Blazing A Trail of Literary Tourism in the 21st Century

Excerpt from: Literary Trails of the North Carolina
Mountains-A Guidebook by Georgann Eubanks, published by UNC Press, a project of the North Carolina Arts Council
Attraction: Jackson County Courthouse
(seen right, Photo by Donna Campbell)
Location: Sylva, North Carolina
Other Photos: see credits in Tourism Guide below.

The following is one of the many excerpts of literature from a fascinating new book featuring North Carolina writers. Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains-A Guidebook also offers short guides, links, and photos accompanying the excerpts to enhance the reading experience. Please learn more about this exciting project in the Tourism Guide following the excerpt.

From Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains:

In her fourth novel, Legacy of Masks (2005), Asheville-based writer Sallie Bissell has her protagonist Mary Crow come to Hartsville, North Carolina, in pursuit of a new job with the Pisgah County district attorney. In this passage, astute readers will recognize that Bissell's setting is strikingly similar to the Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva. Bissell says she's blended aspects of Haywood, Jackson, and Swain Counties to create her fictional Pisgah County:

The Confederate soldier stood on the forty-sixth of the one hundred and five concrete steps that led from Main Street to the Pisgah County Courthouse. Rifle at his side, he'd kept a weather-beaten watch for any encroaching Yankees for as long as Mary Crow could remember. Passing him on her fourth grade Civics field trip, she'd found him impressively fierce. Six years later, as she'd rushed past to apply for her driver's license, she thought him quaintly embarrassing. Today, nearly twenty-five years after their first acquaintance, the old boy seemed comforting and familiar. Not much else about Pisgah County did.

"Hey Johnny Reb." She paused for a moment in the puddle of shade cast by the towering bronze figure. Already she was breathing heavily from her climb, and she still had fifty-nine steps to go. She'd forgotten how hot the early June sun could be in the Carolina mountains, and she had foolishly worn her prosecutorial black suit. Deathwrap. Comfortable in the relentlessly air-conditioned courtroom of Atlanta, on these steps, Deathwrap felt like a portable sauna, buttoned in the front and zipped tight at the waist.

"Shoot," she hissed, leaning against the base of the statue. Already she'd torn her hose and sweated through her underwear. Pretty soon, she'd have big damp circles under her arms. In her business it was never good to be visibly nervous; to be both nervous and sweating did not bode well at all.

Nonetheless, she had an appointment with D.A. George Turpin in four minutes, and she could not be late. Squaring her shoulders, she resumed her ascent to the courthouse. As her high heels clicked on the steps, she gave a rueful smile at the irony of her undertaking. When she was eighteen she'd wanted to leave Pisgah County forever. Today, at thirty-five, she couldn't wait to come back home . . .

She finally reached the hundred and fifth step, and without pausing, strode into the vaulted lobby of the old courthouse. She passed a gaggle of secretaries clad in frothy print dresses, hurrying to begin the day's work. Suddenly she felt even more out of place in Deathwrap. Swathed in black among women clad in the colors of melting sherbet, she must look like the Grim Reaper, working her next victim.

When she glanced over her shoulder and caught one of the secretaries casting a curious eye back at her, she knew without a doubt that she would be the gossip tidbit du jour. Did y'all see that girl dressed in black? Who was she? You just don't see clothes like that around here. She must be some fancy pants over from Raleigh. Don't kid yourself, honey. Didn't you see that hair? She was pure Cherokee. --From Legacy of Masks, by Sallie Bissell (New York: Bantam, 2005), 1-2.

Sallie Bissell has written four mystery novels featuring Mary Crow, the feisty criminal justice attorney from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. In The Forest of Harm (2001) and A Darker Justice (2002) feature sites around Asheville. In Call the Devil by His Oldest Name (2004), Mary Crow follows the historic Cherokee Trail of Tears across Tennessee as she seeks to recover her kidnapped godchild.

In Sylva, you can follow in the footsteps of Mary Crow and hike the hundred-plus steps leading up to the Jackson County Courthouse, as do many local folks for exercise. This 1913 neoclassical revival building perches high above the revitalized town of Sylva and is a great place to stop and let kids blow off a little steam. Have them count the steps as they climb and enjoy the eye-popping view at the top. Then come down carefully and stand in the mist of the fountain at the foot of the hill. Often claimed to be the most photographed courthouse in the state, you can also see it rising boldly above town if you're driving by on US 23/74.

--From LITERARY TRAILS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS: A GUIDEBOOK by Georgann Eubanks. Copyright © 2007 by the North Carolina Arts Council. Used by permission of the publisher. http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/ Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains Tourism Guide:
Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains is not just a guide or a book but an experience. Suppose that books were like buildings. A novel might be a peaceful lakeside cabin where you go to escape the everyday pressures of life. A poetry chapbook might be a cozy coffee house where you went after work or classes to share in the communion of kindred spirits.

If books were buildings, then Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains would be the Biltmore Estate, a majestic mansion with many halls and rooms, each leading to a new and unique literary experience. Some doors in this estate would lead to grand ballrooms; others might lead to impressive libraries; still others to private gardens where you could breath in the rapture of the written word without distraction while surrounded by the beauty of the natural world.

Of course, the real Biltmore Estate, seen right, is included in the book. To learn more about Biltmore outside of the book, visit their website (which provided the photo here) in the Tourism Links below. As the largest and perhaps most elegant private residence in the United States, Biltmore is the crown jewel in North Carolina's tourism industry.

Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains is the first in a literary tourism series directed by the North Carolina Arts Council and published by UNC Press. The series could be a blueprint for what other states could accomplish, and that by itself is reason enough to study this book. Georgann Eubanks uses excerpts from a range of North Carolina writers, like the one above from Legacy of Masks by Sallie Bissell. These excerpts are blended with Ms. Eubanks’ short and helpful guides that offer links to the real and often beautiful settings of these literary works.

The Sylva courthouse is just one of many stops along the fascinating literary trails in this book. The small town of Sylva offers other attractions, including Pinnacle Park, a pristine hiking preserve. The picture of the waterfall is from Pinnacle Park. Please learn more about everything Sylva has to offer in the Tourism Links below. The town of Sylva generously provided the second picture of the courthouse above showing the fountain, the waterfall picture, and the panoramic mountain view at the end of the excerpt.

When reading Literary Trails, Ms. Bissell’s excerpt immediately attracted my attention for its quality style, sense of place, and sense of humor, not to mention the gorgeous opening picture of the courthouse by Donna Campbell. Like many of the excerpts, this one made me want to step into the story myself. Sallie Bissell, seen left, has written four books featuring Mary Crow and recommends starting the series from the beginning. To learn more about the mystery series, visit the Tourism Links.

One of the best features of Literary Trails is that Ms. Eubanks has broken down the mountain guide into 1-2 day trips, allowing for anyone to plan a visit based on their own schedule. The beautiful natural landscapes are a constant and endearing character in this book. I cannot emphasize enough that Ms. Eubanks' style is not just well-researched and informational but also heartfelt. She will wrap your soul around these places and works of literature in a way that will make you ache to enjoy the experience firsthand. You will know exactly what I mean when you begin reading the book.

The Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative is an interactive online trail that connects readers with each other and introduces them to unique literary tourism experiences. Based on that goal, Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains is an absolute perfect fit for SELTI and literary fans across the South. Ms. Eubanks is the long-time Director of the Duke University Writers Workshop, and the book itself is published by the award-winning academic UNC Press. The expectations of these two impressive qualifications are not disappointed; they are surpassed.

If you enjoyed this feature and would like to be introduced to more literary tourism destinations, please join SELTI by becoming a Follower at the link in the top left. I encourage all Followers not just to travel the trail but to contribute by posting comments and suggesting other literary experiences to share with others. SELTI will offer monthly features, so check back often and feel free to read any features at your convenience. Unlike a magazine, these features will remain online for whenever your schedule allows.

Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains Tourism Links:

Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains-A Guidebook
http://www.ncliterarytrails.org/

Georgann Eubanks
http://www.georganneubanks.net/

Sallie Bissell and her wonderful mystery series
http://www.salliebissell.com/Sallie_Bissell/Home.html

UNC Press
http://uncpress.unc.edu/

North Carolina Arts Council
http://ncarts.wordpress.com/

Town of Sylva
http://www.townofsylva.org/

Biltmore Estate
http://www.biltmore.com/

North Carolina Division of Tourism
http://www.visitnc.com/

University of North Carolina
http://www.unca.edu/

Duke University Writers Workshop on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duke-University-Writers-Workshop/95703746836?v=info

Join SELTI on Facebook for email updates on new features.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=289783765813&ref=mf

COMING SOON: An excerpt from Gentle's Holler by Kerry Madden, published by Viking. Gentle's Holler is the first in a series of novels based on the real-life Maggie Valley in North Carolina. Mrs. Madden, aside from being a successful and award-winning novelist, also teaches creative writing as a member of the Enlgish faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Conecuh People: Words of Life from the Alabama Blackbelt

Excerpts from:Conecuh People by Dr. Wade Hall
Attraction: Red Door Theatre (seen right and below)
Location: Union Springs, Alabama
Photos: Tourism Council of Bullock County and the Red Door Theatre

Conecuh People is a series of interviews with nineteen mostly humble people who lived in southern Bullock County, Alabama, during the first half of the twentieth century. There are sad stories, funny tales, and personal insights into the past, all intricately woven into a brilliant fabric of literature no less authentic than the antique quilts that are still popular today. Although each character is unique, out of their stories emerge patterns of a way of life that could easily be representative of many counties all around the deep South. This way of life has also mostly disappeared, so Conecuh People serves to preserve the history in a powerful way.

Conecuh People was so successful as a book that New York playwright Ty Adams adapted the book into a popular play that is performed annually at the historic Red Door Theatre, a converted historic Episcopal church in Union Springs. The Red Door Theatre is in Bullock County, where all the characters in the book are from. This beautiful town also offers an amazing walking tour. Many of the photos you will see on this feature come from that walking tour and the productions of Conecuh People.

The following excerpts are from a lively moonshiner named Tommie Manley. Manley's wife, Verse, is also featured in the book and the play.


From Conecuh People:

I been making whiskey from the time I was 'bout eighteen to I got be about fifty. I got caught fourteen times and was sont off two times. Both times I got off easy because I never made the judges mad. The last time I went off Judge Johnson in Montgomery sont me. I didn't give him no trouble at all.

He asked me, "Well, say Tommie, why would you make whiskey?"
I said, "Well, Judge, it's just a thing I could do to get some quick money out of."

He said, "Well, Tommie, didn't you know that you was breaking the rules and regulations of the federal government?"

I said, "Yes sir, Judge, I did. But I was trying to slip by and not let nobody know I was doing it."

He asked me where I bought my sugar at. Now, I didn't want him to know who was furnishing my sugar, so I said, "Well, Judge, I would get some at the hardware store and at different places."

He said, "Now, Tommie, the man at the hardware store don't sell sugar."

I said, "Well, you know, they might have didn't. Maybe the man was just buying some to sell to me. He knowed I wasn't scared for him to know I was making whiskey, so he'd special order a couple of tons for me."

Now that tickled them folks to death up there in that courtroom in Montgomery. I said, "But Judge, I know I done wrong, and I'll never do it no more. I just can't do it. I done got too old and I can't handle the weight of that sugar and them shorts and that other stuff."

I know peoples who been making whiskey all their lives and never been caught. This last time I was caught by two young men from Butler and Montgomery County. Turns out they had been making pictures of me, my still, my car and everything from a helicopter.

I was already caught and didn't even know it. I seen that helicopter coming across but didn't pay it no attention. They passed over, went on and found two more stills and went back to Montgomery, put that helicopter up, got in a car and come on back and got me.
It's hard for them federal men to catch you lessen you been turned up. I always put my still in somebody's woods that I can slip into and out of without them knowing. That's the reason you get caught a lot of times. When the landowner finds out you in there, maybe he go talking and call in the law.

You know how people is. If they can't make a living good and have money, then they don't want you to neither. It's just like I told Verse the other day. I bought her a picture called "The Lord's Supper" right up there on the wall.

I said, "Verse, you take Jesus Christ. He was the greatest man that's ever been on the land. But you look at them old boys on the end of that picture. They fixing to get Him whupped and killed. Judas is down there at one end, and there's Peter standing beside Him with his hand on His shoulder. He got his hand on Jesus' shoulder! That's the onliest man you know of that ever put his hand on Jesus. See, all them boys was close to Him. But anytime peoples get that close to you, they close enough to kill you. And they will!

They betrayed that Man and got Him killed. So if peoples will do that to Jesus, you know they gonna tell where I'm making whiskey. They gonna tell on me and get me sent to the penitentiary. Them peoples the cause of that helicopter coming in. Them federal men wouldn't never have found my still if I hadn't been turned up. They wouldn't have known where to go to look. Bullock County's got a lot of woods, and look how far I was from home. They just got to find somebody that talks. That's the way the world operates. Now you hear me 'cause it's the gospel truth."

I make good whiskey. But ain't no still whiskey bad. Of course, after you 'still it, you can put it in something that makes it bad. Whiskey is strong, and if you take that strong whiskey and let it set in a metal pan, it'll eat that metal off, and some of it will will be in the whiskey. You drink that kind of whiskey, and it'll likely kill you. That's why some peoples holler 'bout homemade whiskey being poison.

But I used copper tubs and tubes and caught my whiskey in a glass jug or a wood keg, and wadn't no poison in them. One more thing 'bout whiskey. If you want to flavor it, you put it in a charred wood keg; and it'll be white going in and red coming out. The whiskey sucks the flavor out of that wood.

Man it's strong! You can run an automobile on the first ten or twelve gallons. It'll run your car just like gas. You strike a match around the jug where you catch that first run of whiskey, and the whole thing will blow away—and you with it. What you have to do is cut that strong whiskey to where a man can drink it. You take some of your low whiskey—they calls it low wine—and run some of that in it and it cuts the power down. You want your whiskey to hold just enough beads to when a man swallow it, it won't eat him up. Now you jug it up and you got some good whiskey.

Excerpted from: Conecuh People: Words of Life from the Alabama BlackbeltNew South Books, Copyright 2004 by Wade Hall


Conecuh People Tourism Guide

When I first met Dr. Wade Hall at his family home in rural Bullock County, I joked with him about how I would one day lecture my son about the “hard” times I grew up in. “Back in my day, we didn’t have an Internet,” I will tell my two year-old when he gets older.

In truth, all of the real life characters in this book would have been thrilled to grow up in a modern middle class lifestyle. If you’re like me, you take many of our modern conveniences for granted, so this book will cause you to notice and appreciate such comforts like never before. For example, the next time that you open the refrigerator, you will suddenly realize how privileged you are to enjoy such a luxury. Little things like that will race through your head for days after reading this book.

There isn’t much talk in the book about how much better things used to be; however, there isn’t much complaining either. We all know how hard the conditions of life used to be: no electricity, no indoor plumbing, scarce food at times, lots of hard work on a farm, etc.

Yes, we all know, but we have never felt it. This book will make you feel those conditions, not just through descriptions of lifestyle but through sympathy developed through emotional connections to the real life characters. The fact that there is so little nostalgia in this book only makes the story that much more realistic and compelling. The simple joys of their humble lives did sustain these proud people, but they wanted more. Even so, they do not feel wronged. Their faith taught them that a greater life was ahead.

Rather than reading about these characters, you will feel like you are sitting on their front porch talking to them in person. This style is largely due to Dr. Hall’s incredible editing, such as transforming the interview recordings into monologues and adding key elements of place, time, and voice at critical points. The authentic dialect will remind you of Faulkner at his best.

Dr. Hall also deleted repetitions that often develop in normal conversations and rearranged the order of some interviews. By rewriting some of the material—without losing authenticity—he transformed the work into a dramatic presentation. The style of this editing is what distinguishes Conecuh People from other oral histories and makes it into a work of literature.

Dr. Hall is not a researcher from a distant area of the country who came down South to “study” these subjects and their strange rural roots; he was born—and will always proudly be—one of them. Indeed, he knew many of them intimately growing up in the very area and suffered through the same burdens of poverty and hardship. Since such destitute areas rarely produce brilliant English professors, Conecuh People is an especially rare treat. Note: the houses highlighted in this feature are all in Union Springs, but the book focuses on the hardscrabble country residents just south of the town.

His personal knowledge of the area allowed him to add subtlety into the manuscript that any other author would lack, yet his years away from his rural home also add layers of objectivity and perspective.

Like most people would given the opportunity, Dr. Hall immediately left his rural Bullock County roots as soon as he graduated from his small country school. He went on to become a distinguished English professor at Bellarmine University and author of twenty books while he lived in Kentucky.

After retiring, he moved back to his boyhood home and brought an impressive collection of rare art and books with him. He has also donated sizable collections to several large universities, including the University of Alabama. Dr. Hall earned his M.A. in English from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois. Standing in his large home office is like stepping into an exhibit at an urban museum. I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures just to capture the feel of the room and house. The work to the right displays a rare African-American angel painted in the past. Click to enlarge the picture or the top two pictures of the Red Door Theatre for more detail.

The Red Door Theatre makes for a very unique venue right in the heart of this beautiful Southern town and offers different plays throughout the year.

Directly behind the theatre is the town’s impressive Civil War cemetery and monument. Union Springs offers a walking tour of many charming antebellum homes that are gorgeous to behold. There is even a delicious Italian restaurant right across the street from the theatre called the Union Pizza Company.

The play Conecuh People is performed every spring (see the link below). The book was published by New South Books and is still in print after a decade. After you read the book, you will want to come see the play. While you’re there, check out everything Union Springs has to offer.

Many small Southern towns have a few nicely-renovated antebellum houses, but this town has over forty buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Union Springs/Bullock County Tourism Council has brochures available just around the corner from the Red Door Theatre, and there are several places to eat, although I recommend the Italian place as the best. A walk through this pretty town on a beautiful spring day will give you a strong connection to the past and a rich cultural experience.

If you enjoyed this feature, please join SELTI by clicking on the "Follow" link at the top left. You will be prompted to create a username and password for a free Google account, which takes about a minute. Once established, you can follow all your favorite Blogs from one place. Also, please post a short comment on any features that you enjoy. Use the Stories By Month archive in the top left to learn about other unique and intriguing places to visit around the South, all introduced through literature. More features will follow from this site.

Conecuh People Tourism Links

Red Door Theatre/Conecuh People the play
http://www.unionspringsalabama.com/reddoortheater.html

Facebook event page for Conecuh People the play
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=297518515195&ref=mf

Union Springs Tourism
http://www.unionspringsalabama.com/tourism.html

Conecuh People the book
http://www.newsouthbooks.com/bkpgs/detailtitle.php?isbn_solid=1588381811

Conecuh People on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Conecuh-People-Words-Alabama-Black/dp/1588381846

Wade Hall Collection of Southern History and Culture at the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library-The University of Alabama
http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/collections/hall.htm

Stay updated on the latest productions of the Red Door Theatre on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140876965&ref=nf#/group.php?gid=48679453849

Bellarmine University (where Dr. Hall taught English for twenty years)
http://www.bellarmine.edu/

Follow the special collections blog at the University of Alabama Library: What's Cool @ Hoole
http://coolathoole.blogspot.com/

Celebrating Elvis and the South

Poems By: Patricia Neely-Dorsey
Tourism Attractions: Elvis Presley Birthplace, Reed's Department Store (est.1905 in Historic Downtown Tupelo), Tupelo Hardware Store (where Elvis got his first guitar)
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the seventh largest city in Mississippi and is located between Memphis,Tennessee, and Birmingham , Alabama, along U.S. Highway 78.
Tupelo is best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley.
Photos: Courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

"The King"
(Elvis A. Presley)
born :January 8, 1935- Tupelo,MS

From poor and meager beginnings,
A young man began to sing;
From the small town of Tupelo,
A voice began to ring.
As surely as it's been said,
A man's gifts make a way for him;
This humble diamond in the rough,
Became a sparkling gem.
Velvet melodies and explosive rock,
Were the gifts he'd bring;
The world responded with resounding praise,
And pronounced this man "The King".

Copyright Patricia Neely-Dorsey 2009

"Reed's Dept. Store"
(Established 1905)

Reed's Dept. store in Tupelo,
Is the oldest in the town;
It was the place, as a child,
Where all our clothing needs were found.
Each year, in the fall, with my mom,
Before the start of school;
We'd go to Reed's for school attire.
This was just the rule.
When it was time for a winter coat,
It was off to Reed's we'd go;
So I'd be prepared for chilly days,
Or maybe even snow.
Reed's is where we'd always get,
Our uniforms for scouts;
If we needed a new cap or sash,
Reed's would have it, without a doubt.
Over the years, it stayed the same,
If we had special needs;
For fancy occasions or big events,
We'd always go to Reed's.

Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems

Reed's is located directly across from Tupelo Hardware Store, seen above, in Historic Downtown Tupelo where it is said that Elvis' mother Gladys bought him his first guitar.

Story of Elvis' First Guitar
http://www.tupelohardware.com/html/the_guitar.html

"Tupelo"

The small town where I am from,
Gets its name from the Tupelo Gum.
No matter where in the world
That I might roam
This is the place that I call home.
Though I've been northeast for my education,
I've stayed fiercely southern in dedication.
In Memphis, I lived for many years,
By my own election,
And even still, there was that Tupelo connection.
At Elvis' Graceland fans come to mourn
But it's Tupelo, Mississippi, where he was born.
Tupelo is known as an All-American city,
If you've never enjoyed it, that's quite a pity.
It's so warm, so hospitable and so neat,
Everything about it to me is so sweet.
I love the trees, the flowers and the birds,
I can't really describe all its beauty in words.
Though many places in my life,
Have played a significant part;
It's Tupelo, Mississippi, y'all,
That still has all my heart.

Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
poems from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems

Tourism Guide

Tupelo is hosting several gala events to commemorate the 75th birthday of their most famous native son.

Thursday January 7th
Downtown Tupelo at the Lyric Theatre
Ultimate Elvis Tribute winners Brandon Bennett and Bill Cherry in Concert with the EAS band
Find details at http://www.tupelomainstreet.com/

Friday January 8th 10am
Join Marty Stuart at the Tupelo CVB to unveil a special exhibit of costuming including one of Marty Stuart's outfits and a jumpsuit on loan from Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Friday January 8th 10am
Official opening of the Sparkle and Twang exhibit at the Tupelo Automobile Museum.
The collection is a homage to music legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline , George Jones, ect. and includes costumes, instruments, hand-written lyrics and personal mementos

Friday January 8th 1pm
Birthday Party for The King
Elvis Presley Birthplace
Free entry to the Birthplace
Birthday cake, Coffee and Punch
Visiting with Elvis fans from around the world
Special 75th birthday postcards and souvenier cups available for purchase

Friday January 8th 2-4pm
Marty Stuart Booksigning at the Tupelo Automobile Museum.
Marty will sign copies of his book "Country Music: The Masters"
http://www.elvispresleybirthplace.com/

Friday Janaury 8th 8pm
An intimate evening of music and storytelling with one of America's greatest talents, Mississippi born Marty Stuart: Live at the Link Centre
General Admission: $30 Balcony $25

The official hotel for the 75th Extravaganza is the Tupelo Hilton Garden Inn
Make reservations at http://www.tupelo.hgi.com/

Tupelo is also an hour and a half drive from Memphis and Graceland, so check out both!

Tourism Links

Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
http://www.tupelo.net/

Mississippi Division of Tourism
http://www.visitmississippi.org/

Visiting Mississippi/The Official Website of Mississippi
http://www.mississippi.gov/ms_sub_template.jsp?Category_ID=6

About Patricia Neely-Dorsey
Patricia's first book of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems, was published in 2008. Reflections makes a great gift idea, especially in a gift basket. She is currently working on her second book of poetry in her hometown of Tupelo. Check out more of her work and reviews in the October Stories By Month on this site in the archives.

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
http://patricianeelydorsey.webs.com/

Order an autpgraphed copy from Reed's Gumtree Bookstore
http://www.reedsms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.books

Read more Elvis-inspired poetry in Beyond the Shadows of Graceland with work from Tupelo poet Heather VanHoose Truett by scrolling below.

COMING SOON: An excerpt and review from Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains: A Guidebook by Georgann Eubanks, published by UNC Press. Also, an excerpt from Conecuh People by Dr. Wade Hall, published by New South Books. This book was adapted into a play that is performed annually at the historic Red Door Theatre in Union Springs, Alabama.


Order Patricia's book at Amazon and other major book outlets.
http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Mississippi-Magnolia-Life-Poems/dp/097962942X

Find out more about Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains: A Guidebook by Georgann Eubanks.
http://www.georganneubanks.net/

Find out more about Conecuh People by Dr. Wade Hall and the Red Door Theatre in historic Union Springs, Alabama, where his play is performed.
http://bindings.lib.ua.edu/gallery/wade2.html

http://www.newsouthbooks.com/bkpgs/detailtitle.php?isbn_solid=1588381811

http://www.unionspringsalabama.com/reddoortheater.html