Today is Emmett Wilson’s 133rd birthday! I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with something clever, that does not feel contrived, to honor this auspicious day. Most of the reason for the lack of inspiration is the residual mental crispiness of burnout from all the writing this past week. […]
It has been busy as heck since school let out. Let me tell you. I thought I was ready to have the kiddos home all day (I’m working mostly out of the home office this summer), but even with well thought out activities, it is a lot of stop-and-start. I […]
I talk to dead people on a regular basis for Emmett’s story. Because the convo is mostly one-way, I don’t get a lot of sass back from my interview subjects. Also, I don’t have to worry about Emmett and his friends not liking what I had to write about them […]
When I was growing up, I used to go to New Orleans with my family to visit cousins and friends, and to celebrate Mardi Gras. My cousin’s house was on a street where two large parades would pass every year. The parades were on different days, of course. Occasionally, on […]
The more I dig into Emmett’s family, the more incredible back stories I find about those who loved him best. For instance, his sister-in-law, Lula, was a poet and musician. She had a song published in 1928, which was similar to having a tune go viral via social media today. […]
When it comes to writing a major piece, such as Emmett’s book, you collect a lot of information. That’s a good thing, but it can be overwhelming. I’d mentioned in an earlier post that I have (literally) hundreds of source items, and I’m still collecting information (and probably will for […]
If only Emmett had become a cult hero, he’d have a shirt like this too! Although he didn’t have a t-shirt, he did have a club. True! When Emmett was running for Congress in 1912, his constituents organized an Emmett Wilson Club, and set one up in every county […]
Yesterday afternoon, I finished reading the 1918 edition of The Chipley Banner. This publication is significant in Emmett’s research because Chipley, Florida was Emmett’s boyhood home. His father, Dr. F.C. Wilson, was a well respected townsman and the postmaster (a patronage gift from Emmett while a congressman). While Emmett was […]
This last week I’ve been tracking down an elusive document in Emmett Wilson’s research; specifically, a copy of a eulogy given for him at the annual Elk’s Lodge memorial service, held on December 2, 1918. It’s obscure, folks. So what else is new? LOL! All these obscure leads I’ve been […]
Readers, one thing I’ve noticed in doing Emmett’s research is that back in the early 1900s, if your lifestyle or behavior was even the least little bit out of the ordinary, you can be sure that it would at least make it into the local newspapers. Nowadays, for instance, our […]
Tell my story. 