Kentucky Journal

My travels around the Bluegrass over the last few years have only fed my passion for the state and its people. For the writing of the Tim Farmer bio, published in ’05, I was in frequent contact, usually by phone, with scores of people all over the Commonwealth. Those contacts helped handle my always needed “fix” for something real Kentucky-ish. With the putting together of Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes, which appeared this February 1 after fourteen months of work, I wallowed joyfully in a giant puddle of real Kentuckians going about their daily lives in noble ways. Along with those infamous “everyday heroes,” I talked to their friends and relatives also, and in the process, put 6,000 miles on my car. The reception for Heroes has been wonderful, and the invigoration I feel is inspiring me even now as I have started work on a Heroes follow-up.

This site’s Kentucky Journal will allow you, the reader, to look over my shoulder as I meet new Kentuckians, muse about ones I’ve met in the past, look forward to new acquaintances, and express my often rambling thoughts about the land and culture I love. Feel free to reflect with me along the way…

Interviewed my first person for KEH-2 yesterday. I met Charles Whitaker at the home of Cort and Ruby Daniel in River, about six miles from Paintsville, where the 88-year-old resides. The couple took Charles in a year or two ago, and Cort has known the kind-hearted man most of his life. Charles will be included in the book because he has gathered over two million aluminum cans over the last 12 years (counts ’em as bout 30 per pound and meticulously logs them in his notebook). Charles makes sure that the money he collects recycling them at a place in Prestonsburg goes to the Johnson County Christian School in Paintsville. He doesn’t even take gas money, and he is now on his third pick-up truck! He wore out the first and someone collided with the second one. He still drives his Ford Ranger and will continue to perform the sacrificial act “as long as the Lord gives him good health.”

We had a good sit-down meal of Cort’s crappie, fried potatoes, cantaloupe and tomatoes, plus a great fruit cobbler. But somebody has to do it…

June 22, 2008

Traveled to Ashland on a beautiful day yesterday. I signed Kentucky's Everyday Heroes from 2-5 at Waldens in the Town Center Mall, then interviewed Kevin Gunderson at his home for the KEH-2 book.

First, about the book signing. Only sold five books and they were patrons who had not heard about my project. I failed to do much preparation for the event, which could have taken the form of contacting some people in town that I had met previously regarding Kevin Gunderson. Still, the time at Waldens was pleasant and the manager on duty, Amanda, was very hospitable and professional. She promised to work on getting me to come back---and I will, better prepared.

Now, about Kevin. Police officer Gunderson was shot and paralyzed in the early ʼ80s by a person being served a warrant. Kevin's wounds caused immediate paralysis from the waist down, leaving him relegated to the use of a wheelchair. With true grit, Kevin soon afterwards became a police dispatcher and later ran for Ashland city commissioner. He won and has served many terms on the council. This summer, Kevin will become, in effect, the interim mayor of Ashland after Mayor Gilmore resigned. Kevin is a very intelligent, positive person who has a real passion for his community and is accomplishing much from the constraints of his wheelchair. Iʼm excited about transcribing the interview tape and starting to draft a profile piece for KEH-2.

It is time for the carefully---and skillfully-- cultivated words of Georgia Green Stamper to be harvested. I recently became acquainted with the Owen County writer when I received her book, You Can Go Anywhere from the Crossroads of the World, from Kentucky Monthly to be reviewed for a future issue. Georgia provides the reader a healthy dose of nostalgic remembrances---often humorous---of her colorful family and community, but the stories are not merely empty sentiment. Many are essay-like, and the former high school teacher cranks out some real gems of wisdom along the way. I also heard her do a reading at Joseph-Beth, and she could teach a clinic on that skill. In fact, Georgia reads regularly on the NPR radio affiliate, WUKY in Lexington. Be sure to check out her web site, georgiagreenstamper.com, and get her book, published by Wind Publications, as fast as you can! I’m continually amazed at the number of wonderful writers our state produces. Add GGS to the list!

I spent a few eye-opening hours with Dr. Jerry Hayes down at Renfro Valley last Wednesday, June 25. Jerry has spent over a decade gathering and restoring frontier pioneer cabins from all over Appalachia. The beautifully done structures now stand proudly at “Brush Arbor,” a nice piece of land near the Renfro Valley showplace off I-75. Go to brush-arbor.com for more information.

So good to be back and journaling again, as I've had some problems with the mechanics of updating my web site. Hope to get back to doing regular entries.

On Thursday the 21st, made a trip over to Liberty, in Casey County, to talk to Jerry Tucker of the Galilean Home Ministries. Jerry and his wife Sandy, who died a little over a year ago, are the epitome of selflessness and compassion. They have provided a home, sometimes temporarily and sometimes permanently, for about 1000 others, mostly children, since the mid-eighties. Fueled by their desire to have their own children and being childless the first seven years, the couple began both adopting and receiving foster children. To their joyful surprise, they bore two offspring, Rebecca and Jessica, but continued their ministry of mercy and love. Included among their children are those with severe disabilities, refugees from war-torn Afghanistan, children of women in prison and many others.

I spent four hours with Jerry and met dozens of people involved with the work at Galilean and plan to include Jerry and Sandy in my Kentucky's Everyday Heroes follow-up book---slated to publish in mid 2010.

I found out yesterday that a review of Heroes is in the new edition of Mountain Spirit, a magazine published by Christian Appalachian Project. Sue Sword, chief fund-raiser for CAP (christianapp.org), is a vital part of my book. Sue grew up in Floyd County and delivered groceries to the needy as a young seventh-grader---by means of an automobile! She has combined her passion to help poor people and giftedness in the area of raising money and in-kind donations to help bring millions to the organization, helping to change thousands of lives for the better---many in Kentucky. Check out her story, with more details, in Kentucky's Everyday Heroes.

Met some wonderful people at the Laurel County Public Library Thursday evening, the 20th, at the "Writing for Magazines: A Beginner's Guide" presentation I gave. There were about eight, including a high school student, who desired to take a look at how one might go about getting byline's in magazine publishing. They were excellent listeners as I encouraged them to work hard to improve their writing, to send proposals and/or finished pieces to prospective periodicals, and not to lose heart when rejections come---and they always will. I told that I have used my writing to "expand my classroom" after retiring from teaching in the public schools five years ago. I'm confident that from the individuals who attended, there will be some new and competent writers that will contribute to Kentucky's fine literary landscape.