Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Sheila Ingle!
Linda: Welcome back to my blog. Thanks for joining
me today. Your book Tales of a Cosmic
Possum is a biography of your husband’s family. Why did you decide to write
the book, and how did you come up with the title?
Sheila: John and
I have been married 39 years, and I believe this book has been in the works
that long. His heritage is the Appalachia mountains of Tennessee. When his
grandfather left his holler, he moved to South Carolina to join the work force
at a cotton mill. The family brought their customs and traditions with them.
Growing up in the city, I knew nothing about life in a mill town. When we met,
I quickly learned the differences. Listening to the dialect, being introduced
to country music, and listening to their stories truly expanded my horizons.
The book Christy by Catherine
Marshall came alive to me when John and I drove to Cutter’s Gap/aka Morgan’s
Gap where we met the son of the woman who took Christy’s place as the school
teacher. I finally realized it was time to tell the stories of the Ingle women.
In one of Sharon McCrumb’s books, she writes of a cosmic possum, and Jane Hicks
defines it in her poem, “How We Became Cosmic Possums.” When I read both of
these, I realized I was married to a cosmic possum. John is one of those whose roots
are Appalachian, but who has gone on to become educated without losing his
mountain heritage.
LM: Research is
important in any writing, but especially for non-fiction. How did you go about
finding the information you needed?
Sheila: Interviewing
John, his brother, and his cousins was my primary source; their memories of
their growing up in Ingle Holler is still phenomenal. I learned about the
different jobs in the mills through videos, the Greenville Museum, who has
dedicated space to this lifestyle, reading descriptions of the mill villages
and books of this era. The mills themselves are no longer in use, but their
stories are still being told. Newspaper articles also were a help. Yes, to
viewing the Pacolet River that flooded and refurbished, four room mill houses.
Our public library was a solid source of both photos and text. Also, choosing
to have the setting for each story to be part of one day in a particular year
helped with choosing what history details to include. e.g. Annie Mae owned the
boarding house during the Depression, and the family talked about how she
reached out to hoboes. Since I knew nothing about hoboes or their lives, I was
fascinated to research them.
LM: On your
website, you indicate the Revolutionary era is your favorite. What draws you to
that time period?
Sheila: Because
of my grandmother’s enthusiasm for genealogy and family history, she became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as several other
lineage societies. She enjoyed telling my brother and me about those early
settlers and how they fought for our freedom. I caught this time as being
important to my history. As an English teacher, I taught literature from an
historical perspective, including information about the government, music,
lifestyles, etc. I am/was convinced that we learn well through immersion into a
period, not by memorization.
After joining a DAR chapter here in Spartanburg, I
went to visit Walnut Grove, an historic home built before the Revolution. It
was in walking where the heroine walked and listening to the docent that I
realized that there are few stories about the heroines of the American
Revolution. So I decided to fill that gap with a book about Kate Moore Barry, a
18th century woman who lived less that five miles from where I grew
up. From then on, I was hooked by this time period. Visiting reenactments and
watching the reenactors live out the lives of those years, touring houses,
plantations, churches, and civic buildings in my state of SC kept me learning,
also.
The fact that most of the heroines were unknown filled me with a quest to
share their stories. This time is the beginning of our nation, and we need to
pass down to the next generations the importance of that. And, I am a
descendent of Martha Washington which also intrigues my curiosity in wanting to
learn all I can about our first First Lady.
LM: How did you
get started as a writer, and how did you decide to seek publication?
Sheila: As a
teacher, I taught composition and started writing for some of our church
publications. I mulled it over often and even did some ghost writing. It wasn’t
until I visited Walnut Grove that I had a story that I was compelled to tell.
It was a wonder that a local press agreed with me, and a year later, Courageous Kate was printed. What
followed were four other biographies, including Tales of a Cosmic Possum, all written and published in eleven
years. It has been an unreal journey, and I have enjoyed every minute.
LM: You live in a
beautiful area of the world, a place many people visit. If money were no
object, what is your idea of the ultimate vacation?
Sheila: I believe
I would like to go on a jaunt that included Williamsburg, Mt. Vernon, Boston,
and Philadelphia. Of course, there would be a few day trips along the way, like
the childhood home of George Washington at Ferry Farm, Plimouth Plantation, and
several days overnighting at the City Tavern. The ultimate part of this
vacation would be that time would not be an issue. Both times I visited Mt.
Vernon, I was plagued by a clock for only one day’s stay. Oh, I need the owners
of Carter’s Grove, my Carter family, to reopen the house to the public once
again. Watching the wild horses on the Outer Banks would also be a must, and in
the evening a front row seat at The Lost Colony play in Roanoke. And one more
thing would be watching a performance of
Hamilton on Broadway. Probably this would take care of my bucket list!
LM: What is your
next project?
Sheila I have almost
completed research on Judith Giton Manigault, one of the first Huguenots to
immigrate to South Carolina in the 17th century. On January 22, I
will share part of her story to the South Carolina Historical Society, and
maybe their response will guide me toward telling her story.
LM: Where can
folks find you on the web?
Sheila: Blog: http://www.sheilaingle.com
Author Page on Facebook: Sheila Ingle, Author
Twitter: @sheilaingle1
Book Blurb:
Tales of a Cosmic Possum is a group of short stories based
on the history of eight women in my husband’s family who worked in the cotton
mills of SC. They worked together in the mills, shared their
gardens, attended church, and enjoyed the playing and singing of the songs from
the Grand Ole Opry. When five of the brothers went off to war, those who
couldn’t fight took care of their families. The Ingles stuck
together, just like they were taught in the Appalachia.
Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B073NSCPPY
