, egged on by a crooked lawyer who crumbles when the whole matter blows up in his face, through his own arrogance and igorance of certain facts (crazy as they were). After three days of ridiculous testimony and unreliable evidence, the judge must make his landmark decision about Bert, the mail, and gossip in Stokely, Louisiana—where the townsfolk can hardly wait to exchange their own versions of honest truth.

Southeast Missouri State University Press

 2014 Faulkner-Wisdom Competition, Second Place, judged by Moira Crone.

"My travels throughout the United States have left an indelible mark on my perceptions about the eternal connection between environment and human behavior. Native Voices, Native Lands is a collection of poetry and short fiction exploring people and places in the American landscape –particularly the American South, Midwest, and Southwest. Through words and images I hope to capture some of these salient features and spiritual connections – leaving my own literary footprints in the sands of American thought and culture."

— Dixon Hearne

Plantatia: High-toned and Lowdown Stories of the South
    

When Christmas Was Real - Stories, Memoirs and Poetry
   

A collection of my Christmas stories and memoirs set in Louisiana.

Cover art is by Alice Moseley, Mississippi folk artist.

If there is one universal impulse that drives the human spirit, it is celebration. It cuts across all ages, cultures, and nationalities. It reflects in great part who we are. Our calendars are crowded with dates set aside to revel, commemorate – even atone. We yearn to express who we are collec­tively, to pause from the drone of our daily lives to share special times with friends and loved ones, days we commonly refer to as “holidays.”

The word “holiday” derives from holy day, refer­ring to any day set aside for religious observance. Although many holidays have re­mained linked to world faiths and religion, we have added a number of secular holidays to our calendars over the centu­ries. Most nations, in fact, pause to pay tribute to traditions and significant events in their history.

The holiday stories, poetry, and memoirs in this book speak to the human heart, make us laugh, and remind us of the importance of fellowship and sharing. From poems of New Year’s revelry to tales of Christmas, readers will be treated to a veritable cornucopia of images gathered from the holiday spirits of the writers included in this collection. We hope you enjoy our “quilt of holidays.

Thanksgiving to Christmas: A Patchwork of Stories

Dixon Hearne is a contributing author, as well as the editor of a wonderful new collection of short stories and memoir about Thanksgiving and Christmas, from writers all over the United States, Canada, and abroad. The stories range from humor to heartfelt moments to family traditions.