Louisiana Stories

            ”The Old House at Night”  1963  tempera on cardboard by my uncle, Bill Iles. The Old House in Dry Creek. First constructed by my great-great grandparents circa 1892, this family home is my favorite spot in the world, the source of many of my stories, and my best writing muse. Below is the opening …

      “Children are enjoying the book nearly as much as the adults.” The recent release of our new children’s book, Uncle Sam: A Horse’s Tale,  has been a great experience.  This early reader tells the story of Sam, a US Cavalry horse who journeys to Louisiana in 1941.  Sam and several of his friends are set free and …

February 10, 2026   ”Fire Curt Iles” A favorite story   in 1991, I served as principal at my home school, East Beauregard High School.   One of my many bright ideas was placing a suggestion box in the lobby. School opened with a fine open house night. As the auditorium cleared, Assistant Principal Tim Cooley  and I were shutting …

    This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!   “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.” Photo: With my new girlfriend, Mrs. Lois Rollins, at Y-Not-Stop in Alexandria. I’m a friend collector. Any day I make a new friend is a good day.   Yesterday, I was working …

A word from Curt Remembrance. It’s a good word. Today, I’m remembering my precious grandmother, Pearl Stockwell Iles. Today would be her 101st birthday. She was MaMa Pearl to me, and she filled my life with love. I speak for all of her wide family.  MaMa filled our lives with her love.     I thought of MaMa Pearl often …

A Note from Curt: As long as I’m alive, I will tell the story of Sgt. Leroy Johnson.     It’s a story worth telling, worth passing on.  We need to be reminded that freedom is never free. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid with their lives for our American freedom. There is no better example of …

    The Three Trees is on Amazon. It’s written as a graduation gift to my grandsons, but the short stories appeal to readers of all ages.   Visit our Creekbank Podcast for “Just Show Up” and more. It’s a good commute companion. Chapter 2    “Just Show Up” That’s it. It’s a significant measure of success. Just show up …

      My Dad was a remarkable man in many ways. He had a deep, unshakable faith that he shares so well in the following treatise. Please feel free to pass this on to folks who need a good word right now. Curt Iles   Our Father Knows Best By Clayton Iles   1934-2003 Written 1987 I do not …

updated on Friday, December 27, 2024 Our favorite store, Foreman’s Grocery in Dry Creek, is open again! Stop in for some of the best boudin in Louisiana and pick up a signed copy of Where I Come From.   Where I Come From: Tales from the Pineywoods   66 new stories. 291 pages Paperback Price: $20.00 Hardcover $30.00 Kindle eBook  …

  Everything rises and falls on relationships. -John Maxwell It’s all about relationships. It’s all about connecting.   Dr. Erik Bailey once told me, “My Aunt Dru always said, “Baby, even if our hands don’t touch, our hearts always do.” That’s relationships. They can be in proximity. Or they can be separated by miles. But never separated in hearts. Everything …

Order  copies  of Where I Come From at Amazon Download your companion e-book, “Medic!“ on Amazon. CHAPTER 50 EXCERPT From the Curt Iles book, Where I Come From. The German POW Graves Author’s note: I have photographs of the five POW graves. I’ll post later.   I scoffed when I first heard it: Five German POWs buried in the Alexandria National …

“I worship when I write, and I write when I worship.” This wonderful quote shares what I’ve come to realize: that writing and creating are ways of worshipping God. He is the source of my life, joy, and any writing skills I’ve been given. I want to be a good steward of those gifts in 2025 and beyond.   Merry …

      Remnants of the terrible 2023 Westport, Louisiana fire. Avoiding a Personal Forest Fire: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” -‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ One of life’s saddest occurrences is watching a good, successful leader lose their way. It’s like driving past a terrible car wreck. You want to avert your eyes …

The Catfish Lunch   Chapter 32, “The Catfish Lunch,” from Curt Iles’s latest book, Where I Come From. Learn more here. If you’re going to understand the culture of Dry Creek Baptist Camp, you’ll need to know about the monthly Catfish Lunch. If you’ve read any of my thirteen books, you know I grew up in a unique place: Dry Creek …