Note from Walker Percy

Thought readers of this group would be interested in the scan of a note I got from Walker Percy about six months before his death. And, yes, it's a not-so-subtle attempt to get you interested in looking at the novel that prompted the note. Shoot me. http://randyattwood.blogspot.com/2011/09/note-from-walker-percy-about-41st.html

~ Bang, bang! ~

Seriously, though, that's pretty cool.

I was on cloud nine when I received that note. And then you can imagine when I read his obit. Still have no idea what happened to that particular manuscript.

Nice job. Percy was a kind old Southern gentleman just like his best friend, Shelby Foote. They were friends from the time they were young kids to their deaths. I wonder if that happens anymore.

The Correspondence of Shelby Foote and Walker Percy

Very neat to have received that note. I have found southern writers to be gracious and generous. I've been blessed to have met and visited with Margaret Walker, Euadora Welty, Willie Morris, & John Grisham. I love being in the south where the very air breathes with writing.

That's a pretty rarefied portion of the South. Most of it stinks of fear.

I think I understand what you're saying, but I would have to disagree on several levels. 1) I was referring to the wonderful writers that have come out of the deep South, and the richness of the stories. 2) If your phrase "stinks of fear" is referring to the racial situation as I assumed, then that certainly was an appropriate comment in the past. I live in Birmingham, AL and have been steeped in race relations research the past 2 yrs in prep for my next book. Stinks with barriers, mistrust, misunderstandings, etc. might be a more realistic expression. But, perhaps, you meant something quite different.

Strange, when I think about it. Reynolds Price was guest lecturer at my creative writing class at KU and we students had one-on-one meetings with him. He called several of my paragraphs, "Lovely." But then he was a lovely Southern gentleman.

Randy, I'm sure they were lovely.

#7 Two words: Tea Party. I live deep in the heart of the crazy. Four guys up the road were arrested a while back for conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism. I've got a Don't Tread on Me neighbor just up the road, and now that
BO has been reelected the Wal-Mart just down the road can't keep enough guns in stock. What does that spell to you?

Maybe it's time to move, geneg.

Oh,believe me that's on my mind. I just haven't found anyone in Vermont who wants to trade homes, and since I own mine outright, but not able to sell in current environment, unfortunately not an option to just pull up stakes and move. I think enough experience with the Tea Party and Georgia will turn blue. Its just a question of how much pain can the Tea Party inflict before people down here realize they are NOT their friends.

geneg, after seeing about the storm in New England on the news tonight (2/8/13) I don't think you should move north.

We've had the two easiest winters I can remember here in KC. And you guys in the South are used to hot humid summers.

randy - just fyi, I do have 2 of your bks on my kindle waiting for me. I'm looking forward to reading them soon. How do you decide on your bk's subjects? How does the "Deep South" figure into your thinking?

15 Thanks for the info two books await your reading. I wrote a blog post about how the beginnings of books come to me and I'll put that URL at the bottom. I didn't address the beginning of The 41st Sermon in that post. The genesis was a desire to get away from my own personal situation at the time, and so one fantasizes. But as characters get created, you become immersed in them. The end of books are really difficult for me because I hate to leave them. http://www.randyattwood.blogspot.com/2013/01/this-pantser-describes-how-his-work...

randy -(put this on your author page) Just finished the 41st Sermon and I found it a compelling read. I gave it 4 stars. You had such a motely crew of flawed individuls so I found it reassuring and uplifting that redemption is a possibility for us all. Good writing. Thanks.

17 And thank you! Much appreciated.