Beale Street Dynasty

January 12, 2015
Music journalist Lauterbach (The Chitlin Circuit) brings the history of Memphis to life in this vivid reconstruction of its volatile history from the Civil War up to the 1940s, focusing on the celebrated center of sex, sin, and song: Beale Street. He weaves the development of Beale Street as an area of black cultural and political influence with the rise and fall of Robert Church—the South’s first black millionaire—and his son, Robert Church Jr., both of whom played instrumental roles in vice and civil rights over the decades. Lauterbach also concentrates on the career of E.H. “Boss” Crump, who all but controlled the city’s political machine for years, and touches upon a wide cast of colorful characters, such as W.C. Handy, the “Father of the Blues.” It’s an engaging, entertaining, and thorough history in its coverage of crime and politics, though, this being Beale Street, more attention to the city’s musical history, particularly the blues scene, would have been welcome. Still, Lauterbach superbly handles the city’s race relations and the black struggle for equality; and in addressing greed, violence, decadence, desperation, and change, he paints a wonderful portrait of a city in flux and a neighborhood’s lasting, though oft-overlooked, legacy. Agent: Paul Bresnick, Paul Bresnick Literary Agency.

February 1, 2015

Lauterbach (The Chitlin' Circuit) tells the remarkable story of Robert Church (1839-1912), a former slave who would become the South's first African American millionaire, and his son, Robert Jr., who used his fortune and alliances to become one of the most powerful African American political operatives in the country. Their stories are interwoven with many others, who are often equally fascinating, including the influential journalist Ida Wells, political boss E.H. Crump, and W.C. Handy, the band leader and songwriter often hailed as the "father of the blues." All are tied together by connections to Beale Street, which was for decades the main artery of the Memphis African American community. Known first for its brothels and gambling venues and then later as the home of some of the country's best blues musicians, Beale Street and its residents offer a compelling story of life in the rapidly changing South between the Civil War and World War II. VERDICT While sex and song (as promised in the book's subtitle) are present at times, this account is really about politics and power in a major Southern city. Recommended for all readers interested in Memphis or in African American history. [See Prepub Alert, 10/13/14.]--Nicholas Graham, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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