Where I Come From 2024

I’m making notes to remind myself of some truths NOTES TO MYSELF On Sleep “Fatigue makes a coward of us all.” “Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.” I’ve found that one of the keys to my mental health is getting enough sleep and rest. In our modern age of electricity (our ancestors went to …

Plowing and The Harvest.   Enjoy the audio of this story. 1. Be Curious. 2. Be Amazed. 3. Tell about it.   I get in lots of trouble being curious. But I also learn so much. The best stories begin with a simple question,  “I noticed you . . .” Most folks are more than happy to share their story. …

Readers are loving our latest short story collection,Where I Come From.   Reader feedback continues with, “Curt, this is your best book yet.” See for yourself! I want to invite you to visit our Where I Come From Amazon Page today.     You can read six sample chapters on the Amazon page.  Reader beware:  Few readers who read Chapters …

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  …

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 …

  CHAPTER 17 FROM WHERE I COME FROM:  Excerpt from “A Falling-Out.” Sadly, the turmoil of the recent election has caused me to see families and friendships break apart. This story from our new book, Where I Come From, may help you take that first step to reconciliation. It’s one of my favorite stories. I’m prone to list all of …

This is an excerpt from Chapter 17, “A Falling Out,” in Where I Come From. THOUGHTS ON FALLING-OUTS One of the saddest things I’ve seen during the recent election is the trail of broken relationships. I call a broken relationship a “Falling-Out.” It goes well beyond a disagreement or argument. It leads to estrangement and isolation. As we’d say back …

  Scroll to the next post for Creekbank Book Information, or click here. Author’s note: I originally cut “A Broken Cup” from the book. I wasn’t sure I was ready to be this transparent.   When we needed one more chapter to match the book’s spine width with the page count. I felt this was God’s direction to include it …

  Order your copy today!   Available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle ebook. Read the 66-chapter Table of Contents: Prologue: Patterans 1.Big-Hearted People 2.The Seed Tree 3.The Old House 4.The Eighth of January 5.Prof. Cavanaugh’s Best Lecture 6.Loving Hands 7.John Wooden’s Socks 8.“Curt Lies” 9.Hugh Thompson on Integrity 10.The Night The Old House Came Alive 11.The Hundred Foot …

Now available at https://bit.ly/KindleEbookWhereIcomeFrom The Talking Stick   I have his walking stick— the one he carried in the latter years of his life when I knew him best. His name was Frank Iles, but our family knew him as “Pa.” He was my great-grandfather and a major link to our family’s past. Pa’s ancestors were among the first pioneers …

  Where I Come From: Tales from the Pineywoods Curt Iles   66 new unpublished stories. 291 pages Price: $20.00   Current Timeline Monday, October 21, Kindle ebook pre-orders begin at Amazon.com. Tuesday, October 31, Amazon and Kindle editions go live.   (Amazon Print and Kindle ebook.) November 2024:  Copies of Where I Come From, and Christmas Jelly will be placed …

Essay 2: Silence, Solitude, and a Quiet Time with God.   Excerpt from Chapter 46, “Silence and Solitude,” from our upcoming book, Where I Come From. A late October release is planned. Stay tuned for pre-order information in both eBook and Print editions. More at www.creekbank.net You cannot have solitude until you remove distractions. The key is eliminating distractions so …

Thoughts on Solitude   “There is no ‘quiet place’ in the white man’s cities. There is no place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of insect wings.”  -Chief Seattle 1854   This week, I’ll be blogging about the need for solitude and silence in our lives. I look forward to sharing your thoughts and getting …

A Dry Creek Soldier Comes Home Saturday, September 7, 2024 Dry Creek, Louisiana Taps There’s nothing quite like the sound of “Taps” echoing off a stand of tall pines. My friend Randy Sanchez plays “Taps” on a small World War I “Trench Bugle” in the far corner of the Dry Creek Cemetery. The antique bugle’s unique, raw sound, which no …