Our Annual April Fool’s Edition I love April Fool’s Day. I’m an unreformed prankster. I’ve pulled some fine pranks on April 1, and just as importantly, I’ve had a multitude of pranks pulled on me. Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it. The following is one of my favorite April Fool’s stories: Of all the teachers I worked …
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”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 …
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The Old House Comes Alive Again I leave my mom’s home and walk the short distance to the Old House. It’s sunset and our homestead, built in 1892, stands starkly against the background of Crooked Bayou swamp. I hurry in from the cold and build a fire in the middle room fireplace, my favorite room, where I spent countless …
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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 …
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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. …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller