"The view is from the womb in Jackson's extraordinary debut, most of which is narrated by L'il Lisa, who begins speaking to us five months into her mother Anna's pregnancy... [excerpt] ...(Jackson's) descriptions are understated but evocative, his dialog natural and true to period regional idiom. A formidable craftsman and exceptionally gifted storyteller, he has written a haunting story."
- Publisher's Weekly, Starred review (12/96)

"Jackson has created a memorable and genuine heroine."
- Merle Rubin, The Christian Science Monitor

"This beautiful written novel, as if lit by the softest, loveliest light...tells it all with an accomplished writer's grace and confidence and clear-eyed compassion."
- Susan Larson, The Times-Picayune

"If there is any debate about the potential of the young lions coming on the scene, that will be eliminated by the arrival of Brian Keith Jackson's The View from Here."
- Bookpage

"With the storyteller's gift for the vivid and the direct, Jackson has put together a first novel that reminds us that even in suffering and heartache one can find as he puts it, a 'recipe of joy.'"
- Bay Windows(Boston)

"Like the aerodynamically incorrect bumblebee, Jackson's debut novel should not fly, but does - and wonderfully so."
- Library Journal

"[Jackson] presents a female point of view with a commitment and sympathy almost nonexistent in novels by black men."
- Raleigh News & Observer

"Such sensitivity, coupled with the ability to realistically portray a woman's emotions, make Jackson a writer to watch in the future."
- The Orlando Sentinel

"[Jackson] makes a stunning literary debut with a cast of characters whose roots are as deep as the landscape they inhabit."
- Bay Area Reporter

"The View from Here is a novel worth investing in because Jackson is on his way as a top-notch storyteller."
- The Clarion Ledger

"Brian Keith Jackson weaves a riveting and powerful tale that heralds the arrival of an innovative and intelligent new voice. In the The View From Here, Jackson's lyrical mastery of language, reminiscent of John Edgar Wideman, gives readers a first look at a sensitive male novelist who writes from a place deeper than the heart."
- E.Lynn Harris, author of And This Too Shall Pass

"Read with wonder and gratitude this tender, wise novel of women's lives and welcome a fresh new voice to the company of storytellers like Kaye Gibbons."
- Sandra Scofield, author of A Chance to See Egypt

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Brian Keith Jackson. He's seen what you've seen and heard what you've heard, but he has the eye and ear of a true storyteller, and a storyteller's ability to tell the old tales with fresh words and fresh insight."
- Dale Peck, author of The Law of Enclosures and Martin and John

TALKING WITH . . . BRIAN KEITH JACKSON

Q: THE VIEW FROM HERE has such a powerful female voice. How does a male writer's imagination capture that which is uniquely female, such as pregnancy and maternal emotions?

A: I've always believed that you need not be something in order to have an understanding of it. In a sense, writing a novel is somewhat like giving birth, or the nearest I'll come to it. I carried that feeling with me throughout the process. Now that I've sent my "baby" out into the world, I can only trust that I've nutured her in a way that she can stand on her own. That's what any good parent strives for.

Q: How does a guy living in New York City write a novel so evocative of a specific time and place in rural Mississippi sometime in the early fifties?

A: Every place and time has a story worth telling. Living in such a fast-paced environment I had to find a way to get away from that, if only in the confines of my imagination. The pace and allure associated with the South suits me and the story.

Q: I understand you're a bit of a techno-phobe? I've been told that you even wrote your first draft in longhand. Isn't that unusual for a twentysomething writer?

A: I'm reminded of that constantly. Perhaps I'm living in the wrong era. While most of my friends are e-mail fanatics, I'm an avid letter writer, which, unfortunately, is a dying art. There's nothing like receiving a letter, particularly when the phrase "amount now owed" is nowhere to be found.

Q: You recently travelled around the world alone. Any inspirational mat erial for future novels?

A: Definitely. When you travel alone it's necessary to extend yourself. "Depend on the kindness of strangers," as it were. In that, a great deal is learned not only about others, but about oneself. Now I have friends around the world and if I'm lucky, they'll write me letters.

Dear Ida Mae:

I have a moment, so I had to make myself cherish the stillness, as it doesn't come easily these days. Not a day goes by that I don't look out in the distance, hoping, wishing I'd see a vision of you coming my way. Many of those days, I truly believe I see you, the sway of your dress and that glow about you. But as my heart starts to dance, I know that it's just my mind playing a lonely tune, leaving me blinded by what I can't see. So, yes, I write to fill the stillness. I have so many letters to you but no way of sending them. The mailman is a constant reminder of that. Still, I hold on to them, sure that one day, I'll be able to pass them on to you. For now, they serve as much out of need as desire...

I'm pleased to say I'm expecting another baby. You're the first person I've told, and it feels good to say it - if not out loud, then on paper. I've been looking for the right time to tell Joseph. I fear there is no such thing as the right time. All the same, this baby is growing inside me. This one is a girl, Ida Mae. I just know it. I know it sounds crazy, but I can feel the difference. Momma's not here to tell me, but some things you just know...