Not Writer's Block Per Se

My Book Talk column this week features Eudora Welty! Something so easy to write, but it took all morning. Not writer's block per se, I experienced a case of information overload having read oodles of Welty in two months. My quandary was either write a little about the short stories read, or concentrate on one. I decided to go for the one story concept and did A Worn Path.

While verifying the O. Henry award, I found the movie I talked earlier about in the "NewTube Your Classroom!" post. Unfortunately, I do not have sound on my computer at work. That means my article is off to the presses with a big-old-mistake! I swear! I read she saw the woman while traveling on a train, but you will hear in the following interview this is not the case. I see an erratum in my future.

The movie is broken into two parts of equal time. It takes a little over 20 minutes to watch them both. The last video is an interview with Miss Welty by Beth Henley, a Pulitzer prize playwright, concerning A Worn Path. Enjoy the movie and sorry for the poor sound quality in advance. ~ Maggie

Literary Conversation Series

The Literary Conversation Series focuses on collecting interviews with notable writers. Check out these collections of interviews from some of my favorite authors and noteworthy authors!

• Conversations with Amiri Baraka
• Conversations with August Wilson
• Conversations with Eudora Welty - Written by Dr. Prenshaw!
• Conversations with Gwendolyn Brooks
• Conversations with Margaret Walker
• Conversations with Tennessee Williams

Interviews with Richard Wright

Keneth Kinnamon’s book, Conversations with Richard Wright (Literary Conversations Series) is a collection of interviews with Richard Wright. Allowing the reader to escape into the mind and thoughts of Richard Wright, it is a must-read. You can purchase it online at Amazon.com. What would you have asked Richard Wright, if you had the opportunity to interview? How would you have prepared for an interview with Richard Wright?

NewTube Your Classroom!

YouTube is everywhere. Kids watch diet colas spurt into the air after adding one, little candy Mentos. Coworkers sit mesmerized through a ton of pass-along e-mails such as this Christmas favorite. Sheri, our Natchez videographer, is working on placing her work on Teacher Tube for the classroom. Even I—the book person—sat through an hour long lecture on my laptop instead of buying The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

Streaming video is the future, and I am pleased to present a website that provides this service. Films on Demand is a sub-group of the Meridian Films Media Group that provide films on VHS, DVD, DVD and 3-year streaming , or 3-year streaming. It is expensive, $149.95, but the cost includes public performance rights. The librarian or media specialist can pay through the library’s budget, and provide one with a laptop and display monitor. All a teacher needs is a blank wall or screen and the willingness to teach.

On this website I found: Africa to America to Paris: The Migration of Black Writers (53min) that includes Richard Wright for 12th graders or college freshmen, Tennessee Williams and the American South (45min) for grades 11 & 12, and Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path (32min) for grades 9 & 10. An interview with Miss Welty by Beth Henley concludes the short film. ~ Maggie

Note: The photograph is a still from the film. Notice the details like the sunken Natchez Trace, her lack of coat, and the umbrella skeleton. ~ Maggie

Example of a Jim Crow Narrative

To build on Cassandra's excellent post, I thought I would provide one of the many narratives from the PBS website.

Mr. Money Kirby relates his time in the army when his blood was needed for a transfusion into a white man. It is rather funny, and the background noise sounds like someone doing the dishes. More stories here. ~ Maggie



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The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow

While searching for new podcasts for my iPhone, I discovered a FREE and interesting podcast. "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow" is a podcast, which provides actual people - not famous people - discussing their very personal interaction with Jim Crow during a time that racial segregation was the nature of life. This podcast is phenomenal. It includes actual experiences during the Jim Crow Era. To find this podcast on in the iTunes Store, you may search under PBS sponsored podcasts.

This discovery prompted me to search PBS site for Jim Crow references. The search results contained:

1. Interactive Maps


2. Teen Leadership Lessons


3. Games and Activities


4. Interactive Timeline


5. Lesson Plans


6. Resources

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow is an actual series showing on PBS. Unfortunately for me the series doesn't air on my local MPB channel. I was sadly disappointed to see this. Check out the series schedule to see if it is showing in your area soon.

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow PBS website contains so much information, but what really caught my attention was the actual access to rare documents, videos, photos, and actual interviews with people, who experienced the impulsive control of Jim Crow. There is also a forum area for discussions.