Robert Morgan at Flat Rock Middle (2015)

Partial Transcript: The narrator’s earliest memory is waking up on their daddy’s shoulder while returning from crossing the pasture.
The family had to walk to church and the store unless someone gave them a ride.
It was a moonless night, and he woke up to the rhythms of his daddy’s steps, feeling the whisper of the stars and seeing the glistening dew on the grass.
Mama and his sister, Evangeline, walked with them, each carrying a small flashlight.
He remembers the strength and warmth of Daddy’s shoulder, the motion of each step, and the washing of the stomper as they moved.
He felt suspended between worlds, close to Daddy, and able to hear his heartbeat.
There were snakes, particularly copperheads, in the grass, so they looked for cow piles and shone their flashlights to avoid them.
The next memory is of a red international tractor that plowed the bottom land between the house and the river in early spring.
The tractor was a revelation and a wonder to the narrator.
They heard the tractor’s sounds, saw it stop beside the corn crab, and watched their daddy talk to the driver.
The tractor had shiny plows behind it and looked powerful, while the narrator’s horse-pulled plow was smaller.
After the conversation, the tractor started again, emitted smoke from the pipe, and rolled down the field with precise control.
The narrator ran outside to watch as the tractor navigated around an early transparent apple tree.

Keywords: apple tree; copperheads; shiny plows; horse-pulled plow

Partial Transcript: He describes the process of plowing a field with a tractor, emphasizing the use of machines in agricultural work.
The freshly plowed soil is described as a tapestry of new soil with various shades of dirt.
The narrator recalls feeling a mix of fascination and fear towards machines, especially motor vehicles.
The lack of a car or a truck in the narrator’s family made them feel weak and vulnerable, as they had to rely on others for transportation.
The narrator wonders why their father had no interest in owning a car or a truck despite working hard and being capable.
The narrator mentions a story about their father owning a Model T Ford in the 1920s and attempting to reach Canada before being scared off by bootleggers.
The narrator’s father did not acquire another vehicle during the Great Depression and showed no interest in obtaining one after getting married.
Despite his lack of interest in cars, the narrator’s father was hardworking and would mow various areas, including road banks, field edges, and cemeteries.

Segment Synopsis: The Significance of Machines and Transportation in the Text

Keywords: Canada; Great Depression; agricultural work; bootleggers; farming; moonshine; Model T Ford

Subjects: The text describes a scene of a tractor plowing a field, turning over the soil, and revealing different shades of dirt. The narrator recalls their mother’s feelings of vulnerability and weakness due to not having a car and their father’s lack of interest in owning one despite his hard work. They also mention a story of their father’s past involving a Model T Ford and bootleggers in Ohio.

Partial Transcript: The narrator’s father is a dreamer and prefers to be alone with his thoughts instead of focusing on profitable work.
The father is seen as ambitious, responsible, and thrifty, but there is a disconnect between his thoughts and actions.
The father is not concerned with paying bills or taking care of responsibilities like taking the children to the doctor.
The father is not proactive in solving his own transportation problems and relies on others for help.
In terms of farming, the father relies on his brother, brother-in-law, or neighbor to transport his produce to the market.
This reliance on others means that the father’s produce is often picked and transported based on others’ schedules, regardless of whether it is ready or not.
The father’s beans sometimes don’t make it to the market or sell at a lower price because they are left behind due to lack of space on the truck.

Segment Synopsis: Small Farming Life

Keywords: bean fields; beans; farming; produce; crop duster

Subjects: He describes his father as a man who disliked making money and preferred to be left alone with his thoughts working on his farm, often in wet weather. He had little connection between his thoughts and actions, and despite needing transportation for his farm work, he relied on others to provide it. He realized that his father would have been a perfect role model for a poet or writer

Partial Transcript: The narrator describes a fascinating machine called the crop duster that is used to spray bean fields, although it is uncertain how it relates to the father’s farming activities.
The narrator recalls the first time they saw a silver crop buster plane flying over the mountains and into the valley, initially thinking it was going to crash.
The plane traveled low over the valley, skimming just above the rows of crops with gray-green smoke trailing behind.
The narrator is amazed by the plane’s ability to turn sharply by leaning, without knowing the term “Chandelle.”
Eventually, the plane flies higher and disappears over the mountains, with the engine sound lingering for a moment.
The narrator fondly reminisces about their Grandma Levi, who took care of them on weekdays while their mother worked in the cotton kiosk.
The narrator vividly remembers walking with their mother across the frost-covered pasture to Grandma Levi’s house in the wintertime.
They would accompany Grandma Levi to the barn to watch her milk the cows, experiencing the cold, the smell of milk, cow breath, and fresh manure.
After milking, Grandma Levi would give the narrator a hot biscuit with June apple jelly.
Both grandparents made the narrator feel like the center of their world, sitting at either end of the table during lunchtime and telling stories and jokes.
They would eat soup beans and cornbread, often having peaches and cake for dessert. Grandma Levi sometimes made cookies, but the narrator’s favorite were the hot tater cakes made from mashed potatoes on a cold day.
The narrator expresses interest in hearing the story of how their grandpa was born prematurely on top of Circeo Mountain, weighing only two pounds and twelve ounces.

Segment Synopsis: Remembering the Warmth of Grandparents

Keywords: Circeo Mountain; apple jelly; cookies; tater cakes; Chandelle

Subjects: Morgan was fascinated by machinery, particularly an aerial crop duster that he saw when he was young

Partial Transcript: The narrator’s grandfather was the most sickly of his parent’s children.
At the age of five, his great-grandmother took his grandfather to see a doctor in Greenville, South Carolina
The doctor unexpectedly recommended that his grandfather start chewing tobacco, which resulted in his improved health and physical growth
His grandfather became taller and stronger than his brothers and never had any rotten teeth
The narrator recalls a crowded house and many people bringing food to the family after their grandmother’s death from a brain tumor in 1948
The preacher at the funeral spoke about the deceased going to a better place in heaven
The narrator remembers feeling puzzled by the contradiction between the preacher’s words and seeing the body being buried.
The funeral for the narrator’s uncle Robert, who was killed in a crash in England in 1943, involved an honor guard and a hot summer day.
The narrator recalls feeling drowsy during the service and being startled by the command for the honor guard to present their rifles.

Segment Synopsis: Personal Memories and Reflections

Keywords: England; tobacco; Greenville

Subjects: Chewing tobacco helped his sickly grandfather grow tall, strong, and healthier as a child.

Partial Transcript: The narrator recalls a time when they witnessed soldiers shooting and became frightened by the loud noises, developing a fear of guns and loud noises.
Despite reassurance from others, the fear persisted, and the narrator avoided anyone with a gun.
A year after their grandpa’s funeral, the narrator realizes that their fear of loud noises has disappeared while observing target practice with rifles.
The narrator’s mother plans to build a new house away from the river and starts drawing a floor plan.
The father decides to cover the house with rocks, inspired by admired rock houses, and even expresses a desire to build a castle.
The mother saves every penny in a Post Office account after mistrusting banks due to the Depression. By late summer 1949, they had saved $1700.
The father unexpectedly comes home with a new rifle, intending to hunt deer.

Segment Synopsis: Building a New House and Overcoming Fear

Keywords: Post Office; rock houses; rifles

Subjects: Morgan experienced a traumatic event involving loud noises and gunshots, leading to a persistent fear of such sounds.

Partial Transcript: Mama accuses Daddy of lying and wasting money on a new rifle instead of saving for a new house.
Daddy had always longed for the Winchester Model 7036 rifle and couldn’t resist buying it once he had the money.
Daddy had to borrow a rifle for hunting in the Pisgah National Forest before purchasing his own.
The house was bulldozed at the end of the farming season in 1949.
Daddy went to the bean market and brought back a watermelon and a new wheelbarrow.
The wheelbarrow was a surprise, and the combination of the watermelon and the gleaming contractor’s wheelbarrow made the narrator and their sister excited.

Segment Synopsis: Daddy’s Long-Awaited Rifle and the New Wheelbarrow

Keywords: Winchester; farming; watermelon; wheelbarrow; Pisgah National Forest

Subjects: Morgan discusses a man who buys a desired rifle, angering his wife, who accuses him of being irresponsible and prioritizing his desires over their need for a new house.

Partial Transcript: The implement is a tire inflated and cushioning, smaller than a truck tire, and smelling like a new bumper.
The watermelon being eaten prompts the narrator and others to push the wheelbarrow to a new house place.
The family runs alongside the wheelbarrow as it is rolled along the trail of the entity orchard.
The bulldozer has made way for the clearing where the house will be built.
The wheelbarrow becomes a source of entertainment as the children take turns giving each other rides.
They accidentally spill the wheelbarrow and laugh.
The narrator receives a metal box containing various tools as a Christmas present.
The tools include a saw, hammer, bracing bit, file, hatchet, grass, screwdriver, level, try-square, hacksaw, measure, carpenter’s pencil, chisel, and pliers.
The narrator uses the tools to work on scrap lumber and build various things.
They sometimes get frustrated and throw the tools into the woods, having to search for them later.
The narrator is fascinated by Grandpa’s radio, which sits in the living room of the Levi house.
The radio has a gothic window cabinet and a tuning window that lights up when turned on.
Grandpa operates the radio by turning a knob with his hand.

Segment Synopsis: Description of Objects and Childhood Memories

Keywords: Levi

Subjects: On Christmas, he received a metal box with tools, including a saw, hammer, and more

Partial Transcript: The radio was a mystery, with its ability to make the needle advance or go back and produce various sounds like crackles and whistles.
His grandpa would listen to three kinds of programs, including news spoken by a strong, assertive voice, discussions about political figures and events, and radio preachers discussing prophecies and the end of the world.
The news programs featured topics such as Korea, President Truman, floods, fires, and other disasters.
Grandpa and Daddy would argue about Alger Hiss and communism in Washington.
The radio preachers spoke in low, sometimes hypnotic voices about the Bible’s prophecies and the approaching end of time.
Growing up with the constant belief that the end of the world was near may have contributed to the narrator’s optimism.
The world inside the radio was described as haunted, with dark forests, varied voices, and static.
The Lone Ranger program, with its thrilling music and catchphrases like “Hi-Yo Silver” and “Kimosabe,” brought excitement to the narrator and his grandpa.
When the family lived in the Morgan House, his mother loved listening to a country western music program, particularly the Sons of the Pioneers and the Chuck Wagon Gang.
Mama had a powerful voice that could captivate the narrator as a young child, leading them to lay their cheek against her chest and feel the vibrations of her singing.

Segment Synopsis: Radio Memories and the Power of Voice

Keywords: Bible’s prophecies; President Truman; radio

Subjects: The text describes listening to different radio programs as a child, including news broadcasts, religious preachers, and the Lone Ranger show.

Partial Transcript: From an early age, the writer has had the ability to create music in their mind, which was always present to accompany their actions and emotions.
The music in the writer’s head was influenced by various genres, including gospel, country, western, coral, and organ music.
The writer associated the finest music with the finest watches, particularly those made by Longines.
In 1951, the narrator received a baby chick as a pet and named it “Himbo.” They carried Himbo around the house and felt a deep connection with the chick.
One vivid memory with Himbo is sitting by the road, feeling drowsy and daydreaming about their desire for a tractor. The warmth of the sun added to the tranquility of the moment.

Segment Synopsis: Childhood Memories and Personal Connections to Music

Keywords: tractor

Subjects: The text is an excerpt from a personal account of a person’s early memories, particularly their connection with music

Partial Transcript: The narrator and their family moved into a new house during the summer of 1951.
The house was still referred to as “The house place,” but the walls were up, covered with paper, and the roof was finished.
Windows were installed, but the rock veneer would be added later.
The house was livable, with a stove and refrigerator already in the kitchen.
Over weeks, the family had been slowly moving items into the new house, such as dishes, pots, towels, sheets, and clothes.
The narrator’s mother had to get her brother’s truck to move beds and chest of drawers from the old Morgan house to the new house.
Prior to their marriage, the narrator’s mother and father had already bought furniture for the living room, including a couch, two easy chairs, a dresser with a mirror, and a dining room table with chairs.
These pieces of furniture had been sitting in the Morgan House until Grandma died.
On a Saturday, the narrator’s father and his brother-in-law, and his grandpa helped with the move, using pickup trucks to transport belongings from the Morgan House and Levi House.
The narrator also helped by carrying armloads of items from the path by the orchard, including blankets and a sunken phone.
By the end of the day, everything had been successfully moved, and the new house started to feel like a home with the addition of the furniture in the living room, dining room, and bedroom.
The narrator still had to bring their bow up to the house and placed it in the living room.
Before going back to the Levi House to get their pet, it started to rain heavily, and the narrator decided to wait it out, finding comfort in the rain.
The mother insisted on the narrator wearing a yellow raincoat to protect himself from the rain while cooking the first meal on the electric stove.
The narrator heard thunder in the distance and ran through the path back to the new house, excited about having a new home.

Segment Synopsis: The Great Event of Moving into the New House

Subjects: The text describes the narrator moving into a new house in the summer of 1951,

Partial Transcript: The protagonist experiences a challenging transition to school due to being held back for a year because of their birthday falling just after the school enrollment deadline.
The protagonist’s mother home-schooled them until they were able to start school.
The protagonist feels both advanced and nervous on their first day of school.
The school environment is chaotic and overwhelming, with crowded hallways and confusing buildings.
The protagonist feels trapped and realizes that they will be stuck in school for years.
The protagonist unexpectedly starts crying despite not intending to cry often.
The text ends abruptly with the mention of psalms.

Segment Synopsis: A Challenging Transition to School

Subjects: The narrator accidentally smothers his pet chicken under his raincoat during a storm.

Partial Transcript: The narrator feels trapped and hopeless in the classroom and expresses a desire to go home.
Missus Bruce informs the narrator that they cannot go home and instead have to work at the lunchroom.
The narrator’s emotions escalate as they are unable to find comfort and begin to cry.
Dylan, another student, is instructed by Missus Bruce to take the narrator to the principal’s office to stop their crying.
The principal, Mr. Ward, is described as the narrator’s relative and is known for being strict.
Mr. Ward questions the narrator on the reason behind their tears.
The narrator struggles to articulate their desire to be at home and the freedom they experience playing outside.
Mr. Ward reassures the narrator that their presence is essential at the school and asks them to continue their duties.
The narrator is left with a sense of confusion as to why they are needed so much by the school.

Segment Synopsis: A Distressing Classroom Experience and Meeting with the Principal

Subjects: The narrator was feeling confined and desolate, wanting to go home.

Partial Transcript: In the summer of 1953, the narrator’s family considered buying a truck.
Uncle Charlie, who owned several trucks, helped them find a 1940 Chevrolet truck that cost three hundred dollars.
The narrator’s mother sent a money order for three hundred dollars to Uncle Charlie, who then brought the truck to their yard.
The truck had a dark green and light green canvas, with two stripes and bright chromium on the front.
The bed of the truck was not a usual pickup bed but a wide bed made of black painted boards.
The narrator’s father was hesitant to drive the truck since he hadn’t driven a vehicle since the 1920s.
Uncle Charlie explained that driving the truck was similar to driving a Model T, with a clutch that needed to be pumped twice.
The family took a drive in the truck, with the narrator standing up and feeling like they were flying up the river road.

Segment Synopsis: Buying a Truck

Keywords: model t

Subjects: In the summer of 1953, Mr. Ward showed a young student a funny key and made ridiculous faces that made them both laugh.

Partial Transcript: The author worked in the school cafeteria to pay for lunches.
There were fees for attending beautician school, and the author’s family needed support to pay for them.
Byron Andrew managed the cafeteria, and some students worked in the lunchroom to pay for their meals.
The author felt embarrassed about working for their lunch but was glad to escape from Miss McDonald’s classroom.
The author’s job included wiping plates and helping with dishwashing.
Ms. Estell, a kind and helpful woman, taught the author how to efficiently wipe plates.
Bubble gum was stuck under plates as a prank, making it harder to clean.
The author had the perk of burning trash in the incinerator behind the cafeteria.
Employees of food establishments had to take a sanitation course at city hall, which meant the author and other kids had to attend a notation class for a week.
The author arranged for transportation with a man who drove the bread truck.

Segment Synopsis: Working in the School Cafeteria

Subjects: The text describes a young person working in a school cafeteria to pay for their lunch, learning to clean dishes quickly, and discovering bubble gum on the plates.

Partial Transcript: One anecdote involves riding in a bread truck to Hendersonville. The narrator wasn’t supposed to carry anyone, but they let the children stand in the back and hold on to the shelves of bread.
The narrator remembers a course taught by a surprised teacher. The teacher shared a story about being in a restaurant in Hendersonville and a waitress turning the page of her pad with her finger on her tongue to take orders.
Another anecdote is about Miss McDonald, who slapped the narrator on their butt and commented on them missing class.
The narrator recalls their sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Ward, who was the first male teacher they ever had. They greatly admired him and found him to be a role model.
Mr. Ward was enthusiastic about language, literature, history, and storytelling. He often told jokes and acted out parts. He had silver hair and wore tweed or herringbone suits.
The highlight of Mr. Ward’s teaching was his storytelling. He shared stories from history, his own life, and education. He recounted plots of books like “Illiad” and the “Odyssey.”
Mr. Ward had a strong memory and an eye for significant details. He taught grammar and made students learn the parts of speech. He emphasized the importance of using the dictionary and understanding grammar rules.
He also taught the difference between “abridged” and “unabridged.” He diagrammed sentences on the blackboard and broke down language for each student.

Segment Synopsis: Anecdotes from Childhood Education

Subjects: The narrator reminisces about their time with Mr. Ward, a sixth-grade teacher who was passionate about language, history, and storytelling. Despite his obsession with grammar,

Partial Transcript: Mr. Ward’s teaching style made grammar and sentence structure appear more concrete and understandable.
The writer became self-conscious about their speaking patterns and made efforts to improve their language skills.
The writer found pride in language, punctuation, pronunciation, and word choice.
Despite being a good student overall, the writer admitted to rushing through homework and not putting much effort into it.
Mr. Ward caught the writer reading novels during class and took the book away, causing embarrassment.
On a class trip to the Biltmore House, the writer did not have the money to participate and stayed behind in the classroom.
Mr. Ward encouraged the writer to write a story instead of wasting the day. He provided a plot involving a man lost in the Canadian Rockies.
Initially unsure how to write a story, the writer started slowly and gradually developed details about the man’s survival.
The act of writing taught the writer how to write, highlighting the importance of hands-on learning.
Writing was seen as a valuable skill that required practice and active engagement.

Segment Synopsis: The Influence of Mr. Ward on the Writer’s Writing Skills

Subjects: The text narrates the story of a student who develops an appreciation for language and grammar, eventually becoming a good writer under the guidance of a teacher named Mr. Ward.

Partial Transcript: The author reflects on their experience as a student and writer, highlighting the importance of storytelling in their writing process.
They describe how they became immersed in the details of their character’s escape from wilderness, leading to the completion of their first story.
Mr. Ford, their teacher, had a positive reaction to their story and was seen as a wonderful and influential teacher.
The author visited Mr. Ford regularly and mentions his admiration for his fashion sense and acting skills.
The author mentions another teacher, Miss Casey, who got married and became Mrs. Bruce during their time at school.
Mrs. Bruce was not their first-grade teacher, but they had trouble in Mrs. Malaback’s class as their mother had already taught them the material.
Mr. Moore, the fourth-grade teacher, was the first person to encourage the students to pursue higher education and was recently inducted into the Education Hall of Fame.
The author reflects on Mr. Moore’s dedication to learning and how he shared stories about his upbringing on Green.

Segment Synopsis: Memories of a Teacher

Subjects: The text narrates a personal experience of writing a story and describes the impact of a dedicated teacher, Mr. Ford, on the narrator’s life.

Partial Transcript: The narrator’s father attended Fruitland Institute as there was no high school in the county at the time.
The narrator’s father transferred from Furman University to UNC Chapel Hill with the intention of obtaining a Ph.D. and becoming a university professor.
The narrator’s father obtained his master’s degree and first encountered Maidan during an interview.
The narrator’s parents had a love for literature and education.
The narrator grew up on a small dirt farm but was exposed to a lot of culture and learning.
The narrator’s parents were avid readers, with the father having a passion for history and the mother being a great storyteller.
The Flat Rock community and notable figures like Carl Sandberg and Thomas Wolfe influenced the narrator’s upbringing.
The narrator was exposed to classical music from a young age, attending performances and hearing renowned ensembles.
Despite financial limitations, the narrator’s parents valued education and storytelling, providing the narrator with a rich supply of stories and knowledge.
The narrator’s education was influenced by the Henderson County Bookmobile, which introduced them to influential novels such as “Little House on the Prairie.”

Segment Synopsis: Personal Background and Education

Subjects: The individual grew up on a small farm in North Carolina but was exposed to a rich cultural background through their parents’ love of literature and history, as well as the local community’s appreciation for education and the arts.

Partial Transcript: The writer initially enjoyed adventure and wilderness stories, such as those set in the Klondike or Northwest territory.
The writer then shifted to reading Dickens, specifically Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, and found them captivating.
At the age of fourteen, the writer encountered a scandalous book called “The Colorado” and fell in love with its lyrical prose, which reminded them of Thomas Wolfe.
Inspired by Wolfe’s writing, the writer believed that if Wolfe could write a book, they could too.
The writer then read “War and Peace” after seeing it advertised as the greatest novel ever written and enjoyed it immensely.
In contrast to Wolfe’s style, the writer appreciated Hemingway’s heavy yet wise prose and poetry-like writing, which they discovered through a newspaper headline announcing Hemingway’s death at sixty-one.
The writer mentions being impressed by many contemporary North Carolina writers, including Ron Rash, Doris Betts, and Cormack McCarthy.
They find it difficult to list all the impressive contemporary writers but acknowledge that it is a great age for fiction writing.
The writer prefers writing over working because it is easier for them.

Segment Synopsis: Personal Journey as a Reader and Writer

Keywords: thomas wolfe

Subjects: The speaker shares their love for various books and authors, including Dickens, Thomas Wolfe, and Hemingway.

Partial Transcript: The writer has always been interested in history, particularly stories about the Civil War, the Revolution, and the Cherokee Indians.
Daniel Boone was the writer’s father’s hero, and the writer eventually wrote a biography of him.
The writer had a wide range of interests as a child, including the sciences, music, composing, writing, and mathematics.
The writer initially studied mathematics and aerospace at NC State but stumbled upon a creative writing course and became passionate about it.
The writer’s advisor encouraged them to pursue writing, and they found it more enjoyable and challenging than their previous academic pursuits.
The writer had a great English teacher who taught them the importance of using precise language and representing the living voice in their writing.
The writer wrote a story about their great-grandmother who lived through the Civil War and talked about the dangers during that time.

Segment Synopsis: Passion for Writing and Influences

Keywords: cherokee; civil war

Subjects: The speaker shares their passion for history and writing, mentioning their interest in various subjects like science and music.

Partial Transcript: The author reflects on a childhood story about dogs licking blood off their bodies and receiving praise from a classmate, David Taghayoa.
The author’s father is paid for something related to the story, but it is not specified.
The author praises the description of the turning of the soil in the story.
The author mentions not reading the end of an epic on a Saturday when a tractor is brought up.
The author recalls being lifted onto the seat of a tractor by their father and warned not to run away with it.
David Taghayoa expresses amazement at the author’s detailed childhood memories and asks if they kept a diary.
The author explains that memory is influenced by what has been remembered before and states that talking a lot helps with remembering.
The author mentions nominating former teachers for the Hall of Fame and being able to remember their classes vividly.
The author remembers details about things they’re interested in but sometimes struggles to remember their own name in front of others.
The author credits their ability to remember to their teachers at Tuxedo and their personal interest in important elements of their life.
The author mentions their father’s fabulous memory and storytelling abilities, including stories about the Cherokee Indians and his experiences in the Civil War.

Segment Synopsis: Childhood Memories and Storytelling

Keywords: cherokee; civil war; storytelling

Subjects: :In this text, the speaker shares a memory of their childhood involving a tractor, a story they wrote, and their dad’s nomination of former teachers.

Partial Transcript: The speaker is a professional writer and is currently working on a play about a grandfather telling stories about the Civil War to his grandson.
The play is loosely based on the experiences of the speaker’s own family, with some joining the Union Army and others joining the Confederacy.
The speaker’s ancestor, John Jones, served in the Union Army as a medic and came back to work as a signal doctor.
When asked about the physical conditions needed for writing, the speaker mentions needing a quiet room and a certain amount of time each day, preferably one and a half to two hours.
The speaker writes everything longhand in spiral notebooks and then transcribes and revises it on the computer.
The speaker suggests that having dedicated time every day for writing is the key to successful writing.
None of the speaker’s children currently write, as they have pursued other careers and find writing to be difficult and time-consuming.
The speaker emphasizes that successful writers need to have a burning passion and drive for writing.

Segment Synopsis: Writing Habits and Conditions

Keywords: civil war

Subjects: The author discusses their play about a grandpa telling stories about the Civil War to his grandson, based on family history.

Partial Transcript: The writer acknowledges the difficulty of his job and the loneliness that comes with it.
The writer confirms that he conducts his own research but receives assistance from people at Cornell University and helpful bookstore owners.
The writer mentions a famous historian, Michael Cameron, who read and corrected his manuscript, highlighting the supportive community among historians.
The writer acknowledges the importance of historians helping each other due to the complexity of coordinating and organizing numerous facts for a novel.
The writer mentions that a UCLA historian named Steven Era was particularly helpful to him.
The writer recalls visiting various archives and libraries but praises the University of Chicago Regenstein Library as the nicest he has encountered, mentioning the assistance he received during his visit.
The writer credits his rich childhood, growing up in an extended family and a safe community with access to outdoor spaces where children could play freely.
The writer emphasizes the value of storytelling and the oral tradition in his upbringing, expressing concerns about children today not having the same experience due to electronic devices.
The writer believes that good writing stems from the oral tradition and imagines his work being heard by someone while writing.

Segment Synopsis: Information about the Writer’s Research Process and Childhood Experience

Subjects: The text discusses the challenges and advantages of being a historian, the importance of the oral tradition in writing, the role of an extended family in a rich childhood, and the impact of electronic devices on storytelling and the passing down of family history.

Partial Transcript: The importance of writing cover in receiving something.
The sense of conversation and storytelling in writing.
The author’s experience with both traditional and modern culture.
The author’s ability to blend older and more modern influences in their writing.
The inspiration for the novel Gap Creek based on the author’s grandparents’ stories.
The sequel to Gap Creek being fiction but loosely based on the family.
The working title and premise of the author’s current novel set in World War II.
The main character’s transition from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Cambridge.
The author’s research and interviews with pilots and navigators for historical accuracy.
The mechanic’s role on the airplane and the use of radar technology.
Bombing missions and leaflet drops during the war.

Segment Synopsis: Writing and Storytelling

Keywords: world war 2; ww II

Subjects: The author, who has one foot in the nineteenth century and one in the twenty-first, has written novels based on the stories of their grandparents and family.

Partial Transcript: The author discusses the importance of preserving the culture and history of the Blue Ridge Mountain people.
This culture, which is rapidly disappearing, becomes particularly valuable for fiction and poetry as it fades away.
The eroding distinctiveness of cultures, such as African American, is attributed to the influence of mass media.
The author highlights the unique language and way of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which differs greatly from their own upbringing.
Preserving the culture allows individuals to understand their own identity and roots.
The author expresses a personal connection and nostalgia for their memories of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Segment Synopsis: The Importance of Preserving Cultural Identity

Keywords: remembrance; blue ridge mountains

Subjects: The text discusses the importance of preserving the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains before it disappears due to erosion by mass media.