A.M. & Welma Aikin Regional Archives http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php en blamb@parisjc.edu Copyright 2006 2006-04-07T16:01:00-06:00 Song Lyrics and Life http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/song-lyrics-and-life/ Not being a very musical person, I have always been intrigued by lyrics, the “words,” which makeup what I might refer to as the narrative nature of songs, rather than the rhythms.  Zelda Fitzgerald contended, as gleaned from reading a major biography of her, that she “wanted to live her life based on the lyrics of popular songs.” How intriguing to contemplate what might be considered a rather modern perspective, so typically associated with youth. Of course, to an old foggy like me, maybe I am wrong to assume that young people even listen to the lyrics today, and only…]]> 2008-05-06T13:15:01-06:00 PJC Hispanic Club http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/pjc-hispanic-club/ The newly created, or resurrected, Hispanic Club at PJC has been a focus of lively interest and activity this college year.  Susan Sanchez and Daisy Harvill have been joined by other advisers, particularly including Kelli Ebel, newly hired Spanish language instructor.  I have made an effort to attend as many regular meetings as feasible and found a wide variety of program topics.  I am sure Mrs. Helen Williams would laud all that has gone on to promote awareness and understanding of other cultures.  Mrs. Williams happens to be in my thoughts since she carried the torch for languages back when…]]> 2008-04-21T17:18:01-06:00 Creative Awards at PJC http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/creative-awards-at-pjc/ The 32nd annual Creative Awards will be held in the J. R. McLemore Student Center Ballroom, 9 April 2008, at 2:30pm.  Something to be proud of in an era when reading and writing, and being creative in the ARTS, tend to be a lesser priority for most people.  This project was the inception of Dr. Tony Clark when he was at PJC back in the 70s.  We are truly indebted to the likes of Dr. Clark for his own creativity, having been a published poet--one particular volume entitled “Fate - One Mile.” A literary club of sorts, of which Dr.…]]> 2008-04-08T12:32:01-06:00 Roy Bedichek and the University Interscholastic League http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/roy-bedichek-and-the-university-interscholastic-league/ With the recent UIL events being held here on the Paris Junior College campus, it brought to mind comments made by William A. Owens regarding his good friend Roy Bedichek. In the annals of Texas lore, Roy Bedichek is known as a philosophical figure. My exposure to Bedichek came primarily from what Dr. Owens related to me, and the rather interesting circumstance of my being acquainted with Bedichek’s’s daughter, Mary Carroll, who lived here in Paris for a short while. His is a name lost to most if not for such informative relationships. In my mind I will always link…]]> 2008-04-02T14:19:01-06:00 William Humphrey Selected Letters Published http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/william-humphrey-selected-letters-published/ Chaney “Far from Home” Selected Letters of William Humphrey, edited by Ashy Bland Crowder and published by Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rogue, La. 70808 (ISBN 978-0-8071-3272-2) has just been made available for many of us particularly interested in this writer.

The book flyleaf conveys, “Often compared to William Faulkner, renowned American writer William Humphrey (1924-1997) sought to shatter myths about the South in such acclaimed novels as Home from the Hill, The Ordways, and Proud Flesh, and in his voluminous short stories, critical essays, and memoirs.  This collection of Humphrey’s best letters deserves space on the bookshelf alongside…]]> 2008-01-17T21:53:00-06:00 Area Writers Books Available http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/area-writers-books-available/ Some of you may have read in one of my recent comments that new books have been published by local area writers. Don Coker and David Clarkson have published respectively Where the Serpent Hides and Vanishing Starlight. These titles are now available in the Paris Junior College Bookstore. If you are interested go by the PJC Bookstore and have a look at these new works of fiction. 

Additionally, we hope to have these authors available in the near future, and if you have a copy of their book I am sure they would be willing autograph it for…]]> 2006-09-13T15:46:00-06:00 Coker and Clarkson: Contemporary Paris Writers http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/coker-and-clarkson-contemporary-paris-writers/ Two relatively new fictional writers and offerings have come to my attention involving their personal association with the Paris, Texas, area.  It is always intriguing to take note of those who have ventured into the literary realm.

Donald Coker presents us with an interesting portrayal in the guise of Dr. Jeffery Diamond, a recently widowed physician, who practices medicine in a small east Texas town. Due for a long vacation, Diamond plans a two-week trip to Mexico. But as he flies his private aircraft to several destinations in Mexico, he inadvertently becomes involved with a major drug cartel…]]> 2006-08-24T16:05:01-06:00 Regional Writers - Humphrey and Clarksville http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/regional-writers-humphrey-and-clarksville/ William Humphrey’s often described idyllic Texas childhood came to an abrupt end with his father’s automobile accident on 5 July 1937.  The accident in which Clarence Humphrey was fatally injured is the central event in Farther Off from Heaven.  This retrospective tells of a turning point in Humphrey’s life which shaped his identify as a writer.  “I lost not only my father,” he said in a 1988 interview, “I lost my life, my whole ‘way’ of life.”

Upon the publication of Father Off from Heaven, William Humphrey came back to Texas in May of 1977, to speak on…]]> 2006-06-20T17:33:00-06:00 Regional Writers Continued - William Humphrey http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/regional-writers-continued-william-humphrey/ I don’t recall exactly when I realized that William Humphrey and I had the same birth date. In my mind there was something fascinating about this association. Initially, though my awareness of William Humphrey and his work was limited, it caused me to wish to become acquainted with this personality who hailed from my part of Texas and had gained a fairly substantial reputation as a writer.

William Humphrey, native of Clarksville, Red River County, Texas, noted author of Home from the Hill, along with other works, was born on June 18, 1924. Time and circumstance allowed me…]]> 2006-06-09T11:42:00-06:00 Follow-Up on Regional Writers http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/follow-up-on-regional-writers/ Even though there have not been very many responses to our intitial comments regarding “Regional Writers” let me say that those who have been willing to contribute have made some very interesting comments and insights about this topic.  Some names have been brought up which might not be familiar to all of us, and that is a good thing--to broaden our horizons. 

What about the name “Ruth Cross?” Any comments, or info, about this particular individual?  Many may not realize her connection with the Paris area, Blossom in particular, and the writing career which put her in a…]]> 2006-05-03T11:40:00-06:00 More About Regional Writers http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/more-about-regional-writers/ Those of us who have read This Stubborn Soil, A Seasoning of Weathering, Look to the River, along with so many other of his works, cannot help but attest to the worthiness of the effort to extol the universal to be found in the local. 

So many writers are labeled as regional when in fact the narrative may reflect a particular area but the context transcends to a much broader realm.  Writers typically strive for a timeless dimension which would allow their works to be relevant regardless of the frame of reference.  Of course, time, place, and people…]]> 2006-04-17T18:59:00-06:00 Regional Writers http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/chaney/entries/regional-writers/ Chaney “What’s in a name?” As Daisy Harvill, PJC Archivist, questioned in her recent blog entry, our attention is typically caught in the presenting of a name and from that, hopefully, will come a world of responses.  With the topic of “regional writers,” I thought I could not help but stir some interest with names like William A. Owens, William Humphrey, and possibly even Jim Ainsworth. 

I was personally acquainted with Owens and Humphrey and hope to become acquainted with Ainsworth, since he is still with us.  Good story- tellers seem to be what it is all about.  They…]]> 2006-04-11T14:23:00-06:00