8 ARTS
September 29, 1989
GRYPHON
Local writer gains fame witli novei
MARK HOLLOMAN
Sports Editor
Rocky Mount native Allan
Gurganus has become the first
writer from this area to hit the
New York Times best seller list.
Gurganus, who was bom here
but now lives in New York City,
wrote his book Oldest Living
Confederate Widow Tells All
over a period of ten years.
The book tells the story of
Lucy Morrester, a 99 year old
widow who was married to the
last soldier from the Civil War.
The book tells of her hardships,
both with and without her hus
band.
Gurganus, who is on a 31 city
tour to promote the book, says
that he is “extraordinarily
happy” to kick off the promotion
in his own hometown.
The book is Gurganus’s first,
making the accomplishment all
the more remarkable. The book
has been selected as the main
title for September by the Book-
of-the-Month Club.
Photo by Jennifer Townsend
Photo by Jennifer Townsend
Returning home is a joy
Gurganus socializes with old friends at Wesleyan. He read Autographs, anyone.
from his book, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells AIL After reading from his book, Gurganus signs extra copies.
Journalists take on new challenges
Contributecf Photo
Smile!
Deborah Kincheloe stands
beside the bookcase that
contains her research for her
novel. This research is proof
of two years of extensive
work on the Vietnam War.
Her novel involves a young
woman coming-of-age in a
very turbulent time in the
nation's history.
DANA BURGESS
Copy Editor
English teachers Deborah
Kincheloe and Rosa Leonard are
busy people these days. Besides
their all-day teaching jobs, they
are hard at work on literary proj
ects.
Kincheloe is in the process of
writing a novel set in the Viet
nam era. The book is based on
some of Kincheloe’s own experi
ences. This coming-of-age novel
chronicles the young girl’s tur
bulent joiimey into adulthood
during a very confusing time in
our nation’s past.
Over the past two years,
Kincheloe has done extensive
research for her novel. She has
gone to military archives to col
lect, read, and incorporate accu
rate Vietnam information into
her novel. She has also talked to
people who served in the Viet
nam War, and families who lost
loved ones in the war.
Leonard in involved in an
other aspect of journalism-book
publishing. She read local author
Mary Lewis Dean’s manuscript
Like the Moon and decided to
publish it. Leonard named the
publishing company Flatrock
Books because it was at Flatrock
that she first read the manuscript.
Entrepreneur Leonard headed
for the library for a how-to book
on publishing. “You do not learn
to start a business by just reading
about it,” she said. “All the ad
vice in the books told me just
what to do, but no one warned
me that the book manufacturing
company would file for bank
ruptcy the day the galleys were
due.”
“Fortunately, that was the
only unforeseen event that I
faced,” Leonard added.
Like the Moon, the company’s
first title, goes on sale Oct. 7 at
the Pumpkin Festival in Spring
Hope. “Lulu Quillen, the story’s
narrator, will catch you in her
spell as she tells all Hart
Country’s secrets,” Leonard
said. Fledgling, Flatrock Book’s
second title, will be available in
April.
Contributed Photo
Time to relax
Rosa Leonard relaxes at Flatrock while reading over her
manuscript.