THE DAY AFTER EARTH DAY: James Braziel, Snakeskin Road, and Survival

I’ve always felt that the earth will come to its demise through a series of catastrophes over a span of years, not in one sudden disaster. The earth is able to mostly heal itself at the moment, but as that ability weakens, the catastrophes (whether natural or man-made) will spread and last. In my novel Snakeskin Road, the main character Jennifer Harrison has lived most of her life in the Southeastern Desert which covers the deep south below Birmingham and Atlanta. The desert starts out as a dust bowl caused in part by a tear in the ozone from global warming. The novel begins with the desert on the move, growing, taking more land, and Jennifer trying to escape north along a path known as Snakeskin Road.
Survival is compromise, even if that means compromising yourself as Jennifer does by selling herself and a young woman she’s protecting into indentured servitude so they can escape the harsh desert. Survival is also about making use of the few resources available (such as water and food). But, and this may seem counter-intuitive, survival is ultimately about having the courage to place faith in other people who are also suffering. This is what Jennifer discovers, and what helps her on her journey along Snakeskin Road.
Learn more about ESCAPE FROM EARTH DAY and THE DAY AFTER EARTH DAY here
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James Braziel’s short fiction has appeared in over a dozen literary journals, including the Berkeley Fiction Review and the Chattahoochie Review. His poetry (published as a collection called Weathervane in 2003) has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and he was the recipient of the Individual Artist Grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts. He currently teaches creative writing at the University of Cincinnati. Snakeskin Road Is his second novel after Birmingham, 35 Miles.