In spite of the fact I wrote, “For Librarians Only,” I knew you’d read it anyway. That’s okay. These are things writers, school teachers, and librarians should know in order to have a successful signing. In all fairness, I must say that much, if not most, of what’s in this list I learned from the very talented librarians I have worked with.  These are only suggestions, but I feel they may be helpful to author and librarian alike. Recently, I was broadcast by Region VII, and this was one of the handouts I shared with the librarians who were in attendance and who were watching the broadcast.

Checklist for Successful Author Event in School Libraries

•    Ask author to acknowledge all (every one) correspondence from you.  File or print each email and make notes on phone calls.  Obtain phone as well as email contact information. (If the Internet server goes down, you must have phone contact!)
•    Author should sign and fax W-9 form if required by your district.  Find out district/school policy on payment as authors generally expect payment on the day of program.
•    A written contract for the event should be created.
•    Find out what the author will need for the event (tables, etc.)
•    A schedule of event day should be sent to author. This way he/she will know what to expect.
•    Ask author for bio and other press information, including photo. File this information as you receive it.
•    Obtain handouts, giveaways (like bookmarks) photos, etc. from author if they have them.
•    Notify local media of the event. Ask author what he/she can do to help with publicity for the event (his blog, website, newspapers, etc.)  Community publicity is good for the image of your school and library.  Obtain an extra copy of any articles and send to the author. Authors do appreciate that.
•    Obtain author’s book(s) before the event if possible and read (or have teachers read) the book(s) to the children and discuss them.  Students are much more excited about the program.
•    Send a brochure or letter home to the parents of students attending the program, informing them of the author’s visit and his/her books, including price if they are able to purchase them.
•    Communicate to the author any specific expectations or requests.
•    Talk up the event with school newspaper, school announcements, and with school staff. Encourage teachers to drop by and meet the author. A pre-program display can also be effective to build interest.
•    Decide if you want to sell the author’s books as a fund-raiser, or if you don’t want or need to fool with that, have author bring his/her own books to sell. Or you can just focus on the program.
•    Offer lunch to the author and provide water during program(s).
•    Contact author a few days before the event.
•    Take photos or record program on video for records, school website, and posterity.  Get as much mileage out of the event as you can.
•    Share your impression of the program with other librarians. (Texas Library List Serve, etc.)

Children’s Parade

Here are some photos of the Monroe July 4th Children’s Parade at Triangle Park. The paper said that over 1500 people were there. I so enjoyed this. The children and spectators were excited, the weather perfect (but warm), and thankfully the event was well reported. It’s good when positive things are featured in the news, instead of the usual digging for dirt to feed the toxic gossip craving many people have.

Here is the parade sign in Triangle Park:

Here is my grandson, Mason, who proudly rode in the parade:

Here is the John Adams of the Parade:

Here is Mason with his father Stewart, waiting for the parade to begin.

BOOK SIGNING

My signing at the new Barnes & Noble in Arlington on Cooper Street on Saturday afternoon was a success. The store is very busy and I was able to tell at least two hundred people the story of Jim Limber. One thing I enjoy about signings is the people I meet. Here is a photo of me and one of the workers, Amanda. Amanda is a writer herself and we had a good talk about writing.

Here is one of the managers, Erica. She was very helpful and encouraging.

Today’ entry concludes the lessons for the study guide for my collection of historical short fiction.  Tomorrow, I’ll have an entry featuring Mason (my grandson) for the Monroe Garden District’s Annual Fourth of July Children’s Parade at Triangle Park!

Lesson 11: Stories of the Confederate South –
“Prayer from Little Round Top”

Questions and Topics for Discussion, Papers, and Projects:

1. Research the 15th Alabama and their assault on Little Round Top. How would the battle (and perhaps the War) had been different if this unit had taken and held this mountain?
2. Create a map or model of the Battle of Gettysburg. Illustrate the role of the 15th Alabama.
3. Research the units on both sides involved in the battle for Little Round Top.
4. Research the close relationship of twins and how this story illustrates this closeness.
5. Research the Irish allusions in the story, including the song “The Rose of Tralee,” Connemarra, the Potato Famine, and the Coffin Ships.
6. Write a comparison/contrast paper of the two famous commanders in this battle, Joshua Chamberlain and William C. Oates.

Resources:

Online:
http://15thalabama.org/
http://www.15thalabama.com/

Books:
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.   This is a historical novel and made into the movie, Gettysburg.
Storming Little Round Top: The 15th Alabama and Their Fight for the High Ground, July 2, 1863 by Phillip Tucker.

This is a story inspired by Jed Marum’s song, “Prayer from Little Round Top.” Here are the lyrics and notes by Jed Marum. Discuss them and discuss how they guided the writing of the short story.

This song was inspired by reading shiplists and genealogy web sites, and by researching the history of the 15th Alabama. Author Rickey Pittman has written a short story based upon this song and the history. His book of short stories is called “Stories of the Confederate South” and you can find more information at his website http://www.rickeypittman.com/

Prayer from Little Round Top
© Jed Marum 2000

As a child standing by her graveside, I recall
many years ago, we said our last goodbye.
My loving twin sister Sarah left me that day,
torn away by hunger and the blight of ’45.
My father said the Lord would send a mighty wind
to fill our sails and take us ‘cross the sea to Americay
We left behind the pain and famine, we left behind
the land I love, and through the years I remember every day, and

CHO:
In dreams I see the mountain tops of my lovely Connemarra
I hear the waves roll gently on the shores along the bay
I dream I travel home again
And I want to stay forever
And I only need a gentle breeze
And I’ll be on my way

From Ireland to Talladaga Alabama,
Carried on the wind, welcomed at my uncle’s farm.
Through the years now, I’ve learned new ways but little Sarah’s lovely face
I’ve carried in my heart since we were young.

When the bells rang I joined the 15th Regiment
fighting for my home and adopted country.
Many battles now I find myself on this Pennsylvania hilltop
I draw deep from gentle the summer breeze CHO

With a sharp crack from a Yankee rifle a bullet burns
deep within my chest and I’m sinking to the ground
and my eyes find the new horizon while musket fire is
passing overhead in waves of muffled sound.

FINAL CHO: Here I see the mountaintops of lovely Connemarra
I hear the waves roll gently on the shores along the bay
and I can see my home again
where I’m running free with Sarah
Now I only need a gentle breeze
And I’ll be on my way

Lesson 10: Stories of the Confederate South – “Freedom: An Allegory”

Opening Epigraph by Benjamin Franklin:

1. Discuss Benjamin Franklin, his life, and writings.
2. Discuss the symbol of the eagle in history. What other nations/empires have used the symbol?

Questions and Topics for Discussion, Writing, and Projects

1. Free people of color in the South before the War (Antebellum South) and during the war. (The minister in the story was a free person of color) Many were born free, and many became free. For more insights read Myths of American Slavery by Walter D. Kennedy (Pelican Publishing).

2. According to this site, <http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/allegory.html> an allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas such as charity, greed, or envy. Thus, an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.  Some famous allegories are Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, Paul’s allegory in the New Testament in Galatians 4, and perhaps, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Discuss how this story can be thought of as an allegory. What are the ideas of the story? What or who does the eagle represent?

3. Have the class sing together, “Poor Wayfarin’ Stranger.” Discuss its meaning.

Vocabulary:

1. eulogy –  a speech praising someone who had died.
2. talons – claws
3. rogue foragers – violent, out of control Federal soldiers
4. nanny – one hired to take care of children.
5. regal – royal

Study Guide Lesson 9: Stories of the Confederate South – “The Yankee in the Orchard”

This story is set in modern times along the Red River, near Alexandria, Louisiana. However, the backdrop is the Red River Campaign during the Civil War. The story is based on a family legend. The legend is true, but the modern day application is fictional. The orchard is still on the family’s farm and perhaps someday the story will be vindicated by archaeologists.

Topics and Questions for Discussion, Papers, and Projects:

1. The Red River Campaign. Use the school’s data base for further research. However, here is a good site: http://www.civilwarhome.com/redriverrecords.htm  Students can construct an illustrated map of the campaign. Another good  resources is One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End: The Red River Campaign of 1864, by Gary Joiner.

2. Students can discover, record, and present a family legend.

3. Students can analyze modern differences between Southerner and Northerners.

4. Research the story of Louisiana’s Catahoula Cur dog.

5. Research and discuss the Southern view of treatment of women and contrast the South’s  chivalric view to that of other views. What view does Billy have of women?  What does he not know of these women? What does he not know of history?

6. Research Reconstruction from a Southern point of view.

7. How does this story define the Southern Woman?

Lesson 8: Stories of the Confederate South — “The Hanging of David O. Dodd.”

This story is about one of the two boy martyrs of the Confederacy, David O. Dodd. (The other child-martyr is Sam Davis, who was hanged in Pulaski, TN, and whom you can read about here: http://www.tennessee-scv.org/samdavis.html) David O. Dodd was a seventeen-year-old boy who was hanged by the Yankees as a spy in Little Rock, AR. Like the story of Sam Davis, Dodd’s story is a tragic one. He and his father were sutlers, merchants selling goods to soldiers. David also knew Morse code as he worked in a telegraph office in Monroe, Louisiana for a while. Dodd recorded all kinds of things he saw in his journal in code, and this of course was what got him in trouble. Here is a photo of David O. Dodd:

The Epigraph:

“Stand fast, good Fate to his hanging!
Make the rope his destiny our cable . . .” – The Tempest I.1.16

Discuss how the quotation relates to the message of this story.

Further Research:

Here is a photo of David O. Dodd Elemntary School in Little Rock, AR.

You can read in greater detail about Dodd at these websites:

http://www.civilwarbuff.org/dodd.html and at

http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2536

http://www.onlinelittlerock.com/content/historic/civil-war-david-o-dodd.htm

http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/warriors/dodd.html (this site has several photographs)

Project Ideas:

1. Here is a site where your students can learn and practice Morse code. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/morsecode.htm

Have students construct a small David O. Dodd or Mary journal with notes, letters, drawings, photographs, clippings, etc. Also, here is a site with an online translator: http://morsecode.scphillips.com/jtranslator.html
2. After researching his life, draw an illustrated map of Dodd’s travels.
3. Have students reeanact the trial of David O. Dodd. A school in Arkansas, using students about Dodd’s age, did this. See http://www2.arkansasonline.com/events/2008/jan/12/4954/
See also http://www.civilwarbuff.org/trial04.html

Vocabulary and Allusions

1. miser – a greedy stingy person
2. fur muff – a small cylindrical fur or cloth cover, open at both ends, in which the hands are placed for warmth.
3. magical runes – Any of the characters in several alphabets used by ancient Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 13th century. A similar character in another alphabet, sometimes believed to have magic powers.
4. gallows – constructed platform used to hang people from
5. muleskinner – one who drives mules or drives a wagon pulled by mules.
6. provost marshal – The head of a unit of military police.
7. martinet – a puppet on a string
8. cipher – a secret code
9. Tyburn Tree – A famous hanging tree in England. See this site for more information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-london/A988833
10. insurrection – a rebellion, riot.
11. “Women at the foot of the cross” – See Matthew 24:54-56

Stained glass from the Little Rock Arsenal in the Museum of Natural Science and History.

Here are photos of Dodd’s tombstone and footstone:

Lesson 7: Stories of the Confederate South– “Moses”

This is an Underground Railroad story, loosely based on the well-known Harriet Tubman. However, I wanted to reveal some lesser-known insights into her character and into the Underground Railroad.

Epigraph: “O Liberty, how many crimes are committed in thy name” — Madam Roland.

For Discussion and Study:

1. Madam Roland and her husband were outspoken supporters of the French Revolution, but they too fell out of favor with those in power and died by the guillotine. Research her life and discuss the meaning of this epigraph and how it relates to this story.

2. Some servants (slaves) like Daniel were allowed to earn extra money. Many were able to even buy or earn their freedom. Discuss how this is a different perspective from the stereotypical view of slavery in the South. See Myths of American Slavery by Walter. D. Kennedy (Pelican Publishing) for even more insights.

3. Harriet Tubman was called the Moses of her people. Discuss the comparison of this woman leader to Moses. Like the Moses in the Bible, this Moses had good qualities and bad ones. Find and discuss the Biblical allusions she uses.

4. While the other servants are running away from slavery and their masters, Daniel is going with them for another reason. What is the reason for Daniel’s journey?

5. Discuss why escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad often had to go to Canada. Most are unaware of “Black” laws in many of the northern states and of the prejudice against black people that existed in the North as well as in the South. For more information go to this site on black codes.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Black_Codes_in_Northern_USA/id/1933573

6. Discuss the irony in the scene of Jacob’s death. Did Moses have a right to kill him? Daniel wanted to return, but is not allowed to. Does Daniel “truly” have freedom?

7. “Go Down Moses” is an old spiritual. Find, discover, and with your own voice or with recording, present some of these spirituals to your class. Here is a site devoted to Negro spirituals: http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/Times/times.cfm

You can find some lyrics for 21 spirituals here: http://newdeal.feri.org/fwp/fwp05.htm

LESSON 6: Stories of the Confederate South “Lily”

This piece of short historical fiction is based on events recorded in the diary of William McCarter. He was a Federal soldier in the famed, Irish Brigade. By telling the story of a young girl who was killed when Charleston, Virginia was shelled, his story illustrates the sad effects of the North’s war on the civilian population of the South. For more examples read War Crimes Against Southern Civilians by Walter Brian Cisco and published by Pelican Publishing.

TOPICS AND PROJECTS FOR WRITING AND DISCUSSION:

1. History of West Virginia – West Virginia was founded by Abraham Lincoln’s presidential decree, June 1863.  As this story takes place in October of 1862, Charleston was still part of Virginia, though the opening says (to facilitate modern understanding of geography) the setting is in Charleston, West Virginia. The following site has a good summary of the history. http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgID=149 and one can find a summary of West Virginia’s role in the Civil War.
2. The Suffering of the Innocent in Times of War.
3. The Irish Brigade – Read about their history, uniforms, commanders, and role during the Civil War here: http://irishvolunteers.tripod.com/index.htm
4. The flag of the Irish Brigade: (This information and image of the flag is from: http://www.anyflag.com/history/irish.htm)

This flag is one of five regimental designs  carried into battle by the New York State Volunteer Regiments. The motto written in old Irish tongue means: “Who never retreated from the clash of spears” The motto is thought to have been suggested by the Irish scholar John O’Mahoney.
5. The Richmond Howitzers:  There is a modern day reenactment unit that honors the history of this unit mentioned in the story. You can learn more of them here: http://www.howitzers.com/
6. You can find a biography of General Thomas Francis Meagher at this site: http://irishfreedom.net/Misc.%20news%20items/TFMeagher%20headstone.htm
7. Fenian Brotherhood – One site to learn a little about them is here:
8. Have children sing, “Listen to the Mockingbird.” Read about the origin of the song here: You can find the lyrics here:
9. Have students play a game of checkers.
10. civility – Courteous, polite in word and action. For some thoughtful insights, read this article:

VOCABULARY:

1. transcribe – to listen and record in writing.
2. poncho – in these days rubber coated canvas with a hole that the soldier slipped his head through.
3. gabby – talkative
4. dilemma – A situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive.
5. hamlet – a small village.
6. memento mori – a reminder of death.

RESOURCES:

Mc Carter, William. My Life in the Irish Brigade: The Civl War Memoirs of Private William McCarter,

116th Pennsylvania Infantry. Ed.Kevin O’Brien. Cambridge, MA: De Capo,     1996.

Jed Marum, an internationally known Irish musician, wrote a song about the little girl mentioned in McCarter’s journal.  You can learn more of Jed Marum at his website:

LYRICS to “Mama’s Lily” by Jed Marum

She was just her Mama’s Lily
A pretty child, curious and bold
As I stood there with Michael O’Reilly
She might have been seven years old
She’d been placed high atop the piano
And arranged there with love and with care
By an African servant, her nanny
Cutting locks of the little girl’s hair
There were tears soaked locks of here hair.

CHORUS:
And it’s a hard cold edge to the wind tonight
It’s a bitter wind, cuts to the bone
& cruel is fate when its power and its might
To both guilty and innocent are shown
To both guilty and innocent shown

Charlestown was easily taken
Federal batteries had helped clear the way
When we went down to see,
Michael Reilly and me
The Rebel force had melted away
She’s been standing alone in the window
Watching soldiers retreat south and west
There was nothing to do,
When a cannonball flew
Through the window,
And on through her chest
Tore her arm and her heart
From her breast

CHORUS

Now I know we must fight for the union
But what a terrible price must be paid
And to make this land free,
Michael Reilly and me
Well we joined with the Irish Brigade
Now I look through my tears on this Lily
Shattered before she could bloom …
Still through death on her face
Shine her beauty and grace
Though she died from a terrible wound
And no child should ever die from such a wound.

I just finished reading My Soul to Keep (Multnomah Books) by Melanie Wells.  I first met Melanie in January 2008 at Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend in Jefferson, Texas. A fiddle player, she accompanied guitarist and singer Trish Murphy, and I was quite impressed with Melanie. After reading her novel, My Soul to Keep,  I am even more impressed. This beautiful and quiet-spoken author is deep water.  She is a counselor in private practice in Dallas and is also the author of When the Day of Evil Comes and The Soul Hunter, two novels I now intend to read.

For anyone who knows and loves to read about Dallas, Wells’ novel is a fine read. I was raised in Dallas, in parts of the city described in the novel, and as I read, forgotten streets and locations were resurrected in my memory.  Wells is a skilled mystery writer, but she also has extraordinary talents in character development. Some children are key to her story, and though it’s tough to make a child’s character interesting and dynamic in an adult novel, Wells pulls it off.  I’ve been an English instructor with universities for many years, and I identified completely with Dylan Foster, SMU professor and the novel’s protagonist. Why? In my fourteen years of adjunct English instruction at three colleges, I have known instructors just like Dylan Foster–sensitive, somewhat eccentric, and passionate. Wells’ story reveals deep research on her part in psychological and paranormal topics.

The novel’s plot is solid, intriguing, and best of all–not predictable. While the novel has an edge to it, there’s nothing repulsive or offensive in its presentation.  Wells’ novel reveals in-depth research on her part into the criminal mind, as well tremendous general insights into human nature. The novel is written so that the pace and intensity increases as you read, and before too many pages, you find yourself solidly, though imaginatively,  a part of Dr. Foster’s world.

Wells has the gift of expression. Her writing is full of wit and understatement both in narrative sections and in dialogue.  This is a novel you should read.Here are are just a few of my favorite lines:

“God has a tendency to not follow my orders, a niggling little policy of His I find quite maddening” (52).

“The manic laughter drained from his expression, leaving the raw hate and the impentetrable mistrust from years of a hard, bottom-scraping life” (291).

“My sink is pristine. My soul could use a can of Comet” (150).

“That was his style–vandalism with a creep-out factor”  (195)

Melanie Wells website has already been mentioned on this blog, but you can find more about her here:

Lesson Five: “Manhunter”

OPENING EPIGRAPH:

“There is no hunting like the hunting of men, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”—Ernest Hemingway

Topics for discussion and writing:

1) Discuss who would be manhunters today? (Bounty hunters, criminal investigators, elite soldiers, etc.) What skills are required? How would Chicoilithe have learned his skills? Do you think he enjoyed hunting men? Why? What did Hemingway know of hunting and especially, of hunting men?
2) Chicolithe is a true character. How does knowing this affect your perspective of him?
3) Camp Ford and the lives of the prisoners held there is described in detail at this site: Research and share interesting findings.
4) One of the “red-capped Zouaves” mentioned in the story kept a diary, which you can read here:
5) Discuss the dog Nimrod? Why was he given this name? How is the term Nimrod used today? (Someone foolish or silly) Discuss its original use in the Bible. Tradition says Nimrod was the builder of the Tower of Babel. There are many other legends about the historical Nimrod.
6) Chicolithe’s “Let loose the dogs of war” is a quotation from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Discuss its original context and why Chicolithe uses this quote.
7) Kate Stone from Brokenburn Plantation wrote a famous memoir entitled, Brokenburn. Research Kate Stone and the value of her journal. Find this book, read it, and discuss the life of a young girl in the time of war. Discuss why her family moved to Tyler.
8. Another of Chicolithe’s dogs was named Cerberus. In mythology, In Greek mythology, Cerberus was a vicious three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades, the realm of the dead.
9) Another allusion is to Cortez, the Aztecs, and the dogs Cortez used. Research how the conquistadors used the Mastiff in war.

Vocabulary and interesting people mentioned:

1) Molly Moore – a famous poet and writer of the day and in years after the war. She was known as the Texas Songbird. There is a United Daughters of the Confederacy Camp named after her. She really did visit Camp Ford.
2) kepi – type of cap worn by some soldiers.
3) stockade – a fence of built around the prisoners. Camp Ford used pine logs.
4) Jayhawkers – rogue groups of men who terrorized the civilian (and sometimes military) population. Members were often deserters, criminals, escaped slaves, or fugitives from justice.
5) mush – This was made of cornmeal. You can find a recipe for this hot creal and for fried cornmeal mush here: http://southernfood.about.com/cs/cornbread/a/bl30930u.htm
6) muslin – Any of various sturdy cotton fabrics of plain weave, used especially for sheets
7) cypress brake – A brake is an area overgrown with dense brushwood, briers, and undergrowth; a thicket. As cypress trees must have water for at least some of the year, this was then a dense thicket of cypress trees.
8. towhead – a blonde
9) sic – to set the dogs on someone. Compare our “sic’em!”
10. lariats – Used for throwing. In those days in Texas, they were usually made of horsehair or leather.