Louisiana Stories

The Red Cedars at The Old House January 1, 2024 This red cedar coaster has a remarkable story.  It comes from the limb of one of the majestic cedar trees in the front yard of The Old House. When a pecan tree recently crashed on The Old House roof, the cedar’s limbs limited the damage. The coaster you hold came …

    The Best Trade: A Christmas Tree for a Basket of Jelly This story from my first book, Stories from the Creekbank, is still a favorite of readers of all ages. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas to all of my friends. -Curt Christmas jelly is probably my favorite holiday gift. Yearly, I receive this present from a …

    Friends and Readers, We’re putting the final touches on our upcoming novel, Where We All Belong. Don’t give up on us. There are many moving parts in getting a book into your hands. I really believe the final product will be worth the wait. Remember, it takes a village to raise a book and you’re a part of …

“The Old House at Night.”  by Bill Iles 1963 “A Tree Fell on the Old House.”   “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”    Proverbs 23:7 I’ve always dreaded it, but knew it’d happen one day.  My sister’s message was short, “A tree fell on the Old House last night during the storm.” Before I tell you …

A Mentor named Jay Miller   “I was born in a tiny Southern town. I grew up with my family and friends all around.” Something to Love Jason Isbell   I grew up in a rural community where I was fortunate to have a long line of mentors and role models.  Many of these relationships continued even into my adult …

Pine Trees and Gravel Roads This story, written in 2023, is from my third book Wind in the Pines.  They’ve clearcut a large swath of pine forest adjacent to the home I grew up in at the dead-end road where my parents live. A Clear Cut is always sad to me.  This one removed the thick strands of pines about …

A Note from Curt: As long as I’m alive, the story of Sgt. Leroy Johnson will be remembered. It’s a story worth telling, worth passing on.  We need reminding that our freedom is never free. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid for our American freedom with their lives. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid …

“The White House” from Hearts across the Water Friday, September 23, 2005 It is just before bedtime on the night before Hurricane Rita slams into Southwest Louisiana. A crowd of fifty anxious faces stares into mine as they await words of wisdom from the camp director. The faces are each so different and individual. Some faces are black; others are …

It’s Christmas and time to help you with stock stuffers and difficult gifts. We are offering five of our Creekbank books for sale during Christmas. Each book is for sale at a discount of $10 per book and to encourage multiple purchases, there is a total shipping fee of $5 regardless of purchase size. Each book is personally autographed. You …

Herman Clemenson lived 24,500 days after Sgt. Leroy Johnson saved his life on Dec. 15, 1944. The place was Leyte Island, Philippines. The story is one for the ages. 24,550 days. That’s a long time.  That’s 67 years and over two months. Close to a lifetime.  And Herman Clemenson,  a North Dakota soldier had this gift of a lifetime thanks …

Trail Magic “Be ye kind one to another.” -Paul in Ephesians 4:32 Frank and I climbed up a steep ridge on the north Georgia part of the Appalachian Trail. We were on a remote and dry portion of the Trail and were parched on this warm day. Our water bottles were empty and we consulted a guidebook for the next …

  Uncle Quincy’s Goose   (From Curt Iles’s third book, Wind in the Pines.) “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” -Proverbs 21:23   You are probably familiar with the old story of the gossip who was confronted for spreading an untruth throughout the community. The offending “tale-bearer” apologized and volunteered to go back to …

December 31 New Year’s Eve   Finishing Strong   Ted Williams is generally considered the greatest hitter in the history of major league baseball. Two events from his career speak about the concept of “finishing strong.” In 1941, Williams entered the last day of the season with a batting average of .3995. This would qualify him for a rounded off …

Down in the Well   “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”   Proverbs 3:4   My neighbor Dudley Mercer tells a story from his Dry Creek childhood.  His family farm had a 35-foot deep well on which they relied for all of their water needs. Dudley’s family also had a problem: one …