Smoke Stack Blues: A Book of Poems from the Heart of the Unknown Writer - Softcover

I am the authors son; James Ray Chaffin Jr. My Father, James Ray Chaffin Sr., was born on August 20th, 1956 in rural Louisiana. He lived a life of simple means and remained unmarried until he met my Mother when he was 26. They soon got married and had me. The marriage did not work out, so when I was about 7 years old my parent’s separated. It always takes two to tango so this book is not to reflect blame on one party or the other on the separation. The separation that happened was hard on my father so he found an outlet and began writing the contents of this book of poems. He wrote during times of frustration, pain, and love. Often times he would be driving his 18 wheeler and think of a poem and pull to a safe place to park and begin writing. He found comfort in these poems and I hope you do too. Getting these poems published was his lifelong dream so this is a tribute to his life and memory. I love you beaucoup Dad.

James Ray Chaffin Sr. a.k.a. Desperado a.k.a. The Unknown Writer was born August 20th, 1956. He had seven brothers and sisters all together and one son. His parents lived very simple lives in rural Louisiana. James Sr. lived his entire life in Louisiana. His occupation mostly consisted of driving an 18 Wheeler however, at times he would take a break and do carpentry or other odds and ends jobs to make money. He went from living in houses to living in tents in the woods to a camper trailer in his parent’s yard. In his last months on this earth he spent his evenings after getting in from work taking care of his ailing parents and doing the things they could no longer do. He passed away on November 26th, 2012 after complications from a stroke. He was survived by his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his son.