Fragments From Floyd

Oops. I think my metaphors have synesthesia.

The point is, I’ve uploaded four mp3 files this morning–about a half hour of Slow Road Home–the first, perhaps, of more. I decided not to edit or abridge, at least not yet, and just put up the beginning of the book, just the way it came out when I read it (on seven different dates) at WVTF back last September.

It’s certainly not polished, and like the book, not a pot-boiler. You might think of listening with your eyes closed. Or you could look at the banner image above; if you hit “refresh” or the F5 button on your keyboard, you’ll see 17 different images there that may help “place you” in the story. I’ll be thinking about where–if anywhere–to go from this first sampling.

Hmmm. If I could link my photographs and have them fade in and out as the narrative moves along, now that would be an interesting multi-media experience of Goose Creek. Something maybe like a custom arranged Flickr slide show. Here’s a non-customized slide show of my recent-to-less-recent images if you want to keep your eyes open.

Let me hear your thoughts. (There’s a permanent link to the audio page now in the left sidebar under “Fred’s Galleries”)

Go here to the Slow Road Home audio page to listen.

If you can take a slice of life from Southwest Virginia by ear. The last three Friday essays at WVTF are by local writers including my friends Colleen Redman and former Floyd Countian, Jim Minick. Each is about three and a half minutes long. Take a listen.

Essay by Fred First - 6.29.07
If you find yourself swatting at annoying insects that abound as you mow the lawn or attempt to enjoy the outdoors this summer, you’re certainly not alone. But WVTF essayist Fred First has a different reaction. Fred First is the Floyd County author of “Slow Road Home: A Memoir of Place.”

Essay by Jim Minick - 6.22.07
The summer months find many tending gardens. WVTF essayist Jim Minick stays busy protecting his tree farm. Jim Minick teaches English at Radford University

Essay by Colleen Redman - 6.15.07
There aren’t as many farmers these days as in the past. But WVTF essayist Colleen Redman has a son whom she calls a farmer of sorts. Colleen Redman of Floyd blogs daily at looseleafnotes.com. Listen.”

Please stop by Southern Mountain Melodies, the brand new and still growing website for our friends Mac and Jenny Traynham. These local musicians are familiar faces (and voices) in Floyd, and it’s time their music gained a wider listenership.

This is a specially important time for them to become more publically accessible in as much as they will soon have two new CD’s available. You’ll learn about that on their blog.

And please turn up your speakers! There are THREE audio files (two excerpts and one full song) to sample their sound–traditional mountain, gospel and blue grass duets, solos and instrumentals you’ll enjoy.

Leave a comment, add them to your blogroll, and when the time comes, get yourself some CDs–and a couple for your friends! Watch their schedule for performances in and around Floyd!

“Ann, you should see some of the great suggestions Fragments readers are offering for the lead-in and byline fade-out for the radio essay” I told her yesterday morning.

“Like what?” she wanted to know.

“Well, like Stranger on the Shore. It’s such a haunting…”

“No! That comes from my brother’s era, not ours. I don’t want to be dated any older than I already am!” And so the search took on a new twist, with acceptable tunes only within a narrow window of time (not yet negotiated) though I argued (if she would just read the piece again) that the essay was about “the times” both before and after we graduated from high school, so that the exact year was less important than the emotional weight the music would lend to the piece. Venus. Mars. In separate orbits of course.

But then later in the day, it no longer mattered. An email from the radio station said the piece (which I figured was destined to air sometime in the spring) would be up on Dec 22 (this Friday!) and due to time constraints, they had to select something instrumental and get it uploaded and done.

And so, as you can hear, the piece ends with some music that is pleasant enough, but lends nothing to the memory of the times. I’m sorry about that. But it was fun “producing” this piece with your great suggestions. Heck. I may just have to download the radio file and splice in my own intro–WITH musical bookends: intro maybe the instrumental organ leadin to Whiter Shade of Pale; fade out: last bars of Floyd Cramer’s Last Date. Hmmm….

Meanwhile, if you’re interested, catch the little reunion tale real-time broadcast on WVTF this Friday morning, or listen to the unreal-time mp3 file here. The Way We Were / An Essay by Fred First

This was fun. Thanks, all.