Do you have a writing routine? Mine is fairly simple. It is generally first thing upon awakening, usually around 4 am, when it is dark and quiet. I have a cup of coffee ready (the percolator is on a timer), and my desk is cleaned up. I have to do […]
I have good progress to report about Emmett and his six month sojourn in Sterling, Illinois, in 1906. First, I finished the microfilm from the Abraham LIncoln Presidential Library in record time. I had no choice; the loan window on this set of film was small. I think I gave […]
I often wonder about the relationship Emmett had with his mother: Was it formal or relaxed? Was it “Mother” or “Mom?” At this point, even after two years of research into Emmett’s life, I still don’t know much about Emmett’s mother, Elizabeth Virginia Maxwell Wilson. I’m still looking for family […]
Did you know that the state of Florida actually has it’s own embassy in Washington, DC? True. You won’t find it on Embassy Row, but on Capitol Hill, right behind the Supreme Court on the corner of Second Street NE and East Capitol Street, and across the street from the […]
Call me crazy, but when I find myself hitting a brick wall in the research, I ask Emmett for help. Truth. Also, every time I’ve done it, I’ve gotten a response — usually in the form of new information, or a new lead. The fact I am also dogged and […]
Quick, name a ‘second banana’ who transcended the ‘sidekick’ or second-in-command role into superstardom, after breaking from the partnership that gave him or her a sense of identity, that ‘household name-ness’. Don Knotts? Nope. Once he left The Andy Griffith Show, and struck out on his own, his star didn’t […]
A few weeks ago, I found out that Emmett decided to pull up stakes and relocate from Marianna, Florida to Sterling, Illinois in January, 1906. This just seemed odd to me: Why would someone up and leave his home, family, business and professional contacts, and budding political network to relocate […]
So, what do Emmett Wilson, Richard Nixon, and a bronze terrapin named Testudo all have in common? You can find all of three (in some format or the other!) at the National Archives II, located at the University of Maryland, College Park! I spent the afternoon on campus, and met […]
Yesterday, I ventured inside The Oracle, also known as the National Archives, located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Oracle? Hell yeah. It was one of the best days of my life in the world of Emmett Wilson research. In the 25 years that I’ve lived in the DC area (15 […]
One thing that stands out to me in getting to know Emmett’s closest friends is that his inner circle was consistent and remained close to him all his life. Emmett’s true inner circle were: Walter Kehoe, Big Brother Cephas, Paul Carter. Emmett wasn’t a snob. He seemed to make friends […]
Tell my story. 