A Short History of a Small Place

Having to leave early, I didn't feel like I had closure as to our discussion of this book, but now, stopping to think, I probably heard most of the main ideas. We seemed to enjoy the general attitude of the book, with the quirky characters and the stream-of-consciousness writing; but we didn't seem to feel it was worth taking the time to read every word. And, because the main aspect of the book is in the actual experience of reading it, rather than in a plot, the book didn't lend itself well to skimming or speedreding. So, it seemed a larger number of us than usual had not finished the book. Do those who skim or speedread "finish" a book that does have a plot?

I received a forwarded joke this past week that reminded me of this book. Here it is:

Title: Lawyers Should Never ask a Mississippi Grandma a Question if They Aren't Prepared for the Answer

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly women to the stand. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me? She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied, "Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney nearly died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair."