Pastor Emmanuel’s Gift- I want to share it.

One of the privileges of traveling outside the country is making new friends.  Pastor Emmanuel of Liberia is one such friend whom I grew to love as a brother.  On our last night in Liberia, he shared this wonderful passage from Corinthians. The excellent subtitle work was done by UNO film student Julian Quebedeaux of “Thaninja Studios.”  You can contact …

Read More »

The Beginning of a New Book

A Spent Bullet by Curt Iles       copyright 2010   Creekbank Stories To readers:  This is the prologue/first chapter to my current book in progress.  Scroll to bottom of blog for ways you can be  a Creekbank Partner on this project. Enjoy!   Curt Iles     “I want the mistakes made down in Louisiana, not over in Europe. If it doesn’t work, …

Read More »

Today is "Bo the Dog" Stories

Keeping my vow to always include dogs in my books,  “Bo” is the dog of choice in A Good Place. Bo is the hog dog and companion of Mayo Moore, the narrator of A Good Place. Today I’ll be adding snippets of Bo’s friendship and adventures with Mayo.  Hopefully, readers will enjoy them without me giving the story away. A …

Read More »

"Dog Week" continues at The Creekbank

There are no Catahoula Curs in Ireland! In The Wayfaring Stranger,  Irish immigrant meets Jezebel: Joe Moore was so focused on this close inspection that he never saw or heard the dog coming until it was too late. He never figured out where it came from, so the dog achieved a total ambush. It was undoubtedly the fiercest looking dog …

Read More »

Miz Girlie Perkins and her philosophy on dogs and re-marriage

Miz Girlie Perkins is probably the most beloved character in both The Wayfaring Stranger and A Good Place.  Below she informs teenaged Eliza Clark about her philosophy on men and dogs:   Nearing Miz Girlie’s place, Eliza laughed at her favorite statement from her older friend. Eliza had once asked her why she didn’t marry again. Girlie, who had the …

Read More »

Spoken Word event in DeRidder this Saturday

Please join us as we celebrate the art of language during RAD’s first spoken word event. “Coming Home @ RAD” will feature the authors Curt Iles, Rachel Reischling, Tommie Townsley, Anita Machek, Gordon Rottman and Chris Pascale …musical lagniappe will be provided by the powerful fiddling of Ron Yule. Saturday, January 9, noon-3pm. Well-known children’s author, Tommie Townsley will speak …

Read More »

The dog trouble that made Joe Moore flee Ireland

This is from chapter 1 of The Wayfaring Stranger.  It tells of how my great-great-great grandfather Joseph Moore had to leave his home in Westport, Ireland as a teenager in 1849. Along with the garden, these sheep were the livelihood of his sister and himself. They were so precious that he brought them nightly into the dirt-floored cottage. That was …

Read More »

Two dogs named Sugar and Ivory

Sugar and Ivory It’s odd but I will always think of two dogs when I think of the long night that Hurricane Rita struck Dry Creek Camp. We had 350 people on our grounds. They had been moved and bedded down in our most solid dorms and everyone took enough food and water for the next thirty hours when we …

Read More »

On Homesickness and Dogs

I’m continuing blogging about dog stories this week.  It’s in honor and memory of my best friend, Ivory.  This yellow lab died last week after a rich life of 14 years. I’ve repeated the “punch line” in this story thousands of times since it occurred twenty years ago.  My son Clint still cringes when I tell it. Picture this scene: …

Read More »

A Friendship Fire…

A Friendship Fire From The Old House by Curt Iles It’s a beautiful March night.  During this third month of the year, the nights are cool and the days are normally mild.  The blossoms of spring begin to show off- the azaleas, dogwoods, and honeysuckle.  Most of the days are full of blue skies and moderate temperatures.  Best of all, …

Read More »

"Lock the doors and put up the dishes, ’cause we’re coming to your house."

June-  Baby Birds and Labrador Retrivers… A dog story… excerpted from “A Lesson from the Birds”    The Old House by Curt Iles It’s time for all of  the rites of summer- It’s now warm enough for swimming in the creek, and ripening blackberries are ready to be found in the thickets.  In gardens, purple-hull peas are ready, and watermelon vines …

Read More »

Thoughts on loving a dog

I come from a family of dog lovers and grew up in a dog-loving rural culture.  (One of my older friends, Lela Boggs Harper, always said,  “Curt, don’t trust no one that doesn’t like dogs.”) I have no problems with cats or even people who don’t share my great love of dogs. I’m just thankful that dogs are, and have …

Read More »

Art from Bill Iles

I’d like to invite everyone within SW Louisiana to drop by an excellent art show at the RealArt DeRidder Gallery. Tonight, Dec. 29 from 6:00-8:00 PM, is the opening reception. Four DeRidder natives, including my beloved uncle Bill Iles, are featured in this show called “Coming Home.” The paintings are on display through Jan. 9.  At the closing of the …

Read More »