A Wanderlust Brief!

A Wanderlust Brief!

I’m off again! Leaving the Sea of Cortez for the hills of Tennessee — it’s a rather common anomaly, this wanderlust thing that courses through the veins along with the blood. My wife, sweet Julie Anne, would still be content in that first house of many we’ve had, but she is such a patient and understanding person — either that or she is a loon to put up with me and my nomadic impulses.

Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” and I’m testing his long ago thesis. I was born in East Tennessee near the Kentucky border, back when the times were emotionally charged and the economy was a highfalutin word at which most of us good hill folks just squinted our eyes and kept on plowing the fields and digging up the taters and turnips.

Dianne Gray wrote a book of short stories (“Manslaughter And Other Tears” – they’re on amazon now and the Kindle book is FREE. as I write this), one of which really caught my attention… The story is titled, “Corrugated Dreaming” and it’s filled with some unbelievably good writing, great analogies, and some kind of human conditions with which I can identify. The Lady Gray is just too good and original, and, if you haven’t read her many books, hop to it. Dianne is most certainly one of the best writers of our time.

But I digress!

It’s true, all that emotional soup I ate during those Appalachian days must have made for poor digestion all these years — the family disconnect, the mobility, the tears and the stains. With the books I’ve written, I suspect I’ve been trying to find those pieces of me I never could find back in those days. They’re there in my books, in the simple characters and plots I build, on and between the lines. I’m quite sure most authors/writers do the same thing. Some are just too darned good, too original, and should be topping everyone’s reading charts. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop writing my books my way — there are a few in my reading audience and it’s growing.

Well, here’s the thing, why the move back to Tennessee where some old memories just might cause some soul demolition?

The short answer I’ve given — that wanderlust thing!

The longer answer is a bit more complicated, all mixed up in the genes and memories, some gray areas of regret and remorse, some faint idea that maybe I can reconcile some of my life back there where it all started.

It’s likely a ‘fool’s journey’ but my commitment is made. Onward to Tennessee! Julie won’t be surprised if I’m ready to move again in a couple of years – if that long!

If anyone is reading this and gives a ‘hoot and holler,’ my e-mail, my blogs, and all my social networking sites will be the same.

One last thing, if anybody can recommend a pill for getting rid of wanderlust. please let me know. I’m really getting too old for these moves. 🙂

Please follow me on twitter.com (@brchitwood)

 

My main website/blog is: http://billyraychitwood.weebly.com

 

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Short bio sketch on: http://www.about.me/brchitwood

 

My nine books (soon to be ten) are at: http://goo.gl/fuxUA 

 

My books are also on amazon.com: http://goo.gl/vYTfR

 

My books are also on amazon.co.uk: http://goo.gl/ScJ1q