Oh, dear goodness - it has been a very long time since I wrote in this blog and I must apologize for it. Now that I've done that, I will make a promise to be more diligent with this communications tool.
For the past year and a half, I have collected interviews with Appalachian storytellers for my book, Riding the Clouds. When it went under contract with McFarland Publishers with a deadline of December 15, 2009, I found myself completely engaged in seeking and conducting interviews with some of the most fascinating people I have ever known. The book title changed when I signed the contract: it is now Storytelling in Contemporary Appalachia/stoking the fire.
The most recent interview was with Gary Neal Cardin, a native of Sylva, North Carolina. To say he is colorful would be an understatement; to add that he is also intensely intellectual, perceptive and articulate would also be accurate. The day I interviewed him, I drove into Sylva with only the most vague notion of what I would find, but excited to finally meet him. You can't take your degree at East Tennessee State University's master's in storytelling program without having knowledge of most of Appalachia's storytellers, and I was looking forward to hearing about his life's work in his own words.
Gary Neal's looked much as his website photos depict him - a strong, expressive face, unruly white hair and hands that talk with his voice. His home is a virtual library and it seems he has seen every film ever made and read as many books as time will allow. Carden's dog Jack is a fun Corgi-type mix who is his shadow.
In a week or so I will drive to Boone to meet again with storyteller Charlotte Ross who was born in the North Georgia Mountains just as old days of Appalachia ended. She is a descendent of Nancy Ward and her stories about it are intriguing. I taped her first interview three years ago and need to fill in the gaps. Charlotte is an oral teller - everything is in her head and her stories speak of a long, rich personal history with story.
In October I will travel to Memphis to interview Appalachian/Cherokee Marilou Awiakta Thompson. She was born in Tennessee and grew up in Oakridge, so her stories speak of the atom, science and nature. I will tell you more after the visit.
Also in the pipeline are Sheila Kay Adams, Elder Jerry Wolf, Ron Short, Linda Goss, Andreena Belcher and Angelynn DeBord.
Talk to you soon - Saundra
After that, I will interview
About Me
- saundra
- Born in Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, I am a genuine Florida Cracker--a descendent of sturdy women and men who farmed their way south from North Carolina in the early 1800's. I am a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Social Science, and earned an MA in Education/Storytelling from East Tennessee State University. My work is deeply influenced by a love and reverence for the natural world and environmental issues and my love of story. Performance Photos by Valerie Menard, Silentlightimages.com.
