North Carolina Literary Notes
by E. T. Malone, Jr.
Manly Wade Wellman, who
died on April 5 at the age of 82 in
Chapel Hill, was considered by
some people to be the only man
in North Carolina who really
earned his living through
writing. He could write long,
short, or in between, and plenty
of it. During his lifetime,
Wellman estimated that he had
written 83 books and over 500 ar
ticles and short stories.
I have been reading the
lengthy obituaries and
numerous editorials that ap
peared in newspapers around
the state in the days following
his death, trying to find some
common themes.
It would be a state that would
beget envy in the heart of many
a struggling writer, but it ap
pears that Wellman wrote so
many books over the years that
those who keep track of such
things gradually lost count. His
friends, such as Sam Ragan at
"The Pilot" in Southern Pines,
tended to credit him with the
higher number, 83. Ragan said
that Wellman confided to him
several years ago that he wanted
to publish a number of books
equal to his age, and Ragan
maintains that Wellman was
working on a new book at the
time of his death. He did, in fact,
reach his goal, says Ragan.
The obituary of Wellman in
the Raleigh "News and Obser
ver" mentioned 70 books, as
does the most recent article on
Wellman in the 1986 edition of
"Contemporary Authors."
Richard Walser, in a lengthy dis
cussion of Wellman's mystery
and science fiction works,
avoids making an estimate. In
his revised edition of the stan
dard reference "Literary North
Carolina," due for publication
later this year, Walser mentions
Wellman as a writer, also, of
numbers of historical volumes
and books for children, but, in
terestingly, Walser mentions
four new books by Wellman
published after what some news
paper obits declared was his last
book.
The point is that the man was
prolific. He found out early what
he wanted to do, and he did it.
Although Wellman considered
himself a North Carolina writer
and a Southern writer, he was
born in Kamundongo, in the
country of Angola in Africa,
where his American parents
were living. He attended what is
now Wichita State University,
graduating in 1926, and moved to
North Carolina in 1947, where he
became town clerk of Pine Bluff
in Moore County. Except for one
early volume of science fiction,
"The Invading Asteroid" (1932),
most of Wellman's writing was
done in North Carolina.
Later in life he returned
strongly to the science fiction
and fantasy arena, which he had
never completely abandoned
anyway. Between 1973 and his
death, he churned out ten such
books, drawing to himself num
bers of younger disciples during
the years when there was a
revival of interest in that partic
ular field.
Yet Wellman was so versatile.
Eight or so years ago my wife's
parents in Virginia were prepar
ing to move to a new home. In
their basement was a box of old
paperback books, including a
number of whodunits left over
from her father's military ser
vice in the 1940's. There, with a
black-gloved hand pointing an
automatic pistol at a woman in a
red dress on the cover, was
"Find My Killer," a Manly
Wellman thriller dating from
1947.
Juvenile books were a strong
interest of Wellman's. "The Last
Mammoth" (1953) was reviewed
several months ago in this
column, but between 1947 and
1971 he authored 34 books for
children and young people, in
cluding titles ranging from
"Fast Break Five" (1971) to
"Jamestown Adventure" (1967).
He wrote histories of Moore,
Gaston, Warren, and Madison
counties and of the city of Win
ston-Salem, as well as a bio
graphy of Confederate Gen.
Wade Hampton of South Caro
lina.
Some stuffy academic types
probably dismissed Wellman as
a hack writer. He was, for
example, not even mentioned in
a 515-page 1979 biographical dic
tionary of Southern writers
published by Louisiana State
University Press and edited by
three professors from North
Carolina. If anyone is embar
rassed by that omission it should
be the editors?not Manly
Wellman. He didn't really need
the publicity.
Littleton Girl On Team
Valerie Parham of IJttleton is
among the members of a team
from the N.C. School of Science
and Mathematics (NCSSM) who
placed first in the North Carolina
Science Olympiad, held recently
at Catawba College in Salisbury.
The win reserves a place in the
national competition for the 15
students from the residential
public high school in Durham.
NCSSM students accounted for
eight medals, with first place in
the science bowl and password
competitions, as well as four
second- and two third-place
finishes.
Never Trust Skinny Cook
( Continued from page 2)
The story notes, by the way, the motto of Jim Quessenberry, "Never
trust a skinny chef."
The fallacy is that we may imply on the other hand that cooks not
so skinny can be trusted. I don't know about that.
I do know that before I put my feet under the table of Jim
Quessenberry or anybody else, I want to know that he has been stuffed
on something besides rattlesnake and whole hogs. I want to know also
that he doesn't plan to stuff me on that fare.
I'll be glad to try his Chicken Oregano!
ir, r tw ??-it"
Craif Seaman to shown above being finger
printed Saturday by Karen Henry with tbe Macon
Volunteer Fire Department's Ladles Auxiliary. Hie
auxiliary fingerprinted youth as a public service
at the Warren County Craft Fair held at the Na
tional Guard Armory. The prints were then given
to parents for safekeeping.
(Staff Photo by Dtanne T. Rodwell)
King And Queen
Contest Held At
Learning Center
The First Annual King and
Queen Contest sponsored by the
Board of Directors of the
Creative Learning Center of War
ren County was held recently at
Northside Elementary School in
Norlina.
The winners were Tonya Jones,
who was crowned queen, and
Shawn P. Williams, who captured
the king's crown.
Contestants competed for top
honors by raising funds through
private donations.
Also crowned were Brian
Hayes, prince, and Shaunita
Mason, princess.
Other members of the court in
cluded Kimberlye Worth, Ten
nyson Kirk, Ahmani Owens and
Jarred Williams.
Winners in the contest were
awarded United States Savings
Bonds. All funds raised from the
event will benefit the Creative
Learning Center, with a major
portion of the funds going toward
the purchase of physical educa
tion equipment.
The Creative Learning Center
is a non-profit, Montessori in
structional program located in
Soul City. The school operates
from the Green-Duke House, an
18th-century mansion that was
recently restored through a grant
from the Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation.
Center director is Sandra King.
Letters To Editor
Attend Meet
To The Editor:
The time has come when all
citizens of Warren County should
know what goes on behind closed
doors at the meeting of instruc
tions to the registrars, judges and
other employees of the Board of
Elections.
Members of the board are us
ing this opportunity to invite all
citizens of Warren County to the
instructional meeting on Satur
day, May 3, at 10 a.m. at the War
ren County Courthouse.
JOHN J. HAWKINS
Chairman
Warren County
Board of Elections
Warrer.ton
Thanks Public
To The Editor:
Thank you for helping to bring
attention to the recent Fundrais
ing Drive for Multiple Sclerosis in
Norlina.
9"r goal was $275, and we
raised $305.65 in a door-to-door
campaign that was led by the
Youth of Norlina United
Methodist Church.
The community rallied
together to help in Christ's
ministry of healing the sick. Tru
ly, this was a witness of the love
of God among the people of
Norlina.
On behalf of the National Multi
ple Sclerosis Society, the half
million victims of Multiple
Sclerosis, and myself, thank you
Norlina and surrounding com
munity for your gifts of love.
A. GENE COBB, JR.
Coordinator
1986 Norlina MS Drive
Winners in the First Annual King and Queen Con
test held recently for the Creative Learning Center
are shown above: (left to right, front row) Queen
Tonya Jones and King Shawn Williams; (second
row) Princess Shaunita Mason and Prince Brian
Hayes; and (third row) Members of the Court
Ahmani Owens, Kimberlye Worth, Jared Wilkins,
and Tennyson Kirk.
PAIO POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
RE-ELECT
HENRY T.
PITCHFORD, JR.
Board Of Education
District No. 1
SERVING YOU WELL
We app. i much the support and services rendered by so
many concerru izens of Warren Co. in our efforts to provide for our
boys and girls ; jest of educational opportuntities.
To this cause I seek your continued support and blessings.
PLEASE VOTE MAY 6 Tu . T v
Thanks To You,
HEtfRY~T. PITCHFORD, JR.
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