The Bear Bryant Funeral Train

by Brad Vice

Exquisitely timed, self-inflicted jolts of southern gothicism and a rich variety of characters come together in this collection of nine stories that range widely in place and time. Winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction.

Genres: Short Stories

170 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Brad Vice's stories have been published in many journals and magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, The Southern Review, The Greensboro Review, The Georgia Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, The Carolina Quarterly, and Shenandoah. His work earned recognition in New Stories from the South 1997 and Best New American Voices 2003, and he has written book reviews for the San Francisco Chronicle.

After receiving his doctoral degree at the University of Cincinnati, Vice taught American literature and creative writing at Arkansas Tech University and Mississippi State University. In 2007, he moved to Plzen, Czech Republic, where he now teaches at the University of West Bohemia.

Reviews

[Lawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bear Bryant Funeral Train, The crucifixion of an American Writer, Brad Vice


Brad Vice

I know Brad Vice, he's a native of my home town, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His family still lives here. Around here we call his folks, "Good People." His father, Leon was a County high school history teacher, and his mother, Dorothy, was a radiology technician in our largest hospital, Druid City Regional Medical Facility, otherwise known as DCH. Old habits die hard around here. Like a lot of places around the South, this place is steeped in tradition, truth, legend, and folklore-sometimes, an out and out lie, that everyone knows is a lie, but, DAMN, it makes such a good story.

Brad was born in 1973, about time I was ready to graduate from the University of Alabama. After Brad was more than a glint in his Mama and Daddy's eyes, and was delivered at what we call "Big DCH"--that's Druid City Hospital for you non-natives, I had never heard of Brad. After all, more than a few years separate us in age.

Brad grew up across the river, the Black Warrior River, named after famous Indian Chief Tushkaloosa, who battled against Desoto and his Spanish Conquistadores back in 1540 at a place called Maubila. No one's quite sure where that place was. He grew up in a small town called Northport. It is the home of Tuscaloosa County High School. Back when I went to Tuscaloosa High School, we city kids had an awful superiority complex over the country kids of TCHS. Among other things, we called them "River Rats," which would get you pelted with ice, cups, and less savory things when we took the field at TCHS. They were the Wildcats. We were the Black Bears.

It was one of those great Friday night contests under the lights. What made it special, in those days we played under the lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium, the stomping ground of one of the winningest coaches in NCAA football history, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

But Brad grew up to make a name for himself. One which he was awfully proud of, until he published his first book of nine wonderful short stories, The Bear Bryant Funeral Train.

After graduating from the University of Alabama in 1994, Brad went on to get his Masters at The University of Tennessee (which is almost unpardonable if you are a 'lum of the U of A. After all, as we fans of the Crimson Tide say, "Nothing sucks like a Big Orange." Yes, the colors of Tennessee are Orange and White. Brad went on to obtain his doctorate from The University of Cincinnati. Horrors.

Brad's dissertation consisted of the nine stories that appeared in The Bear Bryant Funeral Train. Brad will tell you that his works are purely post-modernism with a regional bent. Read his fiction and the man knows his stuff, think Don DeLilloand any of a host of others.

Things were looking great for Brad. His stories appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The Georgia Review, The Southern Review, The Greensboro Review, and Shenandoah. His short story "Mojo Farmer" (Just why did that farmer's crops grow so big and fruitful?) was selected for inclusion in the 1997 edition of New Stories From the South, while his story "Report from Junction" was included in the anthology's 2003 edition. His story "Chickensnake" was selected for the 2003 edition of Best New American Voices.

Vice was cruising toward the academic career of which he had dreamed. Vice worked briefly as an instructor if English at Arkansas Tech. Then, up goes the curtain. In late 2004, the University of Georgia Press awarded Brad Vice the coveted "Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. Subsequently the UGA Press published the book in 2005, an image of which appears above. It bore the coveted gold seal of the O'Connor Award complete with the raised image of a Peacock feather. News of the award landed Vice at job at Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi. Students flocked to his classes. You could tell that Mississippi State was proud from the size of the website devoted to his presence.

Vice's book was getting rave reviews. I'm not surprised. His stories are brilliant portraits of other places, other times, frozen in prose of crystal clear clarity. Vice in a few pages paints a living breathing human being.

"Tuskaloosa Knights" tells the story of a visiting Northerner invited to witness a march of the Ku Klux Klan and subsequent cross burning. With pithy commentary supplied by local lawyer Pilson, the Klan is subjected to pitiless mocking when the lawyer identifies each of the hooded Klansmen by the shoes on their feet. The most interesting shoe is a saddle oxford, dragged along, the obvious result of a recent injury. Yes, it was during Bryant's days as a player. His leg injury was documented. His ability to play was the subject of great speculation. Vice's unblinking irony to portray Bryant as a young Klansman would be enough to get him run out of T-Town to this day.

Legendary Bryant appears again in "Report from Junction," concerning the hellishly brutal summer training camp held by Bryant when first hired as coach at Texas A&M. (See Jim Dent's, "The Junction Boys.") His humanity was called into question. However, in the end, it's not how you play the game, winning is everything.

Finally, Vice's title piece,"The Bear Bryant Funeral Train" is a blend of true iconism and how the icon becomes legend.

Otherwise, each story is gripping in its own right. Vice spent many summers working on his father's farm near the Mississippi State line. Vice's images of shimmering heat, sweat, and hard work are obviously things he has experienced. Each is a gem.

Then things fell apart. In the October 21, 2005 edition of The Tuscaloosa News, the following article by Entertainment Editor Mark Hughes Cobb appeared:

BOOK'S PASSAGES RAISE QUESTION OF PLAGIARISM

UA Press doubts originality of work by UGA Press

"A minor third in “Tuscaloosa Knights" rang familiar to Margaret Butler.

The first story of Brad Vice’s story collection “The Bear Bryant Funeral Train" begins with a passage about a bugle blast that drops “a minor third on a long wailing note."

“On the first page, I said to myself, 'I’ve read this before,’ " said Butler, who as reader’s adviser to the Tuscaloosa Public Library picks up everything literary about the Druid City.

Specifically, she heard echoes from one of her favorite books, Carl Carmer’s 1934 “Stars Fell on Alabama": Those three bugle blasts, “then a drop of a minor third on a long wailing note."

“I knew immediately," Butler said. “I can’t believe I was the first one to notice it."

The white knights of literary integrity, rallied behind Butler and the firestorm ignited by Cobb. Damning Vice seemed to do. How dare a teacher of English commit plagiarism?

Before the smoke cleared, the stalwart administration of the University of Georgia rescinded its O'Connor Award and called for all copies of the book to be sent back to the University Press where all copies would be pulped.

Being a regular reader of the Tuscaloosa News, my curiosity over the controversy was piqued. Also,being the gently mad bibliophile,as I now know that I am, I quietly took the day off at the office, it being a Friday and began to hit the Barnes & Nobles in Tuscaloosa, Hoover, and the Summit near Cahaba Heights, Alabama.

Ahhhh. The staff at those stores were not readers of the Tuscaloosa News. Not to disparage a B&N employee, they generally are more adept at whipping up a mocha latte than being familiar with the stock on their shelves. I returned that day with a stack of pristine copies of the to be pulped, destroyed, and otherwise withdrawn from the eyes of the reading public. The only thing that would have made it perfect was having Brad Vice's signature.

As critics fanned the flames in their crusade against the heresy of plagiarism, I watched the value of my books skyrocketing as news spread through the book world. I had scored. Big time. I didn't feel too guilty about it, either, because I read Vice's story ,"Tuskaloosa Knights," then compared it to Carl Carmer's 1934 chapter, "Tuscaloosa Nights." There was no attribution. It appeared to be plagiarism, out and out.

However, as it usually happens, things are not always as they first appear. The war against Vice was not a one-sided one. He had his protectors in addition to his detractors. Of course, it was not enough to save his position at Mississippi State. He lost that, too. Ironic that the two southern universities have the Bulldog as their mascot. They must be attack dogs. Because they certainly don't seem to be used for the protection of one of their own.

Vice doggedly defended himself against the allegations of plagiarism. These stories were written as part of his dissertation, he said. If anyone would only look at his dissertation, the attributions and epigraphs were there for anyone to see. I had to admit, that's a ballsy position to take, because it's too easy to verify or dispute.

Then, in March, 2007, local press River City Publishing of Montgomery, Alabama, pluckily published a very nice paperback edition of "The Bear Bryant Funeral Train." Ready for the punchline? It included every attribution and epigraph that Vice had doggedly maintained had been there all along.

In April, 2007, I attended the Alabama Festival of the Book, held annually in Montgomery, Alabama. I picked up a couple of the Riverside editions. That is when I discovered that Vice had been crucified by a bunch of gutless wonders who failed to listen to the protestations of a young writer that could have been so easily verified, had anyone taken time to do it.

It was about 1:00pm on a sunny April Afternoon, when I met Brad Vice, face to face for the first time. It was as quiet under the pitched tent as could possibly be imagined. No one wanted to ask THE question. Being known for my mouth, I watched Vice nervously eyeing the audience, and stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Vice. You've written a fine book of stories. I've read it. People say you stole your ideas from other authors. Would you like to tell your side of it?"

There was a connection of some type made between the two of us at that moment. Perhaps there was no tone of accusation in my statement and question. Perhaps it was a connection between our eyes as he looked at me.

"Yes. Yes, I would," he answered.

"I'm from Tuscaloosa. You come from good people. Tell these folks what happened when UGA published your book."

"Well, the editorial staff said all the commentary and attributions would keep the book from selling. It would be too..."

"Academic?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"And UGA wanted to sell those books, didn't they?"

"Well, I suppose..."

"Mr. Vice, we all know they wanted to make money of your writing. And, I expect you did, too, like any author."

"Well, of course, I did! But I had no idea that a University Press would delete attributions to the degree that it would appear that I had stolen someone else's work."

"Of Course not. Tell these folks where you first read Carmer's "Stars Fell on Alabama."

"My father had a copy of it."

"Why did he have it?"

"The chapter about Ep the fiddler, well Ep was my great Uncle."

"So you'd read the book?"

"Of course. My father was proud his Uncle was in that book. And he was an Alabama history teacher. He loved Carmer's book."

"And so did you?"

"Yeah, I did."

I turned to the other folks in the tent. "Y'all got any questions? That clears everything up for me. What about y'all? Mr. Vice, you'll answer anything, right?"

"I sure will."

There were eyes darting all over the ground.

As the tent cleared, my wife and I went up to Brad. "You had some guts being here today," I told him. My wife stretched up on tiptoe and hugged him. "You're a nice young man. My husband loved your stories."

"You did?"

"Uh-huh. Especially the one about the Junction Boys when Bryant was at Texas A&M. Ready to go face the public? I'm sure they'll have some books for you to sign. And, I'm as bad as some of the jackals in the crowd. I have some of the original were pulped."

"Mister, I'll sign however many you've got."

So, I have six signed Vices. Four of the original which were supposedly pulped. And two which established Vice's innocence, in my opinion.

Four are name only, no inscription. The standard for bibliophiles. Two are just for me. They read, "To Mike Sullivan, a friend I never knew I had until today. Sincerely, Brad Vice, Alabama Festival of the Book, April, 2007." What are they worth? It doesn't matter. They're not for sale.

Perhaps you're wondering whatever happened to Brade Vice. He's teaching English as a second language the University of West Bohemia, in Pilsen, in the Czech Republic. He serves as faculty advisor to Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society. When he publishes another book, I'm buying it. I bet I can get it signed, too.


1. "Book’s passages raise questions of plagiarism," Tuscaloosa News, October 21, 2005 http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pb...

2. "U. of GA Press Recalls Stories, Revokes Prize, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/...

3. "The literary lynching of Brad Vice" by Jason Sanford http://www.storysouth.com/comment/200...

4. "THE STRANGE CASE OF BRAD VICE: In defense of a destroyed treasure" by Michelle Richmond, The Oxford American, Issue 55. http://www.oxfordamericanmag.com/cont...

5. Brad Vice's Doctoral Dissertation, http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_...

6. "The Bear Bryant Funeral Train," by Brad Vice, River City Publishing Co., Montgomery,Al., 2007 (for a comparison with Vice's Doctoral Dissertation.

7. Flaming Cross from "Stars Fell on Alabama" by Carl Carmer, reprinted in Thicket Magazine, http://www.storysouth.com/thicket/let...

8. "Carl Carmer," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Carmer

9. "Stars Fell on Alabama," by Carl Carmer, http://www.amazon.com/Stars-Fell-Alab...

EDIT: This review is shared for the benefit of goodreads group "On the Southern Literary Trail," and to draw other readers to this now neglected work. Although the original hardback has been "pulped" and copies are pricey, I do recommend the River City Press reprint, readily available with Brad's complete attributions which were deleted by the Georgia Press. I'm also posting this again for the benefit of Brad Vice, whom I have been told is not writing because of his experience, according to his mother. Brad should be encouraged to write once more.



Mike Sullivan
Founder and Moderator
"On the Southern Literary Trail"

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was scheduled to review this book for the Alabama Writers Forum when it was outrageously recalled in Oct. 2005. In one of my few smart moves ever, I "forgot" to return my review copy and stashed it in a place where the five-finger club would never get to it. (Less scrupulous reviewers ran to Ebay demanding anywhere from $300-1000 a copy). Two years later---and with a revised version out from River City---we can kick its controversial history aside and focus on the fiction. Which is good---and I mean really really good. The title story has a fantastic conceit that blends a Don DeLillo Zapruder-style fantasy with Crimson Tide football iconography. "Tuscaloosa Knights" is boffo in its take on the KKK. Unfortunately, the book will always be tied to its peculiar textual history, which is unfair. I admire BV for the integrity he showed throughout the whole ordeal. It would have broken a lesser man.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but odd and quirky collection of short stories, all Southern themed, with plenty of Alabama football references, and rather dark in nature. I’m not a big short story fan, so perhaps that’s why I came away thinking “good, not great.”
There’s an intriguing backstory to this book, and it appears that the copy I bought from Amazon, used, is one from the original UGA Press printing that should have been reclaimed and destroyed. Guess I’ll keep it as a collectible.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point I'd be hard pressed to tell you I read this because I read _Stars Fell on Alabama_ or the opposite, but they are certainly a pair, especially the first story here, "Tuscaloosa Nights" which I can remember arguing about at the bar with some friends, all of us questioning Vice's culpability without having read either his story of the chapter from Carmer's book it's based in/ out of/ etc.

I can say that for me a) it's clearly very different, b) signals its debt to the original more than clearly enough, and c) is a kick ass story. There are a couple other really satisfying stories here, too, and I think, overall, that this is a really good collection. My only reservation is that the scope of the book feels a little narrow, too focused on the rural without really reaching past that enough to thrill me. And that's really a personal thing-- I don't like to read about horses, that's all there is to it!

It's strange, too, because the swathes of experience Carmer covers in his more self-consciously limited book seems so much broader than what Vice, who ostensibly has a broader canvas, is able to capture. I think the stories in Vice's book that are good are really dynamite. I just wish there were more going on here than there is.

Matt

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amidst lots of controversy was born a pretty little book that has a lot to do witih Tuscaloosa, Starkville, and some other college towns. The title story is fantastic.

[Stop]

Read the STOP SMILING interview Bear Bryant Funeral Train author Brad Vice:

In 2005, then 32-year-old Tuscaloosa, Alabama native Brad Vice got word that he’d won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction from the University of Georgia Press. His winning manuscript, a book of short stories called The Bear Bryant Funeral Train, would be published later that year. All in all, it was long, arduous effort come to triumphant conclusion.

Vice had done everything a young Southern writer needed to do, short of moving to New York, Chicago or the West Coast: He’d been on the administrative staff for a time at the Sewanee Writers Conference, gotten his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati (the closest he’d get to Up North) and gotten on the tenure track at Mississippi State University in Starkville. “The name of the town is perhaps appropriate,” he says, “but I have a lot of affection for the place...”

Read the complete STOP SMILING interview...

[Todd Dills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, overall. I interviewed Brad for Stop Smiling before a reading we did together in Birmingham. Interview's here: stopsmilingonline.com.

[KayG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this - such rich descriptions in stories of the south. Quirky, clever, odd. I devoured it.

This book has quite a history which was revealed to me through this review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

[Sara]

flannery o'connor award for short fiction