Author Archives: 2elderpreneurs

Fuel For the Mind

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The McIntyre Family – Early 1950’s
Bill, the writer; Me, Read My Dad’s Stuff Blogger Scott; Susan Elizabeth, my Sister; and Barbara, the Mom!

Dad was living in Covina, a small suburb of Los Angeles during the mid-fifties, and driving trucks to support a wife and two adorable children, when an ‘on-the-job’ experience brought “Bluebell” to life.  And that’s what today’s ‘Bits of Bill‘ post is all about.

What do truckers talk about when they hook up while working?  Dad might have expected to hear one particular driver tell about his route, problems with the truck, or possibly, vacation plans.  But, as he recounted in “The Life and Times of Bluebell”, a look at how the novel became a reality, “The story was given birth…when a fellow driver told of seeing a black man burned at the stake.”

The event had taken place years earlier and today, Dad doesn’t recollect if he was given the details of when and where it happened, but my research backs up that our country was still experiencing similar practices as late as 1950.

Describing those early days of “Bluebell”, dad says, “As with most of my writing, I had no plot in mind, no idea where I might go with such a tale but, no matter, I started writing… in longhand.  At some point, I suppose after writer’s cramp set in, I started using an aging Underwood upright.  That old mill (Navy term) was responsible for the original manuscript, and two re-writes.”

More rewrites, spurred on by the advent of word processors and computers, resulted in today’s tale, a two part novel exceeding 158,000 words featuring “two antagonists: Racial injustice, and anarchy.”

Learn More about “Bluebell”

Could I Fix Another Tractor

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Some life situations make us more uncomfortable than others and that’s the situation Struther Tanksley found himself in that I want to focus on in today’s ‘Character Confessions‘ post.

Scott: Struther, I really appreciate you stopping by today.

Struther: And I’m glad you asked me to stop…though I hope it won’t take too long.

Scott: Why?  Do you have another tractor to repair?

Struther: How did you hear about that?  You been spyin on me?

Scott: No Struther.  I read my dad’s book Bluebell and know about how you fixed Tog’s tractor.

Struther: Yeah, I wish that was the only thing I had to deal with that day.  I remember when I saw him, I “waved and shouted;  “G- got the t-tractor runnin’…”  Then, seeing Christine and the girls scurrying into the house” I broke into the lurching gait I call running.

Scott: The girls?

Struther: The Watkins’ girls.  “When Claude and Charlotte Watkins had asked that he and Christine be the godparents of their two children, the Ericsons were thrilled; and through the years they had come to love the girls as their own.”

Scott: After the girls were safe with their godmother, is that when Tog brought you up to date on what had happened to their mom?

Struther: Yeah, I remember his sayin, “Charlotte Watkins has been…” and then it was like “Tog’s mind refused him access to the words.”  He finally went on, “She- she’s been badly injured.  Doc is going to take her to the hospital.  I’ll give you the details on the way, that is if don’t mind comin’ back with me.”

Scott: Sounds like I should keep this short for both of us Struther…thanks again for stoppin by.

What I didn’t ask him about was how he responded to Tog’s news that Charlotte had been severely injured.  The question wasn’t necessary because I knew from my investigation that after shaking his head, he said, “That’s a mighty shame” and those “last words, as a pure extension of his instinctive feelings for others, came easily in his rich, rumbling baritone, but no question followed.”

More to Learn

Bluebell is a long book, by novel standards, and this blog has been live since January 14, 2017, so there’s lots more to read here, such as…

Novel Reporting

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Journalists report the news and facts are key to their reporting.  But what about a reporter in a fictional book…aren’t they, almost by definition, the ultimate in fake news?  Maybe so, but that’s for a linguistic expert to sort out.  Today, I’m just interested in presenting another edition of ‘Match Game Fiction Style‘ for today’s ‘Counterparts in Literature‘ post.

Carl Schenfield, an investigative reporter in dad’s novel, “Bluebell”, isn’t the only instance of a journalist having a role in a fictional story.  Do your best at matching the five books below with info about their featured reporter and then, to investigate how well you did, take your reporters notepad and go interview the answer page.

More News to Investigate

 

A Great Force for Good

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Her name was Rowena Kramer.  She was a white woman with a heart for everyone.  Willis Jefferson had lived with her over ten years after she rescued him from a storm, and not just one involving the weather.  Did she have an impact on his life?  Check out the following “QuotaBill” from dad’s book, “Bluebell” and see what you think.

“Anyone privy to the details of Willis Jefferson’s childhood would have seen Rowena Kramer as a greater force in his life than he might ever know.  Not only had she taught him about life, and instilled in him a love of it, she had implanted the need to share that love with all of God’s creatures.”

Her impact went beyond teaching him to clean up his room or play nicely with the neighbor kids.  It went to the soul of his being, as evidenced by this excerpt from “Bluebell”.

Has someone had a significant impact in your life?  I’d love to hear about it and you never know, maybe your comment will be just what someone else needs to be that ‘helpful’ person in a life.

What’s Next?

  • Learn what you can’t know about someone based on their possessions.
  • Read more about Miss Rowena.
  • Receive updates from Read My Dad’s Stuff – Just say “Sign Me Up”

Bluebell’s Top Ten – Part 2

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Sometimes thoughts of our first acquaintance with someone can bring memories that flood our hearts with joy.  Though not always the case, meeting up with new characters in the world of fiction can be nearly as memorable, and that’s what today’s post is all about.

In my last ‘First Acquaintance‘ article, you met the first half of Bluebell’s top ten characters, based on the number of times they were referenced in the novel.  Today, continuing that process, I’d like to introduce three more of the Top 10: Pastor Andrew Lindsey; Judd Connelly; and Heta Rawlins.

116 – Pastor Andrew Lindsey – “…the ominous sounds brought a sense of pending disaster.  Nearly tangible, it saturated the breathless night, and settled about him oppressively.  Fear laid an icy hand at the base of his neck, and he leaned heavily against the porch railing wondering how many of his flock were among those in the streets.”  Though Pastor Lindsey is mentioned earlier in the book, this scene, at the start of Chapter 23, of an angry mob in the streets of Drewsport, is our first personal introduction to him, and within pages, we discover his bravery as he informs his wife, “I’m going down there.”

116 – Judd Connelly – In the first issue of “Bluebell’s Top Ten“, Deputy Stacey Norton is the one who receives horrific news about a citizen of Drewsport.  Not much later in the book, we are introduced to his supervisor, Sheriff Connelly, through Stacey’s somewhat uncomforting thoughts about his ‘superior’.

” Judd’s absence had been no surprise, Stacey knew he was away, knew where he was, and knew approximately when he would return, but….

“Damn,” he muttered softly. “Still gone.”

Hearing the words, and being suddenly cognizant of the thoughts provoking them, brought a sense of shock.  Finding himself at odds with the man, who represented law, order, justice, and all things honorable, was beyond comprehension.  For this uncomplicated, trusting man, the realization that he could view anything Connelly did as unfavorable, no matter how ambiguous the thought, was confusing and frustrating; almost frightening.”

108 – Heta Rawlins – As page 547 opens to view, characters in Bluebell, including the pastor you met at the start of this article, prepare us to met Heta Rawlins, and not always in a complimentary fashion.

“Heta and I had several very frank talks.  She is an extremely intelligent woman.  I had a great deal of respect for—”

“RESPECT!”  Norton exploded, his skepticism giving way to anger.  “She’s- shhhe’s a common whore!  How can a man like… how can a man of your calling have any respect for the likes of her?”

“Being narrow of mind, and refusing to acknowledge the good in all things is what gets men of ‘my calling’ into trouble.  I’m not condoning Heta’s faults, or making excuses for her, but there was great deal more to Heta Rawlins than most people knew about, or gave her credit for!”

Stacey kicked the stone viciously, but Andy continued undeterred. “I used to caution her; because, for a woman in her profession, she was… almost naïve.  I feared for her safety, particularly concerning Aaron.  I was afraid he would—”

“I’m surprised, Pastor.”  The rich contralto came from behind them.  “Of all of them, I thought you would understand.”

Only two characters of Bluebell’s Top Ten remain to be introduced…Dr. Bill Ferguson and Jeremy Claymore, but I’ll save that for another day.  So what’s left…how about an ‘odd’ trip down memory lane?  Here are links to some earlier odd numbered articles you might not have read.

 

Interpret the Facts Carefully

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It’s not enough to gather facts when faced with an issue of importance.  We need to go beyond the fact-finding and carefully evaluate what we find.  That’s the lesson we get from today’s  ‘How-To’s‘ post.

“Driving slowly served a dual purpose for Tog Ericson.  It kept the dust at a minimum, and gave him a few extra minutes with his two charming companions.  When Claude and Charlotte Watkins had asked that he and Christine be the godparents of their two children, the Ericsons were thrilled; and through the years they had come to love the girls as their own.

As they came in sight of the house, Tog was surprised to see a man emerging from the field, a short distance ahead.  Scrambling through the fence, he hurried along the shoulder for a few hundred feet, before crossing, and disappeared into the woods.”

By reckoning the man’s height, Tog judged him to be a stranger because “aside from himself, Struther Tanksley and Jed Holister, he could think of no other man in the area that topped six feet.”

“Easing the car into the drive, Tog stopped by the front porch.  He could find no logical reason for it; but, his uneasiness, at seeing the stranger, had continued to intensify.

As he crossed the porch, he called softly. “Charlotte; I’ve brought your family home…”  A sound from inside indicated that he had been heard, but when no other response was forthcoming, he called the name a bit louder.  “Charlotte?”  The reaction to this was an explosion of sounds; those made by someone moving hurriedly.

Tog yanked at the door, it yielded easily, and he pushed through the opening into the semi-darkness of the draped living room.  The sudden change restricted his vision for a moment, but he could make out a man’s silhouette as he ran into the kitchen.  By the time he reached the outer door, Tog could see that he was a Negro.”

As Tog moved into the home he realized calling the authorities was going to be on his urgent ‘to-do’ list but he continued gathering and interpreting facts for that call.

“Waves of nausea swept over him as he knelt beside what had been a beautiful woman.  Aside from the blood-matted hair, there seemed to be nothing of Charlotte Watkins in what lay before him.  For several seconds he fought for control.

Without a conscious directive, his eyes sought out the compress on Charlotte’s temple.  Gradually, the contradictions it represented became the catalyst for clearer, more rational thought.  He stared in questioning wonder at the pan of water, the clean pad waiting to be applied, then at the other where it had been dropped on the floor.”

Tog lived in a southern city in the late 1930’s during a time when the black community was not often trusted.  And, as he entered the home of his godchildren’s severely beaten mother, he saw a black man inside.  Yet something about the first aid material he saw must have been analyzed correctly, for when he relayed his findings to the sheriff, through a call placed to the local telephone operator, he carefully instructed her to relay “that it looked as though the colored man was trying to help Charlotte, but he ran when I got here.”

Mr. Ericson interpreted the facts correctly.  What about you?  I’d love to hear about a time when you got the facts right (or wrong) and the lessons you learned along the way.

Within Her Spirit

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In today’s Graphically Said post, we look at 15 words from “Bluebell” and the impact, of the woman they described, on one of the book’s main characters, Willis Jefferson.

What pushed a young black man to risk his life running to the aid of a victimized white lady in a small southern town in the late 1930’s?  It was largely the influence of another white woman in his life, Rowena Kramer.

Rowena enters the world of fiction via dad’s book, of the same name, as a young child, not yet six years old, already “alone and lost; in a world she could not comprehend, at the mercy of forces against which she had no defense.”

As she, on her first train ride, sat “huddled next to the large, glowering man, the child’s appearance suggested that no amount of external warmth could dispel the chill that gripped her.  Her proximity to him, although not that of an offspring enjoying the security of a loving parent, was close enough to indicate that they were, in some way, attached. 

There were those who would have viewed her as merely wistful, but intuitive observation would have revealed a child, if not abused, acutely aware of being unwanted.  Had this not been so, in another time, she would have been a living Rockwell.”

This was to become the woman who rescued Willis from a Kansas storm and loved him like she was his own mother.  As we discover in “Bluebell”, “Willis  was not alone in his special feelings for Rowena Kramer; there were many others.  They came and went in a seemingly endless parade, some staying only for a meal, some for a day, a week or longer.  They were young, old, and in-between.  Mostly, they were men and boys, but occasionally a member of the fairer sex was taken under Miss Rowena’s wing.  No matter the gender, problem or need, however, all shared a common bond: No one leaving her was ever less than better for the experience, nor was that separation ever complete.  Within her spirit was that which engendered, and exacted, love from every life she touched.  Few, however, had found what Willis had.”

P.S.  Since I was unable to find a photo of Rowena online, I chose an old picture of a woman very special to me…may I introduce you to Barbara Jane Over-McIntyre, my mom.

That Phone Call You Don’t Want

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You met Stacey Norton as the second member of Bluebell’s Top Ten but I didn’t get a chance to dig into his story very deeply.  In today’s Character Confession though, digging deeper is exactly what I intend to do.

Scott: Thanks for joining me today Deputy Norton.

Stacey: It’s my pleasure Scott, but please, call me Stacey.

Scott:  Ok…Stacey it is.  Let’s jump right into what happened the day Charlotte Watkins was beaten.  You received a call from a telephone operator, yet it was Tog Ericson who found Charlotte.  Why didn’t he call you?

Stacey: There was already too much on his plate.

Scott: So he relayed this critical information through a telephone operator?

Stacey:  She wasn’t just an operator, but someone he could trust.  Being “considerably less interested in gathering or spreading gossip than most of Drewsport’s party line wags; Mary Lou Trimmer was a competent, conscientious operator.  Having read the urgency in Tog’s voice,” I imagine “the line was ringing before he had finished speaking.”

Scott: Good thing he had someone like that to lean on.  So what did she tell you?

Stacey:  I don’t know how she did it but it was like Tog was speaking to me.  This is the transcript of what I recorded that day.  “There were two men close enough to have done it.  They were both strangers to me.  One was a big white man, dark bushy hair.  He was wearing light colored overalls, same as railroad people wear.  The other fella was a Negro, medium size, uh, plaid shirt… red and black, and, um… blue overalls…it looked as though the colored man was trying to help Charlotte, but he ran when I got here.”

Scott: Wow…so it fell on you to investigate.  How did that work out?

Stacey: Well, as you can imagine, “when Mary Lou had called, she was extremely distraught, and it had taken several minutes…to unravel the story.”  My “first reaction had been to call up a posse, but a second, less dramatic, thought persisted.”

Scott: Less dramatic?

Stacey:  Yes…a “quiet, personal reconnaissance had been the result.”

Scott: Boy…I’m so glad I write for a blog rather than have to do work like that.  I think that’s all the questions I have at this time, but perhaps we can speak more later.  Thank you again for taking time out of your day to speak with me.  This is something people need to hear about.

Stacey: You’re welcome Scott.  And about people needing to hear this…if you’d get your dad’s book, Bluebell, published, more people would have the opportunity to know the whole story.

Scott: Uhhh…thanks for the encouragement?

Something else I learned from my investigation into this story.  A woman who saw him coming back to town after his initial investigation into Charlotte’s beating, said “a thoughtful frown bunched the inner reaches of Deputy Stacey Norton’s brow, and he exercised greater than normal care guiding his old Dodge along Main Street.  Beyond that, however, there was nothing to denote the tension building within him.”

You have to admire people who do this type of work on our behalf.

 

Local Read a Short Story Day

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I’ve created a special event…Local Read a Short Story Day!  Now, there’s already the ‘famous’ Short Story Day on December 21st, but it’s as much about writing short stories as it is about reading, and that’s where my special day is different.

To celebrate LRSSD (Local Read a Short Story Day), I’m giving away one of my dad’s tales to anyone who wants to read it.  Here are three to pick from…

  1. A Tree for Tomorrow – Revisiting a childhood home, when you expect the worst, can sometimes provide a happy ending.
  2. And Above All Honor – What causes some people, even children, to seek service in the military during a war?
  3. Relocation Nation – You’re an American citizen of Japanese descent and all is good during the early 1940’s until something called WWII.

Reach out to me with the story you want and I’ll email it back to you, and in the event I get SO many requests, I can’t reply to you before LRSSD is over, I’m hereby authorizing a daily extension of the special day.  That way, if your story doesn’t arrive until tomorrow or the next day or next month, you’ll still be reading it on Local Read a Short Story Day.

P.S.  If you’ve already requested a free story from me, you can ask for another one to celebrate this special day.

 

Small Town America

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The thoughts and actions of many of it’s citizens, form the mechanism which creates a state of anarchy that nearly destroys Drewsport.  This fictional small town in the South, during the late 1930’s, is described in dad’s book, “Bluebell”, with more reality than many want to admit.

In today’s “Counterparts in Literature” post, I’m going to be testing your knowledge of other small towns in America.  Match the story descriptions below with their respective novel and then head on over to the answer page to see you you did.  Ready…Set…Play!

My thanks to Nathan Deuel for the article on HuffPost which provided me with these small town stories.  When you’re pretty sure you’ve got this game won, head on over to the answer page and see how you did.

Learn a little more about what happened in the town of Drewsport by checking out this excerpt or reading Bluebell’s Synopsis.