ftz--!-J f! L-Ilie-- C4f:;1 II!?!! Friends of Houston Cole Library • Volume 1, Issue 2 • Fall, 1998 essential element of life and Frie 5 will Host Kathryn Tu erWindham the most personal of arts. "1 like storytelling for pleasure, to mid-1970's, she immediately Things Considered" and as a transport my listeners for a became a significant part of it. consultant to several public little while from whatever is Growing up with a father who broadcasting documentaries. gnawing them," she says. collected stories, then retold Among her honors are Mrs. Windham is one of them to his family on the front honorary degrees from Alabama's best-known citizens porch during late summer af­ Huntingdon College and The and has been honored for her ternoons and before the fire­ University of Montevallo, an contributions to preserving the place when the cool tempera­ award for non-fiction from the state's and region's ture prompted them to go in­ Alabama Library Association, culture and heri­ side, must surely have contrib­ and the 1985 "Living for tage. Children of uted to her ability to tell a good America" award. She was a the last three tale. charter member of the National decades, how­ As she honed her skill, she Association for the Preserva­ ever, remember rapidly became a sought after tion and Perpetuation of her for Jeffrey, ark your calendar storyteller for audiences far be­ Storytelling and served on the E~'f for October 27th. her ghost story \ R£ \/ yond her hometown of Selma: board of directors for eight character. ~ , Friends of Houston participating in storytelling years. She again spins her 11Cole Library is hosting festivals around the country While she is known on yarns for our area on October Kathryn Tucker Windham, a and entertaining audiences lecture tours for her warmth 27th, onthe eleventh flotJr of nationally and internationally here and abroad. She has also and humor, she calls herself a the Houston Cole Library at recognized storyteller. Though served as an essayist on Na­ plain and simple teller of tales, 7:30 P.M. Her books will be currently known primarily for tional Public Radio's "All who views storytelling as an available for sale and autographing. her storytelling, Mrs. Windham was first a newspaper reporter, her journalistic career spanning r. obert e gar to ead ----k more than 40 years, from the Great Depression through the hen Dr. Robert Felgar speaks on his recently-published Civil Rights movement. After book as a lecturer for the Friends on November 9th. it graduating from Huntingdon will be another phase in an academic calling which College with a degree in En­ 11includes a twenty-seven year career as Professor of English at glish and a minor in history, Jacksonville State University, most recently as Chairperson of the she became one of the pioneer Department of English. female journalists in the South, Felgar is a nationally recognized scholar, especially in African­ during which time she was the American Uterature. This year alone saw the publication of recipient ofAssociated Press Understanding Richard Wright's Black Bov, part of Greenwood awards for her news stories Press's Literature in COli/eX! series, and "Native Son and Its and photography. Readers," in the MLA volume Approaches to Teaching Wright's It was after her first ghost Native Son. He has also recently agreed to write a book on Wright's major fiction, to be published by storybooks were published in Greenwood Press. Yet Felgar isn't just a scholar. His devotion to teaching is of equal importance. the 1960's that she launched During his tenure at JSU he has been the recipient of the JSU Outstaning Teacher Award and a her storytelling career. Then number of national grants geared to teaching teachers, including the JSU Writing Project. He has been when the national storytelling a teacher of the first Writing Instruction Technology conference, an annual state-wide teacher­ phenomenon took hold in the education program presently in its second decade. Proposed Amendment to By-Laws Boord 1 n an effort to give meet semiannually in the fall on the proposed change in a 'J more flexibility in and spring. The (fall) spring brief business session preced­ of ] scheduling writers meeting will be the annual ing the program on October when they are available, the business meeting for election 27th. Directors board proposes that Article III, of officers, committee reports, Meetings, Section 1, be and other business that may amended to read as follows come before the membership. 1998-99 (words to be deleted are (The spring) Either meeting enclosed in (parentheses); (will) may include a program, Kenneith Calvert words to replace them are which may be co-sponsored by Chairperson printed in bold face): other organizations with "Section 1: The Friends similar interests." William J. Hubbard of Houston Cole Library will The membership will vote Secretary and Treasurer Elizabeth Reid amed to Elizabeth Reid Friends Board Did-=-Yo-u Betty Rowe Know? .Elizabeth Reid Steven Whitton has been named to t 151,268 square riends of Houston ~ feet, Houston Cole Mary Williams Colefl Library Board to fill the ~ Library is the third unexpired term of Dr. Robert largest academic library Douglas Wilson Lokey who asked to step down building in Alabama. Only after eight years' service to the Auburn's main library, at board. Ms. Reid is a JSU 294,000 square feet, and alumna, having received a B.S. UAB's main library, at degree in psychology and a 167,000 square feet, have masters in education with a more usable space. concentration in social The last of the books sciences. Currently a teacher cataloged under the Dewey at Jacksonville High School, she worked for eleven years as a Decimal System were circulation assistant at the Houston Cole Library. The Friends reclassified to the Library of board looks forward to Ms. Reid's contribution to the organiza­ Congress System in August tion. of this year. Completion of that long-tenn project leaves only a few musical scores MJ!etings of the Board remaining iILthe...Dewey JULY 9 - Dr. Mary Williams was elected Vice-Chairman of the classification scheme. Board. An amendment to the By-Laws was submitted to and approved by the Board. It will be voted on by the general membership of the Friends at the next business meeting. (See "Proposed Amendment to By-Laws" elsewhere in this newsletter.) AUGUST 26 - The Board discussed plans for obtaining and funding a "big-name" writer as a guest speaker at the Friends' annual program meeting. Nancy Anderson from Auburn Univer­ sity at Montgomery addressed the Board on this topic and explained how this had recently been achieved at AUM. Possible speakers were considered. SEPTEMBER 14 - Th resignation of Dr. Robert Lokey from the Board was accepted with regret and thanks for his services. The Board discussed further the matter of a guest speaker for the annual program, in pursuit of the subject raised at the preceding meeting. Friends of Houston Cole Library Slater resigned for health riends Board Member is an Eminent reasons in 1995, the Editorial Board appointed Wilson Emerson Scholar General Editor in addition to Textual Editor. textual editor for the fourth two or three editors to each In 1997, Wilson received volume, Representative Men, volume: one (or two) to write the distinguished Achievement published originally in 1850. the Historical Introduction and Award from the Ralph Waldo The late Professor Wallace the explanatory notes, which Emerson Society in recogni­ Williams of Indiana Univer­ are detailC':d and sometimes tion for his work on this sity published this volume in quite long; and one, the addition, contributions to The 1987, with Historical Intro­ Textual Editor, to establish the Complete Sermons and The duction and notes. text and prepare the Textual Topical Notebooks, to which he Professor Phillip Nicoloff Introduction and the Textual was Contributing Editor and of the University of New Apparatus. The most essential Consulting Editor, respectfully Hampshire published the next part of this editor's job is and his editorship of The work, English Traits (1856), establishing the text--that is, Emerson Society Papers, the in 1994, with Historical determining what the author Emerson Society semiannual Introduction and notes by actually wrote, or intended to newsletter, since its founding Professor Robert Burkholder write, and what he wished the in 1990. Col. (Ret.) Douglas E. of Pennsylvania State Univer­ printers to print. To do that, Locally, Wilson has been a Wilson, noted Emerson sity. The five subsequent the editor must compare an the member of Friends of the scholar, is a charter member of volumes are still in progress. know versions of the text-­ Anniston/Calhoun County the Friends of Houston Cole Wilson has finished the textual compare them as to every word Public Library and served as Library and has served on the editing of three volumes. The and every punctuation mark-­ its president for 16 years. He board since its inception. Conduct ofLife (1860) should and find which version is is currently serving as trea­ Before serving as an Army be published fairly soon with closest to the author's final surer. He has been actively officer and an administrative Historical Introduction by draft as submitted to the involved in programs spon­ officer in Civil Service at Fort Professor Barbara Parker of original publishers; this will be sored by the library for years, McClellan, he taught English UCLA and notes by Professor the editor's "copy text," the including Read Alabama, for ten years at several Slater. basis for his new edition. It Reading Our Lives and universities.